Discontinuous Reception (DRX)

in RRC_IDLE: Part 1
Prakash
17 Apr 2013 3:55 PM

One of the important activities performed by UE during RRC Idle mode is listening to
paging message. The UE should listen to the paging message to know about incoming
calls, system information change, and ETWS (Earthquake and Tsunami Warning
Service) notification for ETWS capable UEs. In LTE, the UE needs to monitor PDCCH
continuously (every 1ms) for P-RNTI to listen to paging message and this drains UE
battery power heavily. Instead, if the UE is allowed to monitor P-RNTI in PDCCH, only at
predetermined period say every 60ms or 100ms, it will reduce UEs power consumption.
The process of monitoring PDCCH discontinuously for P-RNTI to listen to paging
message during RRC idle state is known as Discontinuous Reception (DRX) in
RRC_Idle.
What is Idle mode for LTE UE?

No NAS Signaling connection exists between UE and core network

At least one PDN Connection exists

UE is registered with MME & EMM context exists at MME

UE location is known to the MME with an accuracy of a list of tracking areas

No RRC connection exists between UE and eNB

The eNB has no context information

Paging in Idle Mode

Paging is a procedure to transmit paging message to the UE in RRC Idle mode or EMM
registered state. Paging message may be triggered either by MME in core network or
eNB in Radio Access Network.
Discontinuous Reception for Paging
Paging information for the UE is being carried on the PDSCH in the resource blocks
indicated by the PDCCH. Paging indication on the PDCCH is single fixed indicator

(FFFE) called the Paging RNTI (P-RNTI). Different group of UEs monitor different sub
frames for their paging messages.
UEs in idle mode monitor the PDCCH channel for P-RNTI used for paging to receive
paging message from eNB. The UE needs to monitor the PDCCH only at certain UE
specific paging occasion, i.e. only at specific subframe in specific radio frame. At other
times the UE may go for sleep mode to save battery power.
Let us discuss how can UE find out paging frame and paging occasion for its paging
message.
Paging Frame (PF): One Paging Frame (PF) is one Radio Frame in which the UE is
looking for paging message. One Paging Frame may contain one or multiple Paging
Occasion(s).
Paging Occasion (PO): It is a subframe where there may be P-RNTI transmitted on
PDCCH addressing the paging message for the UE. There is always only one paging
occasion for each UE in a DRX cycle.
To find out PF (Paging Frame) and PO (Paging Occasion), the UE uses DRX
parameters broadcasted in the system information SIB2.

Significance of DRX Parameters:

DRX cycle: Indicates the number of radio frames in the paging cycle. Larger the value
of this parameter, lesser the UE battery power consumption. Whereas smaller the value
of DRX cycle, increase in the UE battery power consumption. DRX cycle may be cell
specific or UE specific parameter. DRX cycle is cell specific when it is configured at eNB
and broadcasts to all UEs in a cell in system information SIB2 as default paging cycle.
DRX cycle is UE specific when MME may configure DRX cycle and provide it to UE in
NAS signaling as UE specific DRX cycle and to eNB in PAGING S1 AP message as

Paging DRX for MME initiated paging message. Both UE and eNB use minimum of
default and dedicated DRX cycle.

An UE with DRX cycle of 128 radio frames needs to wake up every 1.28 sec and look
for paging message.
nB: This cell specific parameter indicates number of Paging occasions in a cell specific
DRX cycle. Configuration of nB value depends on paging capacity required in a cell.
The larger the value of nB is configured to, the larger the paging capacity. Likewise, the
smaller the paging capacity when the value of nB is smaller.

With this we can infer that a maximum of 1 radio frame is available per DRX cycle of the
UE for paging. Also, the minimum of 1 sub frame per radio frame (nB 1T) and
maximum of 4 sub frames (for nB=4T) are available for paging message for the UE.
Calculation of Paging Frame Number
Both the eNB and the UE calculate the Paging Frame number by the following relation:

The eNB will receive UE_ID from the MME in PAGING S1AP message as UE Identity
Index Value for MME initiated paging message.
The UE will find out the UE_ID by using the relation IMSI mod 1024 (Ref: TS 36.304
section 7.1)
The IMSI is given as sequence of digits of type Integer (0..9). The IMSI shall, in the
formulae above, be interpreted as a decimal integer number, where the first digit given
in the sequence represents the highest order digit.
For example: IMSI = 12 (digit1=1, digit2=2). In the calculations, this shall be interpreted
as the decimal integer "12", not "1x16+2 = 18".
Calculation of Paging Occasion (Paging Sub frame Number in a Paging Frame)

Paging Occasion for the UE is obtained from the predefined subframe pattern (36.304
section 7.2, shown below for quick reference) based on the value of Ns, i_s. For
example, if Ns=2 and i_s = 1, UE interprets that sub frames 4 and 9 are configured for
paging in the cell and subframe 9 is paging occasion for it.
Subframe Patterns (Ref: TS 36.304 section 7.2)
FDD

TDD (All DL/UL Patterns)

UEs in idle mode monitor the PDCCH channel for P-RNTI used for paging to receive
paging message from eNB. The UE needs to monitor the PDCCH only at certain UE
specific paging occasion, i.e. only at specific subframe in specific radio frame. At other
times, the UE may go to sleep mode to save battery power. The DRX parameters and
the significance of each DRX parameter is discussed in first part of this blog. One of the
DRX parameters nB is the deciding factor for paging capacity in a cell. Let us discuss
different scenarios by considering different values of nB in this blog and understand
impact of this parameter on paging capacity.
Scenario 1: nB = T/2

Observations:

The UE needs to wake up every 32 ms and look for paging message (UEs DRX
cycle of 32 radio frames)

One out of every 2 radio frames (nB=16) available for paging within UE s DRX
cycle. That is total of 16 paging frames are configured in the cell

One paging subframe (Ns=1) per paging frame available for paging

According to the pre-defined pattern for FDD, for Ns=1 ,i_s=0, sub frame 9 is
used for paging in a paging frame

Total of 16 paging occasions (nB=16) per UEs DRX cycle across which UEs are
distributed based on the UE identity.

Scenario 2: nB = 2T

Observation:

Every radio frame is Paging Frame

2 sub frames per PF (Ns = 2) are used for paging within UEs DRX cycle

According to the pre-defined pattern for FDD, for Ns=2 and i_s=0, sub frames 0
and 4 are used for paging in a paging frame and Paging opportunity for the UE in
discussion, is subframe 4

32 Paging Frames and 64 Paging occasions (nB=64) are available within UEs
DRX cycle across which UEs are distributed based on the UE identity.

Scenario 3: nB = 4T

Observations:
1.

Every radio frame is Paging Frame

2.

4 sub frames per PF (Ns = 4) are used for paging within UEs DRX cycle

3.

According to the pre-defined pattern for FDD for Ns=4, sub frames 0,4,5 and
9 used for paging in a paging frame and paging opportunity for the UE in
discussion is sub frame 5

4.

32 Paging Frames and 128 Paging occasions(nB=128) are available within UEs
DRX cycle across which UEs are distributed based on the UE identity