# US 2023/0056739 A1 · Autonomous power saving in a remote unit in a wireless communications system (wcs) > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0056739 A1 - Document ID: US20230056739A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/886,668 - Filed: 2022-08-12 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-20 - Assignees: ANI Acquisition Sub, LLC - Applicants: Corning Research & Development Corporation - Inventors: Benjamin Imanilov; Shlomi Kulik; Gavriel Mizrahi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230056739A1 ## CPC - H04W 52/0206: {in access points, e.g. base stations} - H04W 76/28: Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX] - 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) - 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 Autonomous power saving in a remote unit in a wireless communications system (WCS) is provided. The remote unit can be part of a distributed communications system (DCS) in the WCS, wherein the remote unit communicates downlink and uplink communications signals over a set of radio resources based on a non-cooperative connectivity to a signal source. Herein, the remote unit is configured to opportunistically engage in a power saving mode operation without requiring control signaling and/or a real time trigger from the signal source. More specifically, the remote unit is configured to determine an inactivity period(s) in the set of radio resources that is suited for the power saving mode operation and autonomously enter the power saving mode operation during the determined inactivity period(s). By autonomously engaging in the power saving mode operation, it is possible to reduce power consumption in the remote unit and overall operating expense of the WCS. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A remote unit, comprising: a radio frequency (RF) front-end circuit configured to communicate at least one downlink communications signal and receive at least one uplink communications signal over a set of radio resources; and a processing circuit configured to: determine at least one inactivity period in the set of radio resources that is suited for a power saving mode operation; define a plurality of power saving intervals based on the determined at least one inactivity period; and cause the remote unit to operate in the power saving mode operation in each of the plurality of power saving intervals. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The remote unit of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to cause the remote unit to operate in an active mode operation in response to not detecting the at least one inactivity period that is suited for the power saving mode operation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The remote unit of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine an exit time in each of the plurality of power saving intervals to thereby cause the remote unit to exit the power saving mode operation by an end of each of the plurality of power saving intervals. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The remote unit of claim 1, wherein: the set of radio resources comprises a set of downlink radio resources configured to carry the at least one downlink communications signal; the at least one inactivity period comprises at least one downlink inactivity period in the set of downlink radio resources; and the power saving mode operation comprises a downlink power saving mode operation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The remote unit of claim 4, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: measure a downlink energy level in the set of downlink radio resources to detect the at least one downlink inactivity period wherein the measured downlink energy level is below a first threshold for a duration longer than a second threshold; determine that the at least one downlink inactivity period is suited for the downlink power saving mode operation in response to the at least one downlink inactivity period being repeated for a defined number of times over a defined downlink repetition period; define a plurality of downlink power saving intervals based on the at least one downlink inactivity period; and cause the remote unit to operate in the downlink power saving mode operation in each of the plurality of downlink power saving intervals. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The remote unit of claim 5, wherein the defined downlink repetition period comprises a plurality of synchronization signal block (SSB) burst intervals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The remote unit of claim 5, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: measure the downlink energy level in the set of downlink radio resources during each of the plurality of downlink power saving intervals; and cause the remote unit to abort the downlink power saving mode operation in response to the measured downlink energy level being above the first threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The remote unit of claim 7, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to redetermine the at least one downlink inactivity period that is suited for the downlink power saving mode operation upon causing the remote unit to abort the downlink power saving mode operation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The remote unit of claim 5, wherein: the set of radio resources further comprises a set of uplink radio resources configured to carry the at least one uplink communications signal; the at least one inactivity period further comprises at least one uplink inactivity period in the set of uplink radio resources; and the power saving mode operation further comprises an uplink power saving mode operation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The remote unit of claim 9, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: measure an uplink energy level in the set of uplink radio resources to detect the at least one uplink inactivity period wherein the measured uplink energy level is below the first threshold for the duration longer than the second threshold; determine that the at least one uplink inactivity period is suited for the uplink power saving mode operation in response to the at least one uplink inactivity period being repeated for the defined number of times over a defined uplink repetition period; define a plurality of uplink power saving intervals based on the at least one uplink inactivity period; and cause the remote unit to operate in the uplink power saving mode operation in each of the plurality of uplink power saving intervals. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The remote unit of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: measure the uplink energy level in the set of uplink radio resources during each of the plurality of uplink power saving intervals; and cause the remote unit to abort the uplink power saving mode operation in response to the measured uplink energy level being above the first threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The remote unit of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to redetermine the at least one uplink inactivity period that is suited for the uplink power saving mode operation upon causing the remote unit to abort the uplink power saving mode operation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The remote unit of claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to: monitor a random-access channel (RACH) during each of the plurality of uplink power saving intervals; and cause the remote unit to abort the uplink power saving mode operation in response to detecting any activity on the RACH. ### Claim 14 A method for supporting autonomous power saving, comprising: determining at least one inactivity period in a set of radio resources that is suited for a power saving mode operation; defining a plurality of power saving intervals based on the determined at least one inactivity period; and operating in the power saving mode operation in each of the plurality of power saving intervals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising operating in an active mode operation in response to not detecting the at least one inactivity period that is suited for the power saving mode operation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising determining an exit time in each of the plurality of power saving intervals to thereby exit the power saving mode operation by an end of each of the plurality of power saving intervals. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: measuring a downlink energy level in a set of downlink radio resources to detect at least one downlink inactivity period wherein the measured downlink energy level is below a first threshold for a duration longer than a second threshold; determining that the at least one downlink inactivity period is suited for a downlink power saving mode operation in response to the at least one downlink inactivity period being repeated for a defined number of times over a defined downlink repetition period; defining a plurality of downlink power saving intervals based on the at least one downlink inactivity period; and operating in the downlink power saving mode operation in each of the plurality of downlink power saving intervals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: measuring the downlink energy level in the set of downlink radio resources during each of the plurality of downlink power saving intervals; and aborting the downlink power saving mode operation in response to the measured downlink energy level being above the first threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising redetermining the at least one downlink inactivity period that is suited for the downlink power saving mode operation upon aborting the downlink power saving mode operation. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: measuring an uplink energy level in a set of uplink radio resources to detect at least one uplink inactivity period wherein the measured uplink energy level is below the first threshold for the duration longer than the second threshold; determining that the at least one uplink inactivity period is suited for an uplink power saving mode operation in response to the at least one uplink inactivity period being repeated for the defined number of times over a defined uplink repetition period; defining a plurality of uplink power saving intervals based on the at least one uplink inactivity period; and operating in the uplink power saving mode operation in each of the plurality of uplink power saving intervals. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising: measuring the uplink energy level in the set of uplink radio resources during each of the plurality of uplink power saving intervals; and aborting the uplink power saving mode operation in response to the measured uplink energy level being above the first threshold. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising redetermining the at least one uplink inactivity period that is suited for the uplink power saving mode operation upon aborting the uplink power saving mode operation. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising: monitoring a random-access channel (RACH) during each of the plurality of uplink power saving intervals; and aborting the uplink power saving mode operation in response to detecting any activity on the RACH. ### Claim 24 A wireless communications system (WCS), comprising a distributed communications system (DCS), the DCS comprising: a routing unit (RU) coupled to a centralized services node via a baseband unit (BBU); and a plurality of remote units each coupled to the DRU via a plurality of optical fiber-based communications mediums, respectively; wherein the RU is configured to: distribute a plurality of downlink communications signals to the plurality of remote units, respectively; and receive a plurality of uplink communications signals from the plurality of remote units, respectively; wherein at least one of the plurality of remote units comprises: a radio frequency (RF) front-end circuit configured to communicate a respective one of the plurality of downlink communications signals and receive a respective one of the plurality of uplink communications signals over a set of radio resources; and a processing circuit configured to: determine at least one inactivity period in the set of radio resources that is suited for a power saving mode operation; define a plurality of power saving intervals based on the determined at least one inactivity period; and cause the at least one of the plurality of remote units to operate in the power saving mode operation in each of the plurality of power saving intervals. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The WCS of claim 24, wherein: the RU comprises: an electrical-to-optical (E/O) converter configured to convert the plurality of downlink communications signals into a plurality of downlink optical communications signals, respectively; and an optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter configured to convert a plurality of uplink optical communications signals into the plurality of uplink communications signals, respectively; and the plurality of remote units each comprises: a respective O/E converter configured to convert a respective one of the plurality of downlink optical communications signals into a respective one of the plurality of downlink communications signals; and a respective E/O converter configured to convert a respective one of the plurality of uplink communications signals into a respective one of the plurality of uplink optical communications signals.