Paging scheme in multi-cell camping

A terminal device for a radio access network, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to perform the following operations:
• receiving, from a network device for the radio access network via a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message while the terminal device is in a connected mode, a multi-cell camping configuration comprising a plurality of paging configurations that specify, for each of a first cell and a second cell, respective paging occasions and corresponding radio frame sets during which the terminal device is to monitor paging on the first cell and the second cell, wherein the first cell supports a first allowed slice of the terminal device and the second cell does not support the first allowed slice;
• camping on, based on the multi-cell camping configuration, both the first cell and the second cell in an idle mode, wherein camping on both the first cell and the second cell comprises alternating camping on the first cell and the second cell according to even and odd system frame numbers defined by the slice-specific camping schedule;
• and
• receiving, based on the multi-cell camping configuration, a paging message transmitted as a radio resource control paging message during a radio frame that corresponds to the camping schedule, the paging message being associated with the first allowed slice, the paging message being received from the first cell while the terminal device is camping on the first cell during the radio frame that corresponds to the camping schedule, wherein the terminal device does not monitor paging occasions on the second cell during radio frame set corresponding to the camping schedule.

A method performed by a terminal device, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a network device for the radio access network via a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message while the terminal device is in a connected mode, a multi-cell camping configuration comprising a plurality of paging configurations that specify, for each of a first cell and a second cell, respective paging occasions and corresponding radio frame sets during which the terminal device is to monitor paging on the first cell and the second cell, wherein the first cell supports a first allowed slice of the terminal device and the second cell does not support the first allowed slice;
• camping on, based on the multi-cell camping configuration, both the first cell and the second cell in an idle mode, wherein camping on both the first cell and the second cell comprises alternating camping on the first cell and the second cell according to even and odd system frame numbers defined by the slice-specific camping schedule;
• and
• receiving, based on the multi-cell camping configuration, a paging message transmitted as a radio resource control paging message during a radio frame that corresponds to the camping schedule, the paging message being associated with the first allowed slice, the paging message being received from the first cell while the terminal device is camping on the first cell during the radio frame that corresponds to the camping schedule, wherein the terminal device does not monitor paging occasions on the second cell during radio frame set corresponding to the camping schedule.