Method, system and devices for improving discontinous reception in wireless communication networks

A method according to claim L further comprising the following steps:

• d) the base station sending to the mobile terminal in a time period of a frame, frame synchronization information and, if there is paging information or system information updates for any terminal that has been assigned an Extended Discontinuous Reception Cycle, the base station sending a flag in the same frame and in the same time period using some of the radio resources of said time period not used for synchronization information;
• e) the mobile terminal, when the extended discontinuous reception period has finished, switching on said certain switched off sections, receiving said frame from the base station and decoding in the time period carrying the frame synchronization information, the radio resources used for sending the synchronization information and the radio resources used by the base station to send said flag;
• f) if the mobile terminal decodes said flag, the mobile terminal will switch on said certain sections in the next frame or frames, in the expected dedicated time periods for transmitting paging information or system information updates to said terminal;
• and
• g) if not, the mobile terminal switching off again said certain sections and keeping said certain sections switched off for another Extended DRX period.

A mobile terminal for discontinuous reception of wireless signals transmitted from its serving base station in a wireless communications network, said mobile terminal comprising:

• processing means for obtaining an estimation of the maximum time it can remain without synchronizing its local clock to the frames received from said base station and still being time aligned with said frames with a timing error less than a certain threshold, where said threshold is a design parameter;
• transmission means for sending to its serving base station said estimation;
• reception means for receiving from said base station an extended discontinuous reception period, where said period is calculated based on said maximum time estimation received from the mobile terminal;
• and
• means for switching off certain sections of the mobile terminal during the extended discontinuous reception period, keeping operative its local clock and timing functions that allow said terminal to remain time aligned with the frames of said base station.

A base station for discontinuous reception by a mobile terminal of wireless signals transmitted from said base station in a wireless communications network, said base station comprising:

• reception means for receiving, from the mobile terminal, an estimation of the maximum time the mobile terminal can remain without synchronizing its local clock to the signal's frames of said base station and still being time aligned with said frames with a timing error less than a certain threshold, where said threshold is a design parameter;
• and
• transmission means for sending to the mobile terminal an extended discontinuous reception period, where said period is calculated based on said maximum time estimation received from the mobile terminal,
• wherein the mobile terminal switching off certain of its section during the extended discontinuous reception period, keeping operative its local clock and timing function that allow said terminal to remain time aligned with the signal's frame of said base station.

A system for discontinuous reception by a mobile terminal of wireless signals transmitted from its serving base station in a wireless communications network, said system comprising:

• a mobile terminal comprising:
• processing means for obtaining an estimation of the maximum time it can remain without synchronizing its local dock to the signal's frame of said base station and still being time aligned with said frame with a timing error less than a certain threshold, where said threshold is a design parameter;
• transmission means for sending to its serving base station said estimation;
• reception means for receiving from said base station an extended discontinuous reception period;
• means for switching off certain sections during the extended discontinuous reception period, keeping operative its local clock and timing functions that allow said terminal to remain time aligned with the signal's frame of said base station;
• and a base station comprising:
• reception means for receiving, from the mobile terminal, said estimation;
• and
• transmission means for sending to the mobile terminal the extended discontinuous reception period, where said period is calculated based on said maximum time estimation received from the mobile terminal.