# US 2021/0243835 A1 · Early activation of discontinuous reception > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243835 A1 - Document ID: US20210243835A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/053,269 - Filed: 2019-05-02 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-09 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Basuki PRIYANTO; Nafiseh MAZLOUM; Anders BERGGREN; Rickard LJUNG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243835A1 ## CPC - H04W 76/28: Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX] - H04L 41/0803: Configuration setting - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - H04W 52/0235: {where the received signal is a power saving command} - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - 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) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A method of operating a terminal device (101) includes configuring a data connection (189) on a wireless link (114) between the terminal device (101) and a network (100) based on a first control signal (4001-4003) native to a first layer (255) of a transmission protocol stack (250) associated with the wireless link (114). The method also includes participating in a data communication via the data connection (189). The method also includes receiving a second control signal (205) native to a second layer (251) of the transmission protocol stack (250), the second layer (251) being arranged lower in hierarchy of the transmission protocol stack (250) than the first layer (255). The method also includes in response to receiving the second control signal (205): activating a discontinuous reception (390) for the data communication. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a terminal device, comprising: configuring a data connection on a wireless link between the terminal device and a network based on a first control signal native to a first layer of a transmission protocol stack associated with the wireless link, participating in a data communication via the data connection, receiving a second control signal native to a second layer of the transmission protocol stack, the second layer being arranged lower in hierarchy of the transmission protocol stack than the first layer, and in response to receiving the second control signal: activating a discontinuous reception for the data communication, wherein the second layer is implemented by the Physical Layer of the transmission protocol stack. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first layer is implemented by the Network Layer of the transmission protocol stack. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second control signal is indicative of a timing of the discontinuous reception. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the discontinuous reception has an at least partly pre-configured timing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the timing of the discontinuous reception is at least partly pre-configured by one or more third control signals native to the first layer of the transmission protocol stack. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the second control signal is indicative of a command to activate the discontinuous reception and optionally indicative of scheduling information for resources allocated for the data communication on the data connection. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one or more third control signals are indicative of a configuration of an inactivity timer for activating the discontinuous reception if the data communication idles, wherein the discontinuous reception is activated in response to receiving the second control signal by at least partly overriding the inactivity timer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting an uplink control signal indicative of a requested timing for the discontinuous reception. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining the requested timing based on a state of charge of a battery of the terminal device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: maintaining a configuration of the data connection while the discontinuous reception is active, deactivating the discontinuous reception, and in response to said deactivating of the discontinuous reception: commencing said participating in the data communication of the data connection based on the maintained configuration. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: while the discontinuous reception is active: receiving a wake-up signal, wherein the discontinuous reception is deactivated in response to said receiving of the wake-up signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the second control signal is indicative of use of the wake-up signal, or wherein at least one of the first control signal and a third control signal native to the first layer is indicative of use of the wake-up signal. ### Claim 13 (canceled) ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to activating the discontinuous reception: suspending monitoring a downlink control channel of the data connection for a scheduling information signal indicative of resources allocated to data of the data communication. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said participating in the communication of the data communication comprises controlling a wireless interface of the terminal device to transmit or receive, wherein said implementing of the discontinuous reception comprises at least temporarily transitioning the wireless interface of the terminal device into an low-power state in which it is unfit to receive at least some signals associated with the data connection. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the discontinuous reception comprises a cycle with OFF durations and ON duration defined in accordance with a timing of the discontinuous reception, wherein the second control signal has a temporal validity of multiple OFF duration. ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first control signal is processed is transparently forwarded by the second layer and subsequently processed by a further processing logic associated with the first layer, wherein the second control signal is processed by the processing logic and not processed by the further processing logic. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal device is configured to operate in at least one connected mode prior to and after said activating of the discontinuous reception. ### Claim 20 (canceled) ### Claim 21 (canceled) ### Claim 22 A terminal device configured to: configure a data connection on a wireless link between the terminal device and a network based on a first control signal native to a first layer of a transmission protocol stack associated with the wireless link, participate in a data communication via the data connection, receive a second control signal native to a second layer of the transmission protocol stack, the second layer being arranged lower in hierarchy of the transmission protocol stack than the first layer, and in response to receiving the second control signal: activate a discontinuous reception for the data communication, wherein the second layer is implemented by the Physical Layer of the transmission protocol stack. ### Claim 23 A base station configured to: configure a data connection on a wireless link between the terminal device and the network based on a first control signal native to a first layer of a transmission protocol stack associated with the wireless link, participate in a data communication via the data connection, transmit a second control signal native to a second layer of the transmission protocol stack, the second layer being arranged lower in hierarchy of the transmission protocol stack than the first layer, and in response to transmitting the second control signal: activate a discontinuous reception for the data communication, wherein the second layer is implemented by the Physical Layer of the transmission protocol stack. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The base station of claim 23, further configured to: monitor a traffic of the data communication, wherein the second control signal is selectively transmitted depending on said monitoring of the traffic.