# US 10,455,546 B2 · Wireless communications—dynamic coverage class update and aligning coverage class paging groups > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,455,546 B2 - Document ID: US10455546B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/664,380 - Filed: 2017-07-31 - Published: 2017-11-16 - Granted: 2019-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2015-01-26 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ) - Inventors: Mårten Sundberg; Nicklas Johansson; Paul Schliwa-Bertling; John Walter Diachina - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455546B2 ## CPC - H04W 68/02: Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel - H04L 1/0009: {by adapting the channel coding (H04L1/1812 takes precedence)} - H04L 1/0013: {Rate matching, e.g. puncturing or repetition of code symbols} - H04W 8/18: Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data - H04W 76/28: Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX] - H04L 1/08: by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system {(H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence)} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Techniques are described herein that enhance the following: (1) how a wireless device conveys a change of its downlink (DL) coverage class (CC) to a network; and (2) how the network and the wireless device each perform a new paging group procedure to align coverage class paging groups within a given Extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle for the wireless device. In addition, devices namely a wireless device, a radio access network node (e.g., Base Station Subsystem), and a core network node (e.g., Serving GPRS Support Node) that implement these techniques are described herein. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wireless device comprising: a processor; and, a memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor interfaces with the memory to execute the processor-executable instructions to perform operations to: determine a current downlink (DL) coverage class (CC) needs to be changed to a higher DL CC or a lower DL CC; and, based on the determination of the need to change the current DL CC to the higher DL CC, transmit an indication of the higher DL CC by performing a cell update procedure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to transmit the indication of the higher DL CC by using a code point within an access request sent on a Random Access Channel (RACH) requesting uplink (UL) Transport Block Format (TBF) resources to send a cell update message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to perform an operation to: based on the determination of the need to change the current DL CC to the lower DL CC, transmit an indication of the lower DL CC in an uplink transmission, wherein the uplink transmission has another purpose in addition to indicating the lower DL CC, and wherein transmission of the indication of the lower DL CC in the uplink transmission uses a code point within an access request sent on a Random Access Channel (RACH) requesting uplink (UL) Transport Block Format (TBF) resources to send the uplink transmission. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is further operable to: perform the determine operation and the transmit operation before a next occurrence of a nominal paging group. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is further operable to: based on the determination of the need to change the current DL CC to the lower DL CC, not transmit an indication of the lower DL CC. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the higher DL CC indicates at least one more blind repetition is needed than provided by the current DL CC, and wherein the lower DL CC indicates at least one less blind repetition is needed than provided by the current DL CC. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is further operable to: configure a nominal paging group for a lowest CC within an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle associated with the wireless device to correlate with an additional nominal paging group associated with a higher CC within the eDRX cycle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the wireless device is further operable to perform the configure operation as follows: using a benchmark paging block associated with the lowest CC to identify the nominal paging group for the lowest CC and the additional nominal paging group such that the additional nominal paging group associated with the higher CC has a set of paging blocks comprising the benchmark paging block. ### Claim 9 A method implemented by a wireless device, the method comprising steps as follows: determining a current downlink (DL) coverage class (CC) needs to be changed to a higher DL CC or a lower DL CC; and, based on the determining of the need to change the current DL CC to the higher DL CC, transmitting an indication of the higher DL CC by performing a cell update procedure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting the indication of the higher DL CC by performing the cell update procedure further comprises using a code point within an access request sent on a Random Access Channel (RACH) requesting uplink (UL) Transport Block Format (TBF) resources to send a cell update message. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising a step of: based on the determining of the need to change the current DL CC to the lower DL CC, transmitting an indication of the lower DL CC in an uplink transmission, wherein the uplink transmission has another purpose in addition to indicating the lower DL CC, and wherein the step of transmitting the indication of the lower DL CC in the uplink transmission further comprises a step of using a code point within an access request sent on a Random Access Channel (RACH) requesting uplink (UL) Transport Block Format (TBF) resources to send the uplink transmission. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the determining step and the transmitting step are performed before a next occurrence of a nominal paging group. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: based on the determination of the need to change the current DL CC to the lower DL CC, not transmitting an indication of the lower DL CC. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the higher DL CC indicates at least one more blind repetition is needed than provided by the current DL CC, and wherein the lower DL CC indicates at least one less blind repetition is needed than provided by the current DL CC. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: configuring a nominal paging group for a lowest CC within an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle associated with the wireless device to correlate with an additional nominal paging group associated with a higher CC within the eDRX cycle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the configuring step further comprises: using a benchmark paging block associated with the lowest CC to identify the nominal paging group for the lowest CC and the additional nominal paging group such that the additional nominal paging group associated with the higher CC has a set of paging blocks comprising the benchmark paging block. ### Claim 17 A Radio Access Network (RAN) node comprising: a processor; and, a memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor interfaces with the memory to execute the processor-executable instructions, whereby the RAN node is operable to: configure a nominal paging group for a lowest coverage class (CC) within an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle for a wireless device to correlate with an additional nominal paging group associated with a higher CC within the eDRX cycle for the wireless device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The RAN node of claim 17, wherein the RAN node is operable to perform the configure operation as follows: using a benchmark paging block associated with the lowest CC to identify the nominal paging group for the lowest CC and the additional nominal paging group such that the additional nominal paging group associated with the higher CC has a set of paging blocks comprising the benchmark paging block. ### Claim 19 A method in a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, the method comprising: configuring a nominal paging group for a lowest coverage class (CC) within an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle for a wireless device to correlate with an additional nominal paging group associated with a higher CC within the eDRX cycle for the wireless device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the configuration step further comprises: using a benchmark paging block associated with the lowest CC to identify the nominal paging group for the lowest CC and the additional nominal paging group such that the additional nominal paging group associated with the higher CC has a set of paging blocks comprising the benchmark paging block. ### Claim 21 A Core Network (CN) node comprising: a processor; and, a memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor interfaces with the memory to execute the processor-executable instructions, whereby the CN node is operable to: receive, from a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, an indication that a current downlink (DL) coverage class (CC) for the wireless device needs to be changed to either a higher DL CC or a lower DL CC, wherein the indication is associated with an UL-UNITDATA Protocol Data Unit (PDU). ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The CN node of claim 21, wherein the indication is received in an information element within the UL-UNITDATA PDU that is associated with an uplink transmission which is limited to a cell update procedure when the current DL CC needs to be changed to the higher DL CC. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The CN node of claim 21, wherein the indication is received in an information element within the UL-UNITDATA PDU that is associated with an uplink transmission which has another purpose in addition to a cell update procedure when the current DL CC needs to be changed to the lower DL CC. ### Claim 24 A method in a Core Network (CN) node, the method comprising: receiving, from a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, an indication that a current downlink (DL) coverage class (CC) for the wireless device needs to be changed to either a higher DL CC or a lower DL CC, wherein the indication is associated with an UL-UNITDATA Protocol Data Unit (PDU). ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the indication is received in an information element within the UL-UNITDATA PDU that is associated with an uplink transmission which is limited to a cell update procedure when the current DL CC needs to be changed to the higher DL CC. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the indication is received in an information element within the UL-UNITDATA PDU that is associated with an uplink transmission which has another purpose in addition to a cell update procedure when the current DL CC needs to be changed to the lower DL CC.