System and method for efficient half duplex transceiver operation in a packet-based wireless communication system

An apparatus, comprising:

• a half duplex receiver for selectively receiving radio frequency downlink signals on a downlink during a number of downlink sub frames M;
• a half duplex transmitter for selectively transmitting radio frequency uplink signals on an uplink during N UL sub frames;
• a discontinuous reception function for periodically reducing power to the half duplex receiver and half duplex transmitter for a predetermined number of discontinuous reception sub frames;
• a half duplex cycle function for performing a predetermined half duplex cycle in the half duplex receiver and in the half duplex transmitter selectively receiving a number of sub frames M from the downlink, shifting to a transmit mode, selectively transmitting a number of sub frames N on the uplink, shifting to a receive mode, and continuously repeating the receiving, shifting to a transmit mode, transmitting and shifting to a receive mode;
• a discontinuous reception delay function for determining, at the end of the discontinuous reception sub frames, if the half duplex receiver is presently receiving downlink sub frames;
• and
• a discontinuous reception extender function coupled to the discontinuous reception delay function for, when determining the receiver is not presently receiving downlink sub frames, extending the discontinuous reception sub frames by a predetermined number of sub frames until the receiver is receiving downlink sub frames.

A system comprising:

• one or more base stations for sending and receiving radio frequency signals;
• one or more full duplex user equipment radio frequency transceivers selectively connected to at least one of the base stations;
• at least one half duplex user equipment radio frequency transceiver selectively connected to at least one of the base stations, each half duplex user equipment radio frequency transceiver further comprising:
• a half duplex receiver for selectively receiving radio frequency downlink signals on a downlink during a number of downlink sub frames M;
• a half duplex transmitter for selectively transmitting radio frequency uplink signals on an uplink during N uplink sub frames;
• a discontinuous reception function for periodically reducing power to the half duplex receiver and half duplex transmitter for a predetermined number of discontinuous reception sub frames;
• a half duplex cycle function for performing a predetermined half duplex cycle in the half duplex receiver and in the half duplex transmitter selectively receiving a number of sub frames M from the DL, shifting to a transmit mode, selectively transmitting a number of sub frames N on the uplink, shifting to a receive mode, and continuously repeating the receiving, shifting to a transmit mode, transmitting and shifting to a receive mode;
• a discontinuous reception delay function for determining, at the end of the discontinuous reception sub frames, if the half duplex receiver is presently receiving DL sub frames;
• and
• a discontinuous reception extender function coupled to the discontinuous reception delay function for, when determining the receiver is not presently receiving downlink sub frames, extending the discontinuous reception sub frames by a predetermined number of sub frames until the receiver is receiving downlink sub frames.

An apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or memories storing computer program code,
• wherein the one or more memories storing the computer program code are configured, with the one or more processors, to cause the apparatus to at least:
• cause periodic reduction of power to a half duplex receiver and a half duplex transmitter for a predetermined number of discontinuous reception sub frames, wherein the half duplex receiver is configured to selectively receive radio frequency downlink signals on a downlink during a number of downlink sub frames M, and wherein the half duplex transmitter is configured to selectively transmit radio frequency uplink signals in an uplink during N uplink sub frames;
• cause performance of a predetermined half duplex cycle in the half duplex receiver and in the half duplex transmitter, wherein the cycle comprises selectively receiving a number of sub frames M from the downlink, shifting to a transmit node, selectively transmitting a number of sub frames N on the uplink, and continuously repeating the receiving, shifting to a transmit mode, transmitting, and shifting to a receive mode;
• determine, at the end of the discontinuous reception sub frames, if the half duplex receiver is currently receiving downlink sub frames;
• and
• in response to determining that the half duplex receiver is not presently receiving downlink sub frames, extending the discontinuous reception sub frames by a predetermined number of sub frames until the half duplex receiver is receiving downlink sub frames.