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AppleGranted patentNetworks & wirelessInterest 3/10

Apple patents battery-saving signal checks for low-power devices

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Apple has been granted a patent for a method that helps low-power devices, such as smartwatches or trackers, check their cell signal without draining the battery. The system calculates specific short windows of time when the device wakes up to measure the network, ensuring these checks happen within a single scheduled interval.

Why it mattersThis improves battery life for small, always-connected gadgets by optimizing when they check for a signal.

In the filing’s own words

Serving cell measurements at a reduced capability UE in idle mode in FR1 includes identifying an eDRX cycle length associated with the reduced capability UE is longer than or equal to 20.48 s and shorter than or equal to 10, 485.76 s. The eDRX cycle length includes a DRX cycle length. A measurement period associated with a serving cell of the reduced capability UE is determined to occur within a single PTW of the eDRX cycle. The measurement period includes measurement samples to be performed within the single PTW. A length of the single PTW is determined based on a product of the DRX cycle length and a sample scaling factor associated with the measurement samples. The length of the single PTW comprises a multiple of 1.28. Serving cell measurements are performed during the single PTW. The serving cell measurements include each of the measurement samples associated with the measurement period.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A method for serving cell measurements at a reduced capability user equipment (UE) in idle mode in Frequency Range 1 (FR1), the method comprising: identifying that an extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) cycle length associated with the reduced capability UE is longer than or equal to 20.48 seconds(s) and shorter than or equal to 10,485.76s, the eDRX cycle length including a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle length; determining that a measurement period associated with a serving cell of the reduced capability UE is to occur within a single paging time window (PTW) of the eDRX cycle, the measurement period including a plurality of measurement samples to be performed within the single PTW; determining a length of the single PTW based on a product of the DRX cycle length and a sample scaling factor associated with the plurality of measurement samples, the length of the single PTW comprising a multiple of 1.28; and performing serving cell measurements during the single PTW, the serving cell measurements including each of the plurality of measurement samples associated with the measurement period.

Facts

Company
Apple (APPLE INC.)
Official title
Cell detection and measurement for reduced capability UE with eDRX in idle and inactive mode
Patent number
US12757085B2
Application number
18698053
Filed
Oct 22, 2021
Granted
Oct 6, 2026
Inventors
8
Claims
18

Classified under

H04W 36/0085 Electricity & electronicsH04W 76/28 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.