WO2018022377A1

WO2018022377A1 - Techniques for score-based cellular network selection based on power consumption

Info

Publication number: WO2018022377A1
Application number: PCT/US2017/042779
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sumanth Kumar Kota; Mukesh Kumar; Suresh Sanka; Anand RAJURKAR
Original assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
Priority date: 2016-07-29
Filing date: 2017-07-19
Publication date: 2018-02-01

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus may determine a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) in a PLMN list stored at the apparatus. Each score of the plurality of scores may correspond to an estimated power consumption value for a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. The apparatus may select a PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs for registration of the user equipment based at least in part on the plurality of scores.

Description

TECHNIQUES FOR SCORE-BASED CELLULAR NETWORK SELECTION BASED

ON POWER CONSUMPTION

BACKGROUND

Field

The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems, and more particularly, to score-based cellular network selection based on power consumption.

Background

Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various

telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasts. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). Examples of such multiple-access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, and time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems.

These multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. An example telecommunication standard is Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE is a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile standard promulgated by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). LTE is designed to better support mobile broadband Internet access by improving spectral efficiency, lowering costs, improving services, making use of new spectrum, and better integrating with other open standards using OFDMA on the downlink (DL), SC-FDMA on the uplink (UL), and multiple -input multiple -output (MIMO) antenna technology. However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, there exists a need for further improvements in LTE technology. Preferably, these improvements should be applicable to other multi-access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies.

In some aspects, a user equipment (UE), such as a machine-type communication (MTC) device, may store a prioritized list of public land mobile networks (PLMNs), and may register with a PLMN based at least in part on the prioritized PLMN list. For example, the UE may sequentially attempt to register with PLMNs, in an order indicated by the list, until the UE successfully registers with a PLMN. In some cases, the UE may consume different amounts of power when connecting to, communicating with, and/or operating on different PLMNs. For example, the UE may consume different amounts of power to wake up from a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, perform a measurement, or the like. In some cases, a PLMN that causes the UE to consume more power may be prioritized over a PLMN that causes the UE to consume less power. In this case, the UE may register with a PLMN that causes the UE to consume more power, thereby draining battery power faster.

SUMMARY

Aspects described herein permit a UE, such as an MTC device, to conserve battery power by calculating scores for different PLMNs in a PLMN list. The scores may indicate an estimated power consumption, of the UE, for the PLMNs. The UE may select a PLMN for registration based at least in part on the scores. For example, the UE may register with a PLMN associated with a lower power consumption as compared to another PLMN. In this way, the UE may conserve battery power.

In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a user equipment, an apparatus, and a computer program product are provided.

In some aspects, the method may include determining a plurality of scores

corresponding to a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) in a PLMN list stored at a user equipment. Each score of the plurality of scores may correspond to an estimated power consumption value for a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. The method may include selecting a PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs for registration of the user equipment based at least in part on the plurality of scores.

In some aspects, the user equipment may include memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory. The memory and the one or more processors may be configured to determine a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) in a PLMN list stored at the user equipment. Each score of the plurality of scores may correspond to an estimated power consumption value for a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. The memory and the one or more processors may be configured to select a PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs for registration of the user equipment based at least in part on the plurality of scores.

In some aspects, the apparatus may include means for determining a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) in a PLMN list stored at the apparatus. Each score of the plurality of scores may correspond to an estimated power consumption value for a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. The apparatus may include means for selecting a PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs for registration of the apparatus based at least in part on the plurality of scores.

In some aspects, the computer program product may include a non-transitory computer- readable medium storing one or more instructions for wireless communication that, when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment, cause the one or more processors to determine a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) in a PLMN list stored at the user equipment. Each score of the plurality of scores may correspond to an estimated power consumption value for a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. The one or more instructions may cause the one or more processors to select a

PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs for registration of the user equipment based at least in part on the plurality of scores.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a network architecture.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an access network.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a downlink (DL) frame structure in LTE. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an uplink (UL) frame structure in LTE. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a radio protocol architecture for the user and control planes.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an evolved Node B and user equipment in an access network.

FIGS. 7A-7D are diagrams illustrating an example system configured to enable score- based cellular network selection based at least in part on power consumption.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a method of wireless communication.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of another method of wireless communication.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart of another method of wireless communication.

FIG. 11 is a conceptual data flow diagram illustrating data flow between different modules/means/components in an example apparatus.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware implementation for an apparatus employing a processing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.

Several aspects of telecommunication systems will now be presented with reference to various apparatus and methods. These apparatus and methods will be described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). These elements may be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

By way of example, an element, or any portion of an element, or any combination of elements may be implemented with a "processing system" that includes one or more processors. Examples of processors include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionality described throughout this disclosure. One or more processors in the processing system may execute software. Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.

Accordingly, in one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or encoded as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes computer storage media.

Storage media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise a random-access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), compact disk ROM (CD-ROM) or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, combinations of the aforementioned types of computer- readable media, or any other medium that can be used to store computer executable code in the form of instructions or data structures that can be accessed by a computer.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an LTE network architecture 100. The LTE network architecture 100 may be referred to as an Evolved Packet System (EPS) 100. The EPS 100 may include one or more user equipment (UE) 102, an Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) 104, an Evolved Packet Core (EPC) 110, and an Operator's Internet Protocol (IP) Services 122. The EPS can interconnect with other access networks, but for simplicity those entities/interfaces are not shown. As shown, the EPS provides packet-switched services, however, as those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, the various concepts presented throughout this disclosure may be extended to networks providing circuit-switched services. The E-UTRAN includes the evolved Node B (eNB) 106 and other eNBs 108, and may include a Multicast Coordination Entity (MCE) 128. The eNB 106 provides user and control planes protocol terminations toward the UE 102. The eNB 106 may be connected to the other eNBs 108 via a backhaul (e.g., an X2 interface). The MCE 128 allocates time/frequency radio resources for evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) (eMBMS), and determines the radio configuration (e.g., a modulation and coding scheme (MCS)) for the eMBMS. The MCE 128 may be a separate entity or part of the eNB 106. The eNB 106 may also be referred to as a base station, a Node B, an access point, a base transceiver station, a radio base station, a radio transceiver, a transceiver function, a basic service set (BSS), an extended service set (ESS), or some other suitable terminology.

The eNB 106 provides an access point to the EPC 110 for a UE 102. Examples of UEs 102 include a cellular phone, a smart phone, a session initiation protocol (SIP) phone, a laptop, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a satellite radio, a global positioning system, a multimedia device, a video device, a digital audio player (e.g., MP3 player), a camera, a game console, a tablet, or any other similar functioning device. The UE 102 may also be referred to by those skilled in the art as a mobile station, a subscriber station, a mobile unit, a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a remote unit, a mobile device, a wireless device, a wireless communications device, a remote device, a mobile subscriber station, an access terminal, a mobile terminal, a wireless terminal, a remote terminal, a handset, a user agent, a mobile client, a client, or some other suitable terminology.

In some aspects, the UE 102 may include a machine-type communication (MTC) device (e.g., a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC) device, etc.). An MTC device may provide for automated communication, and may communicate with other devices or a base station without human intervention. For example, an MTC device may include sensors to measure or capture information and relay that information to a central server or application program that can make use of the information or present the information to humans interacting with the program or application. Examples of applications for MTC devices include smart metering, inventory monitoring, water level monitoring, equipment monitoring, healthcare monitoring, wildlife monitoring, weather and geological event monitoring, fleet management and tracking, remote security sensing, physical access control, and transaction-based business charging. An MTC device may operate using half-duplex (one-way) communications at a reduced peak rate. MTC devices may also be configured to enter a power saving "deep sleep" mode when not engaging in active communications.

The eNB 106 is connected to the EPC 110. The EPC 110 may include a Mobility

Management Entity (MME) 112, a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 120, other MMEs 114, a S^pi- ί^η σ natewav 1 16 n ultimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Gateway 124, a Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) 126, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway 118. The MME 112 is the control node that processes the signaling between the UE 102 and the EPC 110. Generally, the MME 112 provides bearer and connection management. All user IP packets are transferred through the Serving Gateway 116, which itself is connected to the PDN Gateway 118. The PDN Gateway 118 provides UE IP address allocation as well as other functions. The PDN Gateway 118 and the BM-SC 126 are connected to the IP Services 122. The IP Services 122 may include the Internet, an intranet, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), a PS Streaming Service (PSS), and/or other IP services. The BM-SC 126 may provide functions for MBMS user service provisioning and delivery. The BM-SC 126 may serve as an entry point for content provider MBMS transmission, may be used to authorize and initiate MBMS Bearer Services within a PLMN, and may be used to schedule and deliver MBMS transmissions. The MBMS Gateway 124 may be used to distribute MBMS traffic to the eNBs (e.g., 106, 108) belonging to a Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) area broadcasting a particular service, and may be responsible for session management (start/stop) and for collecting eMBMS related charging information.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an access network 200 in an LTE network architecture. In this example, the access network 200 is divided into a number of cellular regions (cells) 202. One or more lower power class eNBs 208 may have cellular regions 210 that overlap with one or more of the cells 202. The lower power class eNB 208 may be a femto cell (e.g., home eNB (HeNB)), pico cell, micro cell, or remote radio head (RRH). The macro eNBs 204 are each assigned to a respective cell 202 and are configured to provide an access point to the EPC 110 for all the UEs 206 in the cells 202. There is no centralized controller in this example of an access network 200, but a centralized controller may be used in alternative configurations. The eNBs 204 are responsible for all radio related functions including radio bearer control, admission control, mobility control, scheduling, security, and connectivity to the serving gateway 116. An eNB may support one or multiple (e.g., three) cells (also referred to as a sectors). The term "cell" can refer to the smallest coverage area of an eNB and/or an eNB subsystem serving a particular coverage area. Further, the terms "eNB," "base station," and "cell" may be used interchangeably herein.

The modulation and multiple access scheme employed by the access network 200 may vary depending on the particular telecommunications standard being deployed. In LTE applications, OFDM is used on the DL and SC-FDMA is used on the UL to support both frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). As those skilled in the art will readily appreciate from the detailed description to follow, the various concepts presented herein are well suited for LTE applications. However, these concepts may be readily extended to other telecommunication standards employing other modulation and multiple access t^prVminiiP^Q Rv wa nf ^pvnmnl^p these concepts may be extended to Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) or Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB). EV-DO and UMB are air interface standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) as part of the CDMA2000 family of standards and employs CDMA to provide broadband Internet access to mobile stations. These concepts may also be extended to Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) employing Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA) and other variants of CDMA, such as TD-SCDMA; Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) employing TDMA; and Evolved UTRA (E- UTRA), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, and Flash-OFDM employing OFDMA. UTRA, E-UTRA, UMTS, LTE and GSM are described in documents from the 3 GPP organization. CDMA2000 and UMB are described in documents from the 3GPP2 organization. The actual wireless communication standard and the multiple access technology employed will depend on the specific application and the overall design constraints imposed on the system.

The eNBs 204 may have multiple antennas supporting MIMO technology. The use of MIMO technology enables the eNBs 204 to exploit the spatial domain to support spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and transmit diversity. Spatial multiplexing may be used to transmit different streams of data simultaneously on the same frequency. The data streams may be transmitted to a single UE 206 to increase the data rate or to multiple UEs 206 to increase the overall system capacity. This is achieved by spatially precoding each data stream (i.e., applying a scaling of an amplitude and a phase) and then transmitting each spatially precoded stream through multiple transmit antennas on the DL. The spatially precoded data streams arrive at the UE(s) 206 with different spatial signatures, which enables each of the UE(s) 206 to recover the one or more data streams destined for that UE 206. On the UL, each UE 206 transmits a spatially precoded data stream, which enables the eNB 204 to identify the source of each spatially precoded data stream.

Spatial multiplexing is generally used when channel conditions are good. When channel conditions are less favorable, beamforming may be used to focus the transmission energy in one or more directions. This may be achieved by spatially precoding the data for transmission through multiple antennas. To achieve good coverage at the edges of the cell, a single stream beamforming transmission may be used in combination with transmit diversity.

In the detailed description that follows, various aspects of an access network will be described with reference to a MIMO system supporting OFDM on the DL. OFDM is a spread- spectrum technique that modulates data over a number of subcarriers within an OFDM symbol. The subcarriers are spaced apart at precise frequencies. The spacing provides "orthogonality" that enables a receiver to recover the data from the subcarriers. In the time domain, a guard interval (e.g., cyclic prefix) may be added to each OFDM symbol to combat inter-OFDM- symbol interference. The UL may use SC-FDMA in the form of a DFT-spread OFDM signal to mmnsnuat^p for Ιιί σΐι n^pnl<r-tn-nv^pr¾ge power ratio (PAPR). FIG. 3 is a diagram 300 illustrating an example of a DL frame structure in LTE. A frame (10 ms) may be divided into 10 equally sized subframes. Each subframe may include two consecutive time slots. A resource grid may be used to represent two time slots, each time slot including a resource block. The resource grid is divided into multiple resource elements. In LTE, for a normal cyclic prefix, a resource block contains 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain and 7 consecutive OFDM symbols in the time domain, for a total of 84 resource elements. For an extended cyclic prefix, a resource block contains 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain and 6 consecutive OFDM symbols in the time domain, for a total of 72 resource elements. Some of the resource elements, indicated as R 302, 304, include DL reference signals (DL-RS). The DL-RS include Cell-specific RS (CRS) (also sometimes called common RS) 302 and UE-specific RS (UE-RS) 304. UE-RS 304 are transmitted on the resource blocks upon which the corresponding physical DL shared channel (PDSCH) is mapped. The number of bits carried by each resource element depends on the modulation scheme. Thus, the more resource blocks that a UE receives and the higher the modulation scheme, the higher the data rate for the UE.

FIG. 4 is a diagram 400 illustrating an example of an UL frame structure in LTE. The available resource blocks for the UL may be partitioned into a data section and a control section. The control section may be formed at the two edges of the system bandwidth and may have a configurable size. The resource blocks in the control section may be assigned to UEs for transmission of control information. The data section may include all resource blocks not included in the control section. The UL frame structure results in the data section including contiguous subcarriers, which may allow a single UE to be assigned all of the contiguous subcarriers in the data section.

A UE may be assigned resource blocks 410a, 410b in the control section to transmit control information to an eNB. The UE may also be assigned resource blocks 420a, 420b in the data section to transmit data to the eNB. The UE may transmit control information in a physical UL control channel (PUCCH) on the assigned resource blocks in the control section. The UE may transmit data or both data and control information in a physical UL shared channel (PUSCH) on the assigned resource blocks in the data section. A UL transmission may span both slots of a subframe and may hop across frequency.

A set of resource blocks may be used to perform initial system access and achieve UL synchronization in a physical random access channel (PRACH) 430. The PRACH 430 carries a random sequence and cannot carry any UL data/signaling. Each random access preamble occupies a bandwidth corresponding to six consecutive resource blocks. The starting frequency is specified by the network. That is, the transmission of the random access preamble is restricted to certain time and frequency resources. There is no frequency hopping for the PRACH. The PRACH attempt is carried in a single subframe (1 ms) or in a sequence of few contiguous subframes and a UE can make a single PRACH attempt per frame (10 ms).

FIG. 5 is a diagram 500 illustrating an example of a radio protocol architecture for the user and control planes in LTE. The radio protocol architecture for the UE and the eNB is shown with three layers: Layer 1, Layer 2, and Layer 3. Layer 1 (LI layer) is the lowest layer and implements various physical layer signal processing functions. The LI layer will be referred to herein as the physical layer 506. Layer 2 (L2 layer) 508 is above the physical layer 506 and is responsible for the link between the UE and eNB over the physical layer 506.

In the user plane, the L2 layer 508 includes a media access control (MAC) sublayer 510, a radio link control (RLC) sublayer 512, and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) 514 sublayer, which are terminated at the eNB on the network side. Although not shown, the UE may have several upper layers above the L2 layer 508 including a network layer (e.g., IP layer) that is terminated at the PDN gateway 118 on the network side, and an application layer that is terminated at the other end of the connection (e.g., far end UE, server, etc.).

The PDCP sublayer 514 provides multiplexing between different radio bearers and logical channels. The PDCP sublayer 514 also provides header compression for upper layer data packets to reduce radio transmission overhead, security by ciphering the data packets, and handover support for UEs between eNBs. The RLC sublayer 512 provides segmentation and reassembly of upper layer data packets, retransmission of lost data packets, and reordering of data packets to compensate for out-of-order reception due to hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ). The MAC sublayer 510 provides multiplexing between logical and transport channels. The MAC sublayer 510 is also responsible for allocating the various radio resources (e.g., resource blocks) in one cell among the UEs. The MAC sublayer 510 is also responsible for HARQ operations.

In the control plane, the radio protocol architecture for the UE and eNB is substantially the same for the physical layer 506 and the L2 layer 508 with the exception that there is no header compression function for the control plane. The control plane also includes a radio resource control (RRC) sublayer 516 in Layer 3 (L3 layer). The RRC sublayer 516 is responsible for obtaining radio resources (e.g., radio bearers) and for configuring the lower layers using RRC signaling between the eNB and the UE.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an eNB 610 in communication with a UE 650 in an access network. In the DL, upper layer packets from the core network are provided to a

controller/processor 675. The controller/processor 675 implements the functionality of the L2 layer. In the DL, the controller/processor 675 provides header compression, ciphering, packet segmentation and reordering, multiplexing between logical and transport channels, and radio resource allocations to the UE 650 based at least in part on various priority metrics. The controller/processor 675 is also responsible for HARQ operations, retransmission of lost packets, and signaling to the UE 650.

The transmit (TX) processor 616 implements various signal processing functions for the LI layer (i.e., physical layer). The signal processing functions include coding and interleaving to facilitate forward error correction (FEC) at the UE 650 and mapping to signal constellations based at least in part on various modulation schemes (e.g., binary phase-shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK), M-phase-shift keying (M-PSK), M-quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). The coded and modulated symbols are then split into parallel streams. Each stream is then mapped to an OFDM subcarrier, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., pilot) in the time and/or frequency domain, and then combined together using an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) to produce a physical channel carrying a time domain OFDM symbol stream. The OFDM stream is spatially precoded to produce multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from a channel estimator 674 may be used to determine the coding and modulation scheme, as well as for spatial processing. The channel estimate may be derived from a reference signal and/or channel condition feedback transmitted by the UE 650. Each spatial stream may then be provided to a different antenna 620 via a separate transmitter 618TX. Each transmitter 618TX may modulate an RF carrier with a respective spatial stream for transmission.

At the UE 650, each receiver 654RX receives a signal through its respective antenna 652. Each receiver 654RX recovers information modulated onto an RF carrier and provides the information to the receive (RX) processor 656. The RX processor 656 implements various signal processing functions of the LI layer. The RX processor 656 may perform spatial processing on the information to recover any spatial streams destined for the UE 650. If multiple spatial streams are destined for the UE 650, they may be combined by the RX processor 656 into a single OFDM symbol stream. The RX processor 656 then converts the OFDM symbol stream from the time-domain to the frequency domain using a Fast Fourier

Transform (FFT). The frequency domain signal comprises a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. The symbols on each subcarrier, and the reference signal, are recovered and demodulated by determining the most likely signal constellation points transmitted by the eNB 610. These soft decisions may be based at least in part on channel estimates computed by the channel estimator 658. The soft decisions are then decoded and deinterleaved to recover the data and control signals that were originally transmitted by the eNB 610 on the physical channel. The data and control signals are then provided to the

controller/processor 659.

The controller/processor 659 implements the L2 layer. The controller/processor can be associated with a memory 660 that stores program codes and data. The memory 660 may be referred to as a computer-readable medium. In the UL, the controller/processor 659 provides Η^ρτ^ηιιΐιϊ^ηΐ^ργί^η σ h^pUtr^ppn trnn« nrt and logical channels, packet reassembly, deciphering, header decompression, control signal processing to recover upper layer packets from the core network. The upper layer packets are then provided to a data sink 662, which represents all the protocol layers above the L2 layer. Various control signals may also be provided to the data sink 662 for L3 processing. The controller/processor 659 is also responsible for error detection using an acknowledgement (ACK) and/or negative acknowledgement (NACK) protocol to support HARQ operations.

In the UL, a data source 667 is used to provide upper layer packets to the

controller/processor 659. The data source 667 represents all protocol layers above the L2 layer. Similar to the functionality described in connection with the DL transmission by the eNB 610, the controller/processor 659 implements the L2 layer for the user plane and the control plane by providing header compression, ciphering, packet segmentation and reordering, and multiplexing between logical and transport channels based at least in part on radio resource allocations by the eNB 610. The controller/processor 659 is also responsible for HARQ operations,

retransmission of lost packets, and signaling to the eNB 610.

Channel estimates derived by a channel estimator 658 from a reference signal or feedback transmitted by the eNB 610 may be used by the TX processor 668 to select the appropriate coding and modulation schemes, and to facilitate spatial processing. The spatial streams generated by the TX processor 668 may be provided to different antenna 652 via separate transmitters 654TX. Each transmitter 654TX may modulate an RF carrier with a respective spatial stream for transmission.

The UL transmission is processed at the eNB 610 in a manner similar to that described in connection with the receiver function at the UE 650. Each receiver 618RX receives a signal through its respective antenna 620. Each receiver 618RX recovers information modulated onto an RF carrier and provides the information to a RX processor 670. The RX processor 670 may implement the LI layer.

The controller/processor 675 implements the L2 layer. The controller/processor 675 can be associated with a memory 676 that stores program codes and data. The memory 676 may be referred to as a computer-readable medium. In the UL, the controller/processor 675 provides demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, deciphering, header decompression, control signal processing to recover upper layer packets from the UE 650. Upper layer packets from the controller/processor 675 may be provided to the core network. The controller/processor 675 is also responsible for error detection using an ACK and/or NACK protocol to support HARQ operations.

In some aspects, UE 650 may include an MTC device, which may also be referred to as a Category 0 UE, in accordance with LTE standards. An MTC UE may be implemented with reduced peak data rates (e.g., a maximum of 1000 bits for a transport block size). Further, an Τ . T TF. mn h^p limit^pH tn «iinnr>rting rank 1 transmission and having one receive antenna. When an MTC UE is half-duplex, the MTC UE may be implemented with a relaxed switching timing (from transmission to reception or reception to transmission) compared with non-MTC UEs, in accordance with LTE standards. For example, a non-MTC UE may have a switching time of 20 microseconds, while an MTC UE may have a switching time of 1 millisecond.

An MTC device may be used to periodically report information, such as sensor data, to a network (e.g., by communicating with an eNB). Due to the nature of MTC devices, conservation of battery power may be an important consideration to the operation of the MTC devices. For example, an MTC device may be placed at a remote location or a location that is difficult to reach, which may make recharging or replacing a battery of the MTC device difficult. Due to the importance of conserving battery power of MTC devices, an MTC device may be configured to register with a PLMN that conserves power for various operations (e.g., DRX wakeup, measurement reporting, or the like) as compared to another PLMN. For example, the MTC device may calculate scores for PLMNs based at least in part on power consumption associated with those PLMNs, and may select a PLMN for registration based at least in part on the scores. In this way, the MTC device may conserve battery power.

FIGS. 7A-7D are diagrams illustrating an example system 700 configured to enable score-based cellular network selection based at least in part on power consumption. As shown in FIGS. 7A-7D, example system 700 may include a UE 102 (e.g., which may correspond to one or more of the UE 102 of FIG. 1, the UE 206 of Fig. 2, the UE 650 of Fig. 6, or the like), an eNB 106-a (e.g., which may correspond to one or more of the eNBs 106, 108 of FIG. 1, the eNBs 204, 208 of FIG. 2, the eNB 610 of FIG. 6, or the like), and ), an eNB 106-b (e.g., which may correspond to one or more of the eNBs 106, 108 of FIG. 1, the eNBs 204, 208 of FIG. 2, the eNB 610 of FIG. 6, or the like). For the purpose of FIGS. 7A-7D, the UE 102 may be an MTC device (e.g., an enhanced MTC device). However, in some aspects, the UE 102 is not an MTC device.

As shown in FIG. 7A, and by reference number 705, the UE 102 may power on and search for cellular network service. For example, the UE 102 may store a PLMN list (e.g., in a subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE 102), and may search for available service on the PLMNs in the PLMN list. As an example, the PLMN list may identify PLMN A, PLMN B, and PLMN C. If the UE 102 is unable to perform cell acquisition for a PLMN (e.g., to communicate with eNB 106 of the PLMN), then UE 102 may proceed to attempt cell acquisition for another PLMN in the list. If the UE 102 is able to successfully complete cell acquisition, then the UE 102 may communicate with an eNB 106 of the PLMN to obtain information associated with estimating power consumption, as described below.

As shown by reference number 710, the UE 102 may complete cell acquisition and connect to PLMN A. PLMN A may be associated with a radio access technology, such as UMTS, and a frequency, such as 850 MHz. The UE 102 may acquire Cell Al of an eNB 106-a of PLMN A, as shown.

As shown by reference number 715, the UE 102 may receive, from the eNB 106-a, one or more system information blocks (SIBs) that include information associated with estimating power consumption, such as DRX cycle configuration information and measurement period information. In some aspects, until the UE 102 selects a PLMN, the UE 102 may request and/or receive only those SIBs that include information associated with estimating power consumption. Additionally, or alternatively, until the UE 102 selects a PLMN, the UE 102 may decode only those SIBs that include information associated with estimating power consumption. For example, the UE may request, receive, and decode SIB5, which may include information that indicates a DRX cycle length (e.g., shown as Dl) and information that indicates a length of a measurement period (e.g., shown as Rl).

In some aspects, different PLMNs and/or cells may be associated with different power consumption values, which may cause the UE 102 to consume different amounts of power when performing one or more operations in association with the different PLMNs and/or cells. For example, the UE 102 may consume different amounts of power to perform a DRX wakeup operation on different PLMNs and/or cells. Additionally, or alternatively, the UE 102 may perform the DRX wakeup operation according to a DRX cycle length, which may differ for different PLMNs and/or cells. As another example, the UE 102 may consume different amounts of power to perform a measurement operation on different PLMNs and/or cells. Additionally, or alternatively, the UE 102 may perform the measurement operation according to a measurement period, which may differ for different PLMNs and/or cells. Aspects described herein permit the UE 102 to estimate power consumption for multiple PLMNs, and to register with a PLMN that has the lowest estimated power consumption (or a lower estimated power consumption) as compared to other PLMNs (e.g., other PLMNs identified in the PLMN list).

As shown in FIG. 7B, and by reference number 720, the UE 102 may determine an estimated power consumption per PLMN in the PLMN list. In some aspects, the UE 102 may store information that indicates a power consumption per DRX wakeup for a PLMN, radio access technology (RAT), and/or cell. Additionally, or alternatively, the UE 102 may store information that indicates a power consumption per measurement for a PLMN, RAT, and/or cell. In some aspects, the UE 102 may be pre-programmed with this information. Additionally, or alternatively, the UE 102 may receive this information from a network (e.g., from one or more eNBs 106). For example, the UE 102 may store a paging power consumption value that indicates a power consumption per DRX wakeup on the paging indicator channel (PICH) for PLMN A, shown as PPL Similarly, the UE 102 may store a measurement power consumption value that indicates a power consumption per measurement for PLMN A, shown as PM1. As shown by reference number 725, the UE 102 may calculate a plurality of scores, that represent an estimated power consumption, for the plurality of PLMNs included in the PLMN list stored by the UE 102. For example, for Cell Al of PLMN A, which uses a UMTS RAT, the UE 102 may receive SIB5 information indicating a DRX cycle length of Dl and a measurement period of Rl, may store information indicating a paging power consumption value of PP1 and a measurement power consumption value of PM1, and may use this information to calculate a power consumption score of SI for Cell Al of PLMN A. Similarly, for Cell A2 of PLMN A, the UE 102 may receive SIB5 information indicating a DRX cycle length of D2 and a measurement period of R2, may store information indicating a paging power consumption value of PP2 and a measurement power consumption value of PM2, and may use this information to calculate a power consumption score of S2 for Cell A2 of PLMN A. Similarly, for PLMN B, which uses an LTE RAT, the UE 102 may receive SIB5 information indicating a DRX cycle length of D3 and a measurement period of R3, may store information indicating a paging power consumption value of PP3 and a measurement power consumption value of PM3, and may use this information to calculate a power consumption score of S3 for PLMN B. Similarly, for PLMN C, which uses a GSM RAT, the UE 102 may receive SIB5 information indicating a DRX cycle length of D4 and a measurement period of R4, may store information indicating a paging power consumption value of PP4 and a measurement power consumption value of PM4, and may use this information to calculate a power consumption score of S4 for PLMN C.

In some aspects, the UE 102 may calculate scores for each available PLMN in the

PLMN list prior to registering with a PLMN. In this way, the UE 102 may register with a PLMN associated with the lowest (or lower) estimated power consumption, thereby conserving battery power of the UE 102. In some aspects, the UE 102 may determine a score for a PLMN based at least in part on a radio access technology of the PLMN (e.g., UMTS, LTE, GSM, etc.). Additionally, or alternatively, the UE 102 may determine a score for a PLMN based at least in part on a cell of the PLMN (e.g., a parameter associated with the cell). Additionally, or alternatively, the UE 102 may determine a score for a PLMN based at least in part on a DRX cycle configuration associated with the PLMN (e.g., a DRX cycle length). In some aspects, the UE 102 may determine the score based at least in part on an estimated amount of power consumed during a DRX wakeup cycle configured according to the DRX cycle configuration. Additionally, or alternatively, the UE 102 may determine a score for a PLMN based at least in part on a measurement period associated with the PLMN (e.g., a measurement period length). In some aspects, the UE 102 may determine the score based at least in part on an estimated amount of power consumed during a measurement period configured according to the measurement period configuration.

As shown in FIG. 7C, and by reference number 730, the UE 102 may select a PLMN for r^pffk ratinn hn«^pH at 1^pn«t in nrt on the scores. In some aspects, the UE 102 may select a PLMN for registration after calculating scores for all available PLMNs in the PLMN list. In some aspects, the UE 102 may select a PLMN for registration upon determining a score that satisfies a threshold (e.g., an absolute threshold, a threshold relative to a score of another PLMN, or the like). In some aspects, the UE 102 may select a PLMN and cell associated with the lowest power consumption score, as indicated by the following equation:

Cbest = min((PPl/Dl + PM1/R1), (PP2/D2 + PM2/R2), (PPn/Dn + PMn/Rn)) In the above equation, Cbest may represent the cell with the minimum score when compared to other cells, PPn may represent a paging power consumption value for cell n (e.g., of a particular PLMN using a particular RAT), Dn may represent a DRX cycle for cell n (e.g., of a particular PLMN using a particular RAT), PMn may represent a measurement power consumption value for cell n (e.g., of a particular PLMN using a particular RAT), Rn may represent a measurement period for cell n (e.g., of a particular PLMN using a particular RAT), and n may represent the number of cells detected by the UE 102 (e.g., based at least in part on the PLMN list stored by the UE 102).

In some aspects, the UE 102 may select a PLMN and/or cell based at least in part on a different calculation than the above equation. For example, the UE 102 may select a PLMN with the lowest paging power consumption value (PPn). As another example, the UE 102 may select a PLMN with the greatest DRX cycle length (Dn). As another example, the UE 102 may select a PLMN with the lowest ratio of paging power consumption value to DRX cycle length (PPn / Dn). As another example, the UE 102 may select a PLMN with the lowest measurement power consumption value (PMn). As another example, the UE 102 may select a PLMN with the greatest measurement period (Rn). As another example, the UE 102 may select a PLMN with the lowest ratio of measurement power consumption value to measurement period length (PMn / Rn). As another example, the UE 102 may select a PLMN with the lowest result of summing the ratio of paging power consumption value to DRX cycle length and the ratio of measurement power consumption value to measurement period length (PPn / Dn + PMn / Rn). Additionally, or alternatively, the UE 102 may use one or more other estimates of power consumption to select a PLMN.

As shown by reference number 735, the UE 102 may select PLMN B for registration, and may register with PLMN B. In this example, the score for PLMN B (S3) may be lower than the scores for the other PLMNs (and/or cells of those PLMNs) in the PLMN list. For example, the score for PLMN B (S3) may be lower than the scores for Cell Al of PLMN A (SI), Cell A2 of PLMN A (S2), and PLMN C (S4). Thus, the UE 102 may register with Cell B of PLMN B, such as by communicating with eNB 106-b. In this way, the UE 102 may register with a PLMN associated with a lowest power consumption, thereby conserving battery power of the UE 102. Furthermore, where UE 102 is an MTC, the UE 102 may not need to be connected to a high nrinritv PT .MM h^prnii^QP ΜΤΓ H^p ices typically have a relatively small amount of data to transmit as compared to other types of UEs, and typically transmit such data at longer intervals as compared to other types of UEs.

As shown in FIG. 7D, and by reference number 740, the UE 102 may store the scores for future cell selection. For example, the UE 102 may store scores for each PLMN in the PLMN list based at least in part on calculating the scores in association with a first cell selection procedure (e.g., as described above). As shown, the UE 102 may store the score SI for Cell Al of PLMN A, may store the score S2 for Cell A2 of PLMN A, may store the score S3 for PLMN B, and may store the score S4 for PLMN C. In this way, the UE 102 may further conserve battery power because the UE 102 does not need to calculate the scores again.

As shown by reference number 745, during a second cell selection procedure performed after the first cell selection procedure, the UE 102 may detect a new PLMN not originally included in the PLMN list. For example, the UE 102 may detect PLMN D, which may use a GSM RAT on Cell D. The UE 102 may calculate a score S5 for the new PLMN (PLMN D), and may use the score to perform cell selection (e.g., by comparing the score S5 to other scores, such as SI, S2, S3, and S4), in a similar manner as described above. In some aspects, the second cell selection procedure may be a cell reselection procedure. In some aspects, the second cell selection procedure may be performed after the UE 102 is powered off and powered back on, after UE 102 loses and regains network coverage, or the like.

Additionally, or alternatively, the UE 102 may receive updated information for a PLMN, RAT, and/or cell. The updated information may include an updated value for one or more of a DRX cycle length (Dn), a length of a measurement period (Rn), a paging power consumption value (PPn), a measurement power consumption value (PMn), or other information that may be used to estimate power consumption. Based at least in part on receiving updated information for a PLMN, RAT, and/or cell, the UE 102 may re-calculate one or more scores associated with that PLMN, RAT, and/or cell. In this way, the UE 102 may more accurately estimate power consumption associated with PLMNs, RATs, and/or cells.

As indicated above, FIGS. 7A-7D are provided as an example. Other examples are possible and may differ from what was described in connection with FIGS. 7A-7D.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart 800 of a method of wireless communication. The method may be performed by a UE (e.g., the UE 102, 206, 650 and/or an apparatus 1102/1102', described in more detail below).

At 810, the UE may determine a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of PLMNs in a PLMN list stored at the UE. Each score, of the plurality of scores, may correspond to an estimated power consumption value for a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. In some aspects, the UE may determine a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on a radio access technology of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. AHHitinnnllv nr nlt^prnnti ^pl t ^p UE may determine a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on a cell of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. Additionally, or alternatively, the UE may determine a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on a DRX cycle configuration associated with a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. In some aspects, the UE may determine the score based at least in part on an estimated amount of power consumed during a DRX wakeup associated with a DRX cycle configured according to the DRX cycle configuration. Additionally, or alternatively, the UE may determine a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on a measurement period configuration associated with a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. In some aspects, the UE may determine the score based at least in part on an estimated amount of power consumed during a measurement period configured according to the measurement period configuration.

Additionally, or alternatively, the UE may determine a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on a combination of the factors identified above (e.g., all of the factors, two of the factors, three of the factors, etc.).

At 820, the UE may select a PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs for registration of the UE based at least in part on the plurality of scores. For example, the UE may select, for registration, a PLMN associated with a score, of the plurality of scores, that indicates a lower estimated power consumption as compared to at least one other PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. In some aspects, the UE may select a PLMN associated with a score that indicates a lowest estimated power consumption as compared to all other available PLMNs of the plurality of PLMNs. Additionally, or alternatively, the UE may register with the selected PLMN.

Although FIG. 8 shows example blocks of a method of wireless communication, in some aspects, the method may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those shown in FIG. 8. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more blocks shown in FIG. 8 may be performed in parallel.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart 900 of another method of wireless communication. The method may be performed by a UE (e.g., the UE 102, 206, 650 and/or an apparatus 1102/1102', described in more detail below).

At 910, the UE may store a plurality of scores in association with a corresponding plurality of PLMNs. In some aspects, the UE may determine a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of PLMNs in a PLMN list stored at the UE. Each score of the plurality of scores may correspond to an estimated power consumption value for a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. The UE may select a PLMN for registration of the UE based at least in part on the plurality of scores. In some aspects, the UE may select the PLMN in association with a first cell selection procedure, and may store the plurality of scores for use with a second cell selection procedure performed after the first cell selection procedure. For example, the UE may store the plurality of scores in association with the corresponding plurality of PLMNs. The UE may store the plurality of scores in association with the corresponding plurality of PLMNs in a data structure accessible by the UE.

At 920, the UE may use the stored plurality of scores to perform a cell selection procedure. For example, the UE may use the stored plurality of scores to perform a second cell selection procedure after performing the first cell selection procedure. In this way, the UE may avoid recalculating the plurality of scores, thereby conserving computing resources, such as processor resources, battery power, or the like.

Although FIG. 9 shows example blocks of a method of wireless communication, in some aspects, the method may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those shown in FIG. 9. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more blocks shown in FIG. 9 may be performed in parallel.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart 1000 of another method of wireless communication. The method may be performed by a UE (e.g., the UE 102, 206, 650 and/or an apparatus 1102/1102', described in more detail below).

At 1010, the UE may detect a new PLMN. In some aspects, the UE may determine a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of PLMNs in a PLMN list stored at the UE. Each score of the plurality of scores may correspond to an estimated power consumption value for a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs. The UE may select a PLMN for registration of the UE based at least in part on the plurality of scores. In some aspects, the UE may select the PLMN in association with a first cell selection procedure, and may store the plurality of scores for use with a second cell selection procedure performed after the first cell selection procedure. After performing the first cell selection procedure, the UE may detect a new PLMN not included in the plurality of PLMNs (e.g., not originally included in the PLMN list). For example, the UE may detect the new PLMN in association with performing the second cell selection procedure.

At 1020, the UE may determine a score for the new PLMN. For example, the UE may determine a score that corresponds to an estimated power consumption value for the new PLMN. The score may be based at least in part on one or more of a radio access technology of the new PLMN, a cell of the new PLMN, a DRX cycle configuration of the new PLMN, an estimated amount of power consumed during a DRX wakeup associated with a DRX cycle configured according to the DRX cycle configuration, a measurement period configuration associated with the new PLMN, an estimated amount of power consumed during a measurement period configured according to the measurement period configuration, or the like.

At 1030, the UE may store the score, in association with the new PLMN, for use with a cell selection procedure. For example, the UE may store the score, in association with the new PLMN, for use with the second cell selection procedure. Thus, the UE may calculate one or mnr^p «rnr^p« for nn^p nr mnr^p n^pw PLMNs detected after the first cell selection procedure is performed, and may use the one or more scores in association with a second cell selection procedure. In this way, the UE may take estimated power consumption values, for newly detected PLMNs, into account during cell selection, thereby conserving battery power and efficiently using processor resources.

Although FIG. 10 shows example blocks of a method of wireless communication, in some aspects, the method may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those shown in FIG. 10. Additionally, or alternatively, two or more blocks shown in FIG. 10 may be performed in parallel.

FIG. 11 is a conceptual data flow diagram 1100 illustrating the data flow between different modules/means/components in an example apparatus 1102. In some aspects, the apparatus 1102 may be a UE (e.g., the UE 102, 206, 650). As shown, the apparatus 1102 may include a reception component 1104, a determining component 1106, a selecting component 1108, a storing component 1110, and a transmission component 1112.

The reception component 1104 may receive data 1114, which may include information from an eNB 1150 (e.g., which may correspond to one or more of the eNBs 106, 108 of FIG. 1, the eNBs 204, 208 of FIG. 2, the eNB 610 of FIG. 6, or the like). For example, the reception component 1104 may receive information described in connection with FIGS. 7A-7D and/or FIGS. 8-10, such as information associated with determining a power consumption score, information included in a SIB5 block, or the like. Additionally, or alternatively, the reception component 1104 may receive information associated with registering with the eNB 1150. As shown, the reception component 1104 may provide data 1114 (e.g., which may be processed by the reception component 1104) as output to the determining component 1106 (e.g., as data 1116).

The determining component 1106 may receive data 1116 from the reception component 1104. Based at least in part on data 1116, the determining component 1106 may determine a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of PLMNs. Additionally, or alternatively, the determining component 1106 may determine a PLMN associated with a lowest score or a lower score as compared to other PLMNs. In some aspects, the determining component 1106 may provide data 1118 to the selecting component 1108, to permit the selecting component 1108 to select a PLMN for registration. Additionally, or alternatively, the determining component 1106 may provide data 1122 to the storing component 1110 to permit the storing component 1110 to store the plurality of scores in association with the corresponding plurality of PLMNs.

The selecting component 1108 may select a PLMN for registration based at least in part on the plurality of scores. For example, the selecting component 1108 may select a PLMN, for registration, that is associated with a score, of the plurality of scores, that indicates a lower estimated power consumption (and/or a lowest estimated power consumption) as compared to at 1^p;i«t nn^p ntli^pr PT .MM nf t ^p nliirnlity of PLMNs. In some aspects, the selecting component 1108 may receive data 1118 from the determining component 1106 and/or may receive data 1124 from the storing component 1110, and may use data 1118 and/or data 1124 to select a PLMN for registration. Additionally, or alternatively, the selecting component 1108 may provide data 1120 to the transmission component 1112. The data 1120 may identify the PLMN for registration, and the transmission component 1112 may use data 1120 to interact with the eNB 1150 to register with the PLMN.

The storing component 1110 may receive the plurality of scores from the determining component 1106 (e.g., as data 1122), and may store the plurality of scores. For example, the storing component 1110 may store the plurality of scores in association with information that identifies a corresponding plurality of PLMNs. Additionally, or alternatively, the storing component 1110 may provide the plurality of scores and/or information that identifies the corresponding plurality of PLMNs to the selecting component 1108 to permit the selecting component 1108 to select a PLMN for registration.

The transmission component 1112 may receive data 1120 regarding the selected PLMN, and may provide data 1126 to the eNB 1150 to register with the selected PLMN. After data 1126 is reported to the eNB 1150, the reception component 1104 may receive additional data 1114 associated with registering with the selected PLMN.

The apparatus 1102 may include additional components that perform each of the blocks of the algorithm in the aforementioned flow charts of FIGS. 8-10. As such, each block in the aforementioned flow charts of FIGS. 8-10 may be performed by a component, and the apparatus 1102 may include one or more of those components. The components may be one or more hardware components specifically configured to carry out the stated processes/algorithm, implemented by a processor configured to perform the stated processes/algorithm, stored within a non-transitory computer-readable medium for implementation by a processor, or some combination thereof.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware implementation 1200 for an apparatus 1102' employing a processing system 1204. The processing system 1204 may be implemented with a bus architecture, represented generally by a bus 1206. The bus 1206 may include any number of interconnecting buses and bridges depending on the specific application of the processing system 1204 and the overall design constraints. The bus 1206 links together various circuits, including one or more processors and/or hardware modules, represented by a processor 1208, a computer-readable medium / memory 1210, a transceiver 1212, one or more antennas 1214, and the components 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110, and 1112. The bus 1206 may also link various other circuits such as timing sources, peripherals, voltage regulators, and power management circuits, which are well known in the art, and therefore, will not be described any further. The processing system 1204 may be coupled to a transceiver 1212. The transceiver 1212 is coupled to one or more antennas 1214. The transceiver 1212 provides a means for communicating with various other apparatus over a transmission medium. The transceiver 1212 receives a signal from the one or more antennas 1214, extracts information from the received signal, and provides the extracted information to the processing system 1204, specifically the reception component 1104. In addition, the transceiver 1212 receives information from the processing system 1204, specifically the transmission component 1112, and based at least in part on the received information, generates a signal to be applied to the one or more antennas 1214. The processing system 1204 includes a processor 1208 coupled to a computer-readable medium / memory 1210. The processor 1208 is responsible for general processing, including the execution of software stored on the computer-readable medium / memory 1210. The software, when executed by the processor 1208, causes the processing system 1204 to perform the various functions described supra for any particular apparatus. The computer-readable medium / memory 1210 may also be used for storing data that is manipulated by the processor 1208 when executing software. The processing system 1204 further includes at least one of the components 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110, and/or 1112. The components may be software modules running in the processor 1208, resident/stored in the computer readable medium / memory 1210, one or more hardware components coupled to the processor 1208, or some combination thereof. The processing system 1204 may be a component of the UE 650 and may include the memory 660 and/or at least one of the TX processor 668, the RX processor 656, and the

controller/processor 659.

In one configuration, the apparatus 1102' for wireless communication includes means for determining a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of PLMNs, means for selecting a PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs for registration, means for determining a score based at least in part on one or more factors described herein, means for storing the plurality of scores, means for using the plurality of scores for one or more cell selection procedures, and/or means for detecting a new PLMN. The aforementioned means may be one or more of the aforementioned modules of the apparatus 1102 and/or the processing system 1204 of the apparatus 1102' configured to perform the functions recited by the aforementioned means. As described supra, the processing system 1204 may include the TX processor 668, the RX processor 656, and/or the controller/processor 659. As such, in one configuration, the aforementioned means may be the TX processor 668, the RX processor 656, and/or the controller/processor 659 configured to perform the functions recited by the aforementioned means.

It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes / flow charts disclosed is an illustration of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the processes / flow charts may be ι-^ρ;ι^η-;ι^ησ^ρΗ F rtVi^pr «nm^p h1nrV« may be combined or omitted. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various blocks in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one" unless specifically so stated, but rather "one or more." The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term "some" refers to one or more. Combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof include any combination of A, B, and/or C, and may include multiples of A, multiples of B, or multiples of C. Specifically, combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, where any such combinations may contain one or more member or members of A, B, or C. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed as a means plus function unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase "means for."

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for wireless communication for user equipment, comprising:

determining a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) in a PLMN list stored at the user equipment, each score of the plurality of scores corresponding to an estimated power consumption value for a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs; and

selecting a PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs for registration of the user equipment based at least in part on the plurality of scores.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the PLMN selected for registration is associated with a score, of the plurality of scores, that indicates a lower estimated power consumption as compared to at least one other PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the plurality of scores comprises:

determining a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on a radio access technology of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the plurality of scores comprises:

determining a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on a cell of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the plurality of scores comprises:

determining a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle configuration associated with a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the score comprises:

determining the score based at least in part on an estimated amount of power consumed during a DRX wakeup associated with a DRX cycle configured according to the DRX cycle configuration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the plurality of scores comprises:

determining a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on a measurement period configuration associated with a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the score comprises: determining the score based at least in part on an estimated amount of power consumed during a measurement period configured according to the measurement period configuration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the PLMN is performed in association with a first cell selection procedure; and

wherein the method further comprises:

storing the plurality of scores in association with the corresponding plurality of PLMNs; and

using the stored plurality of scores to perform a second cell selection procedure after performing the first cell selection procedure.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting a new PLMN not included in the plurality of PLMNs;

determining a score for the new PLMN; and

storing the score, in association with the new PLMN, for use with the second cell selection procedure.

11. A user equipment for wireless communication, comprising:

memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory, the memory and the one or more processors configured to:

determine a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) in a PLMN list stored at the user equipment, each score of the plurality of scores corresponding to an estimated power consumption value for a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs; and

select a PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs for registration of the user equipment based at least in part on the plurality of scores.

12. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the PLMN selected for registration is associated with a score, of the plurality of scores, that indicates a lower estimated power consumption as compared to at least one other PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

13. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors, when determining the plurality of scores, are configured to:

determine a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on at least one of: a radio access technology of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs, n nf t ^p rnrrpsponding PLMN, a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle configuration associated with the corresponding PLMN, or

a measurement period configuration associated with the corresponding PLMN.

14. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors, when determining the plurality of scores, are configured to:

determine a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on an estimated amount of power consumed during a DRX wakeup associated with a DRX cycle configured according to a DRX cycle configuration of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

15. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors, when determining the plurality of scores, are configured to:

determine a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on an estimated amount of power consumed during a measurement period configured according to a measurement period configuration of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

16. The user equipment of claim 11, wherein the PLMN selection is performed in association with a first cell selection procedure; and

wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

store the plurality of scores in association with the corresponding plurality of PLMNs; and

use the stored plurality of scores to perform a second cell selection procedure after performing the first cell selection procedure.

17. The user equipment of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: detect a new PLMN not included in the plurality of PLMNs;

determine a score for the new PLMN; and

store the score, in association with the new PLMN, for use with the second cell selection procedure.

18. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for determining a plurality of scores corresponding to a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) in a PLMN list stored at the apparatus, each score of the plurality of scores corresponding to an estimated power consumption value for a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs; and

means for selecting a PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs for registration of the apparatus

Vin«^pfl at 1^pn«t in nnrt nil the nliirnlity of SCOreS.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the PLMN selected for registration is associated with a score, of the plurality of scores, that indicates a lower estimated power consumption as compared to at least one other PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for determining the plurality of scores comprises:

means for determining a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on at least one of:

a radio access technology of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs, a cell of the corresponding PLMN,

a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle configuration associated with the corresponding PLMN, or

a measurement period configuration associated with the corresponding PLMN.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for determining the plurality of scores comprises:

means for determining a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on an estimated amount of power consumed during a DRX wakeup associated with a DRX cycle configured according to a DRX cycle configuration of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for determining the plurality of scores comprises:

means for determining a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on an estimated amount of power consumed during a measurement period configured according to a measurement period configuration of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the PLMN selection is performed in association with a first cell selection procedure; and

wherein the apparatus further comprises:

means for storing the plurality of scores in association with the corresponding plurality of PLMNs; and

means for using the stored plurality of scores to perform a second cell selection procedure after performing the first cell selection procedure. n nra iiQ nf rlnim ?^ further comprising: means for detecting a new PLMN not included in the plurality of PLMNs;

means for determining a score for the new PLMN; and

means for storing the score, in association with the new PLMN, for use with the second cell selection procedure.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions for wireless communication, the one or more instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment, cause the one or more processors to:

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the PLMN selected for registration is associated with a score, of the plurality of scores, that indicates a lower estimated power consumption as compared to at least one other PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the plurality of scores, cause the one or more processors to:

determine a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on at least one of: a radio access technology of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs, a cell of the corresponding PLMN,

a measurement period configuration associated with the corresponding PLMN.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the plurality of scores, cause the one or more processors to:

determine a score, of the plurality of scores, based at least in part on an estimated amount of power consumed during a DRX wakeup associated with a DRX cycle configured -Ηί^ησ tn n DRY r rl^p mnfi miration of a corresponding PLMN of the plurality of PLMNs.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the plurality of scores, cause the one or more processors to:

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the PLMN selection is performed in association with a first cell selection procedure; and

wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

store the plurality of scores in association with the corresponding plurality of

PLMNs; and