Discontinuous Reception Cycle Scaling in a Wireless Device

A method for baseband layer operation of a wireless user equipment (UE) device, the method comprising:

• establishing a connection with a network via a wireless link with a first cell, wherein the wireless link and the first cell operate according to LTE, wherein establishing the connection comprises receiving one or more network parameters from the network;
• receiving an command to activate discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle scaling;
• activating DRX cycle scaling in response to the command to activate DRX cycle scaling;
• determining a DRX cycle scaling factor based on activating DRX cycle scaling, wherein the DRX cycle scaling factor is determined based at least in part on the one or more network parameters received from the network;
• and
• communicating with the network using DRX, wherein DRX cycle observation is scaled according to the determined DRX cycle scaling factor while communicating with the network using DRX based on the command to perform DRX cycle scaling.

A non-transitory computer accessible memory medium comprising program instructions which, when executed at a wireless user equipment (UE) device, cause the UE to implement a method, comprising:

• establishing a connection with a network via a wireless link;
• receiving a command to perform connected-mode discontinuous reception (C-DRX) cycle scaling;
• determining a C-DRX cycle scaling factor in response to the command to perform C-DRX cycle scaling, wherein the C-DRX cycle scaling factor comprises a ratio of observed to skipped C-DRX cycle on-durations;
• and
• communicating with the network using C-DRX according to the determined C-DRX cycle scaling factor, comprising observing and skipping scheduled C-DRX on-durations in proportion with the C-DRX cycle scaling factor, based on the command to perform C-DRX cycle scaling.

A wireless user equipment (UE) device, the UE comprising:

• a radio, comprising one or more antennas for performing wireless communication;
• a memory medium;
• and
• one or more processing elements configured to execute program instructions comprised on the memory medium;
• wherein the UE is configured to:
• establish a connection with a network via a wireless link;
• communicate with the network using connected-mode discontinuous reception (C-DRX), wherein one or more C-DRX operation parameters are received from the network, wherein the one or more C-DRX operation parameters comprise at least a C-DRX cycle length;
• determine to implement C-DRX cycle scaling, wherein C-DRX cycle scaling comprises observing a fraction of C-DRX cycle on-durations in order to effectively increase the C-DRX cycle length;
• determine a C-DRX cycle scaling factor, wherein the C-DRX cycle scaling factor indicates the fraction of C-DRX cycle on-durations to observe;
• and
• remain in a reduced-power state during at least one scheduled C-DRX on-duration in response to determining to implement C-DRX cycle scaling and based at least in part on the determined C-DRX cycle scaling factor.

A method for a wireless user equipment (UE) device to increase C-DRX power savings, the method comprising:

• communicating with a network via a wireless link using connected-mode discontinuous reception (C-DRX) over a plurality of C-DRX cycles, wherein each C-DRX cycle comprises a period of time during which the UE operates in a reduced-power state and a scheduled on-duration period of time;
• determining to skip a scheduled on-duration period of time of at least one C-DRX cycle;
• and
• remaining in the reduced-power state during the scheduled on-duration period of time of at least one C-DRX cycle in response to the command.