Enhanced node B and methods for providing system information updates to user equipment with extended paging cycles

An apparatus of an evolved NodeB (eNB), the apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• processing circuitry in communication with the memory and arranged to:
• generate a notification of a change in system information for transmission in a first modification period and updated system information in a second modification period following the first modification period;
• determine whether at least one user equipment (UE) in idle or sleep mode has an extended discontinuous reception cycle (eDRX) that is longer than the first modification period;
• in response to a determination that the at least one UE has an eDRX that is longer than the first modification period, generate a paging message for the at least one UE in a paging occasion of the at least one UE, the paging message comprising a systemInfoModification-eDRX parameter that indicates that a system information update has occurred during the eDRX;
• and
• generate updated system information for broadcast after transmission of the paging message, the updated system information comprising a master information block (MIB), system information block 1 (SIB1) and SIB2,
• wherein the first modification period is a modification period coefficient times a default paging cycle that indicates a number of radio frames over which a paging cycle comprising the paging occasion occurs.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE), the one or more processors to configure the UE to:

• enter one of a sleep mode or an idle mode with an extended discontinuous reception cycle (eDRX) that is longer than a modification period throughout which a change in system information is transmitted by an evolved NodeB (eNB);
• determine, after having exited the one of the sleep mode or idle mode, whether a paging message received during a paging occasion comprises a systemInfoModification-eDRX parameter;
• in response to a determination that the paging message received during the paging occasion comprises a systemInfoModification-eDRX parameter, obtain system information that comprises a master information block (MIB), system information block 1 (SIB1) and SIB2;
• determine that previously stored system information is invalid through a determination that a systemInfoValueTag parameter in SIB1 of the previously stored system information is different from a systemInfoValueTag parameter in the SIB1 of the system information obtained after reception of the paging message;
• and
• in response to a determination that the previously stored system information is invalid, replace previously stored system information with the system information obtained after reception of the paging message,
• wherein the modification period is a modification period coefficient times a default paging cycle that indicates a number of radio frames over which a paging cycle comprising the paging occasion occurs.