WO2023069564A1

WO2023069564A1 - Methods and apparatus to carry out discontinuous reception (drx) in connection with discontinuities in coverage

Info

Publication number: WO2023069564A1
Application number: PCT/US2022/047194
Authority: WO
Inventors: Brian Martin; Moon-Il Lee; Dylan WATTS
Original assignee: Interdigital Patent Holdings, Inc.
Priority date: 2021-10-19
Filing date: 2022-10-19
Publication date: 2023-04-27

Abstract

Procedures, methods, architectures, apparatuses, systems, devices, and computer program products directed to carrying out discontinuous reception (DRX) in connection with discontinuities in coverage. A method may include any of determining a paging occasion during an active time period of a cycle of discontinuous reception based on a partition of a collection of paging occasions, wherein (i) the collection of paging occasions comprises at least one paging occasion from at least some of a set of radio frames to occur during the cycle, and (ii) the set of radio frames are based on a discontinuity in network coverage; and receiving one or more transmissions during the paging occasion.

Description

METHODS AND APPARATUS TO CARRY OUT DISCONTINUOUS RECEPTION (DRX) IN CONNECTION WITH DISCONTINUITIES IN COVERAGE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. (i) 63/257,254 filed October 19, 2021, and (ii) 63/389,695 filed July 7, 2022; each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

[0002] This application is related to wired and/or wireless communications, including, for procedures, methods, architectures, apparatus, systems, devices, and computer program products directed to carrying out discontinuous reception (DRX) in connection with one or more discontinuities in network coverage ("coverage discontinuities"), for example, before, after, upon, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, such coverage discontinuities.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003] A more detailed understanding may be had from the detailed description below, given by way of example in conjunction with the drawings appended hereto. Figures in such drawings, like the detailed description, are exemplary. As such, the Figures and the detailed description are not to be considered limiting, and other equally effective examples are possible and likely. Furthermore, like reference numerals ("ref") in the Figures ("FIGs.") indicate like elements, and wherein:

[0004] FIG. 1 A is a system diagram illustrating an example communications system in which one or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented;

[0005] FIG. IB is a system diagram illustrating an example wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) that may be used within the communications system illustrated in FIG. 1 A according to an embodiment;

[0006] FIG. 1C is a system diagram illustrating an example radio access network (RAN) and an example core network (CN) that may be used within the communications system illustrated in FIG. 1 A according to an embodiment;

[0007] FIG. 1 D is a system diagram illustrating a further example RAN and a further example CN that may be used within the communications system illustrated in FIG. 1A according to an embodiment; [0008] FIG. 2 is a system diagram illustrating an example combined terrestrial and nonterrestrial network (NTN) (collectively "network") that may be used within and/or in connection with the communications system illustrated in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment; [0009] FIG. 3 is a graphical illustration depicting an example discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle;

[0010] FIG. 4 is an illustration depicting a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) within a non-terrestrial network (NTN) network with continuous coverage at four different times and locations;

[0011] FIG. 5 is another illustration depicting a WTRU within an NTN network with continuous coverage at four different times and locations;

[0012] FIG. 6 is a signal timing diagram depicting an example of a WTRU detecting the coverage gap and updating the paging time reference;

[0013] FIG. 7 is a signal timing diagram depicting application of an offset to the paging time window (PTW) time when coverage gap occurs;

[0014] FIG. 8 is a signal timing diagram depicting PTW detection using index to multiple configurations;

[0015] FIG. 9 is a signal timing diagram depicting indication per discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle length whether the next PTW falls within a coverage gap;

[0016] FIG. 10 is a signal timing diagram depicting (re)mapping a paging hyperframe (PH) in one extended DRX (eDRX) cycle taking into account a coverage gap;

[0017] FIG. 11 is a signal timing diagram depicting (re)mapping the PH and scaling during an eDRX cycle;

[0018] FIG. 12 is a signal timing diagram depicting re-mapping and coordination of hyper system frame number (H-SFN) across cells taking into account a coverage gap; and

[0019] FIGs. 13-19 are flow charts illustrating example flows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments and/or examples disclosed herein. However, it will be understood that such embodiments and examples may be practiced without some or all of the specific details set forth herein. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail, so as not to obscure the following description. Further, embodiments and examples not specifically described herein may be practiced in lieu of, or in combination with, the embodiments and other examples described, disclosed, or otherwise provided explicitly, implicitly and/or inherently (collectively "provided") herein.

[0021] Although various embodiments are described and/or claimed herein in which an apparatus, system, device, etc. and/or any element thereof carries out an operation, process, algorithm, function, etc. and/or any portion thereof, it is to be understood that any embodiments described and/or claimed herein assume that any apparatus, system, device, etc. and/or any element thereof is configured to carry out any operation, process, algorithm, function, etc. and/or any portion thereof.

[0022] Example Communications Systems

[0023] The methods, apparatuses and systems provided herein are well-suited for communications involving both wired and wireless networks. Wired networks are well-known. An overview of various types of wireless devices and infrastructure is provided with respect to FIGs. 1A-1D, where various elements of the network may utilize, perform, be arranged in accordance with and/or be adapted and/or configured for the methods, apparatuses and systems provided herein.

[0024] FIG. 1A is a diagram illustrating an example communications system 100 in which one or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented. The communications system 100 may be a multiple access system that provides content, such as voice, data, video, messaging, broadcast, etc., to multiple wireless users. The communications system 100 may enable multiple wireless users to access such content through the sharing of system resources, including wireless bandwidth. For example, the communications systems 100 may employ one or more channel access methods, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), zero-tail unique-word DFT-Spread OFDM (ZT UW DTS-s OFDM), unique word OFDM (UW-OFDM), resource block-filtered OFDM, filter bank multicarrier (FBMC), and the like.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1A, the communications system 100 may include wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, a RAN 104/113, a CN 106/115, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 108, the Internet 110, and other networks 112, though it will be appreciated that the disclosed embodiments contemplate any number of WTRUs, base stations, networks, and/or network elements. Each of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d may be any type of device configured to operate and/or communicate in a wireless environment. By way of example, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, any of which may be referred to as a "station" and/or a "STA", may be configured to transmit and/or receive wireless signals and may include a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a fixed or mobile subscriber unit, a subscription-based unit, a pager, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smartphone, a laptop, a netbook, a personal computer, a wireless sensor, a hotspot or Mi-Fi device, an Internet of Things (loT) device, a watch or other wearable, a head-mounted display (HMD), a vehicle, a drone, a medical device and applications (e.g., remote surgery), an industrial device and applications (e.g., a robot and/or other wireless devices operating in an industrial and/or an automated processing chain contexts), a consumer electronics device, a device operating on commercial and/or industrial wireless networks, and the like. Any of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d may be interchangeably referred to as a UE.

[0026] The communications systems 100 may also include a base station 114a and/or a base station 114b. Each of the base stations 114a, 114b may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d to facilitate access to one or more communication networks, such as the CN 106/115, the Internet 110, and/or the other networks 112. By way of example, the base stations 114a, 114b may be a base transceiver station (BTS), a Node-B, an eNode B, a Home Node B, a Home eNode B, a gNB, a NR NodeB, a site controller, an access point (AP), a wireless router, and the like. While the base stations 114a, 114b are each depicted as a single element, it will be appreciated that the base stations 114a, 114b may include any number of interconnected base stations and/or network elements. [0027] The base station 114a may be part of the RAN 104/113, which may also include other base stations and/or network elements (not shown), such as a base station controller (BSC), a radio network controller (RNC), relay nodes, etc. The base station 114a and/or the base station 114b may be configured to transmit and/or receive wireless signals on one or more carrier frequencies, which may be referred to as a cell (not shown). These frequencies may be in licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, or a combination of licensed and unlicensed spectrum. A cell may provide coverage for a wireless service to a specific geographical area that may be relatively fixed or that may change over time. The cell may further be divided into cell sectors. For example, the cell associated with the base station 114a may be divided into three sectors. Thus, in one embodiment, the base station 114a may include three transceivers, i.e., one for each sector of the cell. In an embodiment, the base station 114a may employ multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) technology and may utilize multiple transceivers for each sector of the cell. For example, beamforming may be used to transmit and/or receive signals in desired spatial directions.

[0028] The base stations 114a, 114b may communicate with one or more of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d over an air interface 116, which may be any suitable wireless communication link (e.g., radio frequency (RF), micro wave, centimeter wave, micrometer wave, infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), visible light, etc.). The air interface 116 may be established using any suitable radio access technology (RAT).

[0029] More specifically, as noted above, the communications system 100 may be a multiple access system and may employ one or more channel access schemes, such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, SC-FDMA, and the like. For example, the base station 114a in the RAN 104/113 and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement a radio technology such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), which may establish the air interface 116 using wideband CDMA (WCDMA). WCDMA may include communication protocols such as High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and/or Evolved HSPA (HSPA+). HSPA may include High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) and/or High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA).

[0030] In an embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement a radio technology such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), which may establish the air interface 116 using Long Term Evolution (LTE) and/or LTE- Advanced (LTE-A) and/or LTE-Advanced Pro (LTE-A Pro).

[0031] In an embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement a radio technology such as NR Radio Access, which may establish the air interface 116 using New Radio (NR).

[0032] In an embodiment, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement multiple radio access technologies. For example, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement LTE radio access and NR radio access together, for instance using dual connectivity (DC) principles. Thus, the air interface utilized by WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may be characterized by multiple types of radio access technologies and/or transmissions sent to/from multiple types of base stations (e.g., an eNB and a gNB).

[0033] In other embodiments, the base station 114a and the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement radio technologies such as IEEE 802.11 (i.e., Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), IEEE 802.16 (i.e., Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)), CDMA2000, CDMA2000 IX, CDMA2000 EV-DO, Interim Standard 2000 (IS-2000), Interim Standard 95 (IS-95), Interim Standard 856 (IS-856), Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), GSM EDGE (GERAN), and the like.

[0034] The base station 114b in FIG. 1A may be a wireless router, Home Node B, Home eNode B, or access point, for example, and may utilize any suitable RAT for facilitating wireless connectivity in a localized area, such as a place of business, a home, a vehicle, a campus, an industrial facility, an air corridor (e.g., for use by drones), a roadway, and the like. In one embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.11 to establish a wireless local area network (WLAN). In an embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may implement a radio technology such as IEEE 802.15 to establish a wireless personal area network (WPAN). In yet another embodiment, the base station 114b and the WTRUs 102c, 102d may utilize a cellularbased RAT (e g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR etc.) to establish a picocell or femtocell. As shown in FIG. 1 A, the base station 114b may have a direct connection to the Internet 110. Thus, the base station 114b may not be required to access the Internet 110 via the CN 106/115.

[0035] The RAN 104/113 may be in communication with the CN 106/115, which may be any type of network configured to provide voice, data, applications, and/or voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services to one or more of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d. The data may have varying quality of service (QoS) requirements, such as differing throughput requirements, latency requirements, error tolerance requirements, reliability requirements, data throughput requirements, mobility requirements, and the like. The CN 106/115 may provide call control, billing services, mobile location-based services, pre-paid calling, Internet connectivity, video distribution, etc., and/or perform high-level security functions, such as user authentication. Although not shown in FIG. 1A, it will be appreciated that the RAN 104/113 and/or the CN 106/115 may be in direct or indirect communication with other RANs that employ the same RAT as the RAN 104/113 or a different RAT. For example, in addition to being connected to the RAN 104/113, which may be utilizing a NR radio technology, the CN 106/115 may also be in communication with another RAN (not shown) employing a GSM, UMTS, CDMA 2000, WiMAX, E-UTRA, or Wi-Fi radio technology.

[0036] The CN 106/115 may also serve as a gateway for the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d to access the PSTN 108, the Internet 110, and/or the other networks 112. The PSTN 108 may include circuit-switched telephone networks that provide plain old telephone service (POTS). The Internet 110 may include a global system of interconnected computer networks and devices that use common communication protocols, such as the transmission control protocol (TCP), user datagram protocol (UDP) and/or the internet protocol (IP) in the TCP/IP internet protocol suite. The networks 112 may include wired and/or wireless communications networks owned and/or operated by other service providers. For example, the networks 112 may include another CN connected to one or more RANs, which may employ the same RAT as the RAN 104/113 or a different RAT. [0037] Some or all of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d in the communications system 100 may include multi-mode capabilities (e.g., the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d may include multiple transceivers for communicating with different wireless networks over different wireless links). For example, the WTRU 102c shown in FIG. 1A may be configured to communicate with the base station 114a, which may employ a cellular-based radio technology, and with the base station 114b, which may employ an IEEE 802 radio technology. [0038] FIG. IB is a system diagram illustrating an example WTRU 102. As shown in FIG. IB, the WTRU 102 may include a processor 118, a transceiver 120, a transmit/receive element 122, a speaker/mi crophone 124, akeypad 126, a display/touchpad 128, non-removable memory 130, removable memory 132, a power source 134, a global positioning system (GPS) chipset 136, and/or other peripherals 138, among others. It will be appreciated that the WTRU 102 may include any sub-combination of the foregoing elements while remaining consistent with an embodiment.

[0039] The processor 118 may be a general-purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) circuits, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine, and the like. The processor 118 may perform signal coding, data processing, power control, input/output processing, and/or any other functionality that enables the WTRU 102 to operate in a wireless environment. The processor 118 may be coupled to the transceiver 120, which may be coupled to the transmit/receive element 122. While FIG. IB depicts the processor 118 and the transceiver 120 as separate components, it will be appreciated that the processor 118 and the transceiver 120 may be integrated together in an electronic package or chip.

[0040] The transmit/receive element 122 may be configured to transmit signals to, or receive signals from, a base station (e.g., the base station 114a) over the air interface 116. For example, in one embodiment, the transmit/receive element 122 may be an antenna configured to transmit and/or receive RF signals. In an embodiment, the transmit/receive element 122 may be an emitter/detector configured to transmit and/or receive IR, UV, or visible light signals, for example. In yet another embodiment, the transmit/receive element 122 may be configured to transmit and/or receive both RF and light signals. It will be appreciated that the transmit/receive element 122 may be configured to transmit and/or receive any combination of wireless signals. [0041] Although the transmit/receive element 122 is depicted in FIG. IB as a single element, the WTRU 102 may include any number of transmit/receive elements 122. More specifically, the WTRU 102 may employ MIMO technology. Thus, in one embodiment, the WTRU 102 may include two or more transmit/receive elements 122 (e.g., multiple antennas) for transmitting and receiving wireless signals over the air interface 116.

[0042] The transceiver 120 may be configured to modulate the signals that are to be transmitted by the transmit/receive element 122 and to demodulate the signals that are received by the transmit/receive element 122. As noted above, the WTRU 102 may have multi-mode capabilities. Thus, the transceiver 120 may include multiple transceivers for enabling the WTRU 102 to communicate via multiple RATs, such as NR and IEEE 802.11, for example.

[0043] The processor 118 of the WTRU 102 may be coupled to, and may receive user input data from, the speaker/microphone 124, the keypad 126, and/or the display/touchpad 128 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) display unit or organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display unit). The processor 118 may also output user data to the speaker/microphone 124, the keypad 126, and/or the display/touchpad 128. In addition, the processor 118 may access information from, and store data in, any type of suitable memory, such as the non-removable memory 130 and/or the removable memory 132. The non-removable memory 130 may include randomaccess memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk, or any other type of memory storage device. The removable memory 132 may include a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a memory stick, a secure digital (SD) memory card, and the like. In other embodiments, the processor 118 may access information from, and store data in, memory that is not physically located on the WTRU 102, such as on a server or a home computer (not shown).

[0044] The processor 118 may receive power from the power source 134 and may be configured to distribute and/or control the power to the other components in the WTRU 102. The power source 134 may be any suitable device for powering the WTRU 102. For example, the power source 134 may include one or more dry cell batteries (e.g., nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-zinc (NiZn), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium-ion (Li-ion), etc.), solar cells, fuel cells, and the like.

[0045] The processor 118 may also be coupled to the GPS chipset 136, which may be configured to provide location information (e.g., longitude and latitude) regarding the current location of the WTRU 102. In addition to, or in lieu of, the information from the GPS chipset 136, the WTRU 102 may receive location information over the air interface 116 from a base station (e.g., base stations 114a, 114b) and/or determine its location based on the timing of the signals being received from two or more nearby base stations. It will be appreciated that the WTRU 102 may acquire location information by way of any suitable location-determination method while remaining consistent with an embodiment. [0046] The processor 118 may further be coupled to other peripherals 138, which may include one or more software and/or hardware modules that provide additional features, functionality and/or wired or wireless connectivity. For example, the peripherals 138 may include an accelerometer, an e-compass, a satellite transceiver, a digital camera (for photographs and/or video), a universal serial bus (USB) port, a vibration device, a television transceiver, a hands free headset, a Bluetooth® module, a frequency modulated (FM) radio unit, a digital music player, a media player, a video game player module, an Internet browser, a Virtual Reality and/or Augmented Reality (VR/AR) device, an activity tracker, and the like. The peripherals 138 may include one or more sensors, the sensors may be one or more of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a hall effect sensor, a magnetometer, an orientation sensor, a proximity sensor, a temperature sensor, a time sensor; a geolocation sensor; an altimeter, alight sensor, a touch sensor, a magnetometer, a barometer, a gesture sensor, a biometric sensor, and/or a humidity sensor.

[0047] The WTRU 102 may include a full duplex radio for which transmission and reception of some or all of the signals (e.g., associated with particular subframes for both the uplink (e.g., for transmission) and downlink (e.g., for reception) may be concurrent and/or simultaneous. The full duplex radio may include an interference management unit 139 to reduce and or substantially eliminate self-interference via either hardware (e.g., a choke) or signal processing via a processor (e.g., a separate processor (not shown) or via processor 118). In an embodiment, the WTRU 102 may include a half-duplex radio for which transmission and reception of some or all of the signals (e.g., associated with particular subframes for either the uplink (e.g., for transmission) or the downlink (e.g., for reception)).

[0048] FIG. 1C is a system diagram illustrating the RAN 104 and the CN 106 according to an embodiment. As noted above, the RAN 104 may employ an E-UTRA radio technology to communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c over the air interface 116. The RAN 104 may also be in communication with the CN 106.

[0049] The RAN 104 may include eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c, though it will be appreciated that the RAN 104 may include any number of eNode-Bs while remaining consistent with an embodiment. The eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may each include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c over the air interface 116. In one embodiment, the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may implement MIMO technology. Thus, the eNode-B 160a, for example, may use multiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to, and/or receive wireless signals from, the WTRU 102a. [0050] Each of the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may be associated with a particular cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions, scheduling of users in the uplink (UL) and/or downlink (DL), and the like. As shown in FIG. 1C, the eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may communicate with one another over an X2 interface.

[0051] The CN 106 shown in FIG. 1C may include a mobility management entity (MME) 162, a serving gateway (SGW) 164, and a packet data network (PDN) gateway (or PGW) 166. While each of the foregoing elements are depicted as part of the CN 106, it will be appreciated that any of these elements may be owned and/or operated by an entity other than the CN operator.

[0052] The MME 162 may be connected to each of the eNode-Bs 162a, 162b, 162c in the RAN 104 via an SI interface and may serve as a control node. For example, the MME 162 may be responsible for authenticating users of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, bearer activation/deactivation, selecting a particular serving gateway during an initial attach of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and the like. The MME 162 may provide a control plane function for switching between the RAN 104 and other RANs (not shown) that employ other radio technologies, such as GSM and/or WCDMA.

[0053] The SGW 164 may be connected to each of the eNode Bs 160a, 160b, 160c in the RAN 104 via the S 1 interface. The SGW 164 may generally route and forward user data packets to/from the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c. The SGW 164 may perform other functions, such as anchoring user planes during inter-eNode B handovers, triggering paging when DL data is available for the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, managing and storing contexts of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and the like.

[0054] The SGW 164 may be connected to the PGW 166, which may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to packet-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and IP-enabled devices.

[0055] The CN 106 may facilitate communications with other networks. For example, the CN 106 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to circuit-switched networks, such as the PSTN 108, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and traditional land-line communications devices. For example, the CN 106 may include, or may communicate with, an IP gateway (e.g., an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) server) that serves as an interface between the CN 106 and the PSTN 108. In addition, the CN 106 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to the other networks 112, which may include other wired and/or wireless networks that are owned and/or operated by other service providers. [0056] Although the WTRU is described in FIGS. 1A-1D as a wireless terminal, it is contemplated that in certain representative embodiments that such a terminal may use (e.g., temporarily or permanently) wired communication interfaces with the communication network.

[0057] In representative embodiments, the other network 112 may be a WLAN.

[0058] A WLAN in Infrastructure Basic Service Set (BSS) mode may have an Access Point (AP) for the BSS and one or more stations (STAs) associated with the AP. The AP may have an access or an interface to a Distribution System (DS) or another type of wired/wireless network that carries traffic in to and/or out of the BSS. Traffic to STAs that originates from outside the BSS may arrive through the AP and may be delivered to the STAs. Traffic originating from STAs to destinations outside the BSS may be sent to the AP to be delivered to respective destinations. Traffic between STAs within the BSS may be sent through the AP, for example, where the source STA may send traffic to the AP and the AP may deliver the traffic to the destination STA. The traffic between STAs within a BSS may be considered and/or referred to as peer-to-peer traffic. The peer-to-peer traffic may be sent between (e.g., directly between) the source and destination STAs with a direct link setup (DLS). In certain representative embodiments, the DLS may use an 802. l ie DLS or an 802. llz tunneled DLS (TDLS). A WLAN using an Independent BSS (IBSS) mode may not have an AP, and the STAs (e.g., all of the STAs) within or using the IBSS may communicate directly with each other. The IBSS mode of communication may sometimes be referred to herein as an "ad-hoc" mode of communication.

[0059] When using the 802.1 lac infrastructure mode of operation or a similar mode of operations, the AP may transmit a beacon on a fixed channel, such as a primary channel. The primary channel may be a fixed width (e.g., 20 MHz wide bandwidth) or a dynamically set width via signaling. The primary channel may be the operating channel of the BSS and may be used by the STAs to establish a connection with the AP. In certain representative embodiments, Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) may be implemented, for example in in 802.11 systems. For CSMA/CA, the STAs (e.g., every STA), including the AP, may sense the primary channel. If the primary channel is sensed/detected and/or determined to be busy by a particular STA, the particular STA may back off. One STA (e.g., only one station) may transmit at any given time in a given BSS.

[0060] High Throughput (HT) STAs may use a 40 MHz wide channel for communication, for example, via a combination of the primary 20 MHz channel with an adjacent or nonadj acent 20 MHz channel to form a 40 MHz wide channel. [0061] Very High Throughput (VHT) STAs may support 20MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and/or 160 MHz wide channels. The 40 MHz, and/or 80 MHz, channels may be formed by combining contiguous 20 MHz channels. A 160 MHz channel may be formed by combining 8 contiguous 20 MHz channels, or by combining two non-contiguous 80 MHz channels, which may be referred to as an 80+80 configuration. For the 80+80 configuration, the data, after channel encoding, may be passed through a segment parser that may divide the data into two streams. Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) processing, and time domain processing, may be done on each stream separately. The streams may be mapped on to the two 80 MHz channels, and the data may be transmitted by a transmitting STA. At the receiver of the receiving STA, the above-described operation for the 80+80 configuration may be reversed, and the combined data may be sent to the Medium Access Control (MAC).

[0062] Sub 1 GHz modes of operation are supported by 802.1 laf and 802.1 lah. The channel operating bandwidths, and carriers, are reduced in 802.1 laf and 802.1 lah relative to those used in 802. l ln, and 802.11ac. 802.11af supports 5 MHz, 10 MHz and 20 MHz bandwidths in the TV White Space (TVWS) spectrum, and 802.1 lah supports 1 MHz, 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 8 MHz, and 16 MHz bandwidths using non-TVWS spectrum. According to a representative embodiment, 802.11 ah may support Meter Type Control/Machine-Type Communications, such as MTC devices in a macro coverage area. MTC devices may have certain capabilities, for example, limited capabilities including support for (e.g., only support for) certain and/or limited bandwidths. The MTC devices may include a battery with a battery life above a threshold (e.g., to maintain a very long battery life).

[0063] WLAN systems, which may support multiple channels, and channel bandwidths, such as 802. lln, 802.1 lac, 802.1 laf, and 802.1 lah, include a channel which may be designated as the primary channel. The primary channel may have a bandwidth equal to the largest common operating bandwidth supported by all STAs in the BSS. The bandwidth of the primary channel may be set and/or limited by a STA, from among all STAs in operating in a BSS, which supports the smallest bandwidth operating mode. In the example of 802.11 ah, the primary channel may be 1 MHz wide for STAs (e.g., MTC type devices) that support (e.g., only support) a 1 MHz mode, even if the AP, and other STAs in the BSS support 2 MHz, 4 MHz, 8 MHz, 16 MHz, and/or other channel bandwidth operating modes. Carrier sensing and/or Network Allocation Vector (NAV) settings may depend on the status of the primary channel. If the primary channel is busy, for example, due to a STA (which supports only a 1 MHz operating mode), transmitting to the AP, the entire available frequency bands may be considered busy even though a majority of the frequency bands remains idle and may be available. [0064] In the United States, the available frequency bands, which may be used by 802.1 lah, are from 902 MHz to 928 MHz. In Korea, the available frequency bands are from 917.5 MHz to 923.5 MHz. In Japan, the available frequency bands are from 916.5 MHz to 927.5 MHz. The total bandwidth available for 802.1 lah is 6 MHz to 26 MHz depending on the country code. [0065] FIG. ID is a system diagram illustrating the RAN 113 and the CN 115 according to an embodiment. As noted above, the RAN 113 may employ an NR radio technology to communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c over the air interface 116. The RAN 113 may also be in communication with the CN 115.

[0066] The RAN 113 may include gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c, though it will be appreciated that the RAN 113 may include any number of gNBs while remaining consistent with an embodiment. The gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may each include one or more transceivers for communicating with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c over the air interface 116. In one embodiment, the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may implement MIMO technology. For example, gNBs 180a, 180b may utilize beamforming to transmit signals to and/or receive signals from the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c. Thus, the gNB 180a, for example, may use multiple antennas to transmit wireless signals to, and/or receive wireless signals from, the WTRU 102a. In an embodiment, the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may implement carrier aggregation technology. For example, the gNB 180a may transmit multiple component carriers to the WTRU 102a (not shown). A subset of these component carriers may be on unlicensed spectrum while the remaining component carriers may be on licensed spectrum. In an embodiment, the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may implement Coordinated Multi-Point (CoMP) technology. For example, WTRU 102a may receive coordinated transmissions from gNB 180a and gNB 180b (and/or gNB 180c).

[0067] The WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using transmissions associated with a scalable numerology. For example, the OFDM symbol spacing and/or OFDM subcarrier spacing may vary for different transmissions, different cells, and/or different portions of the wireless transmission spectrum. The WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using subframe or transmission time intervals (TTIs) of various or scalable lengths (e.g., containing varying number of OFDM symbols and/or lasting varying lengths of absolute time).

[0068] The gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may be configured to communicate with the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c in a standalone configuration and/or a non-standalone configuration. In the standalone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c without also accessing other RANs (e.g., such as eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c). In the standalone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may utilize one or more of gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c as a mobility anchor point. In the standalone configuration, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c using signals in an unlicensed band. In a non-standalone configuration WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may communicate with/connect to gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c while also communicating with/connecting to another RAN such as eNode-Bs 160a, 160b, 160c. For example, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may implement DC principles to communicate with one or more gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c and one or more eNode- Bs 160a, 160b, 160c substantially simultaneously. In the non-standalone configuration, eNode- Bs 160a, 160b, 160c may serve as a mobility anchor for WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may provide additional coverage and/or throughput for servicing WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c.

[0069] Each of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may be associated with a particular cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions, scheduling of users in the uplink (UL) and/or downlink (DL), support of network slicing, dual connectivity, interworking between NR and E-UTRA, routing of user plane data towards User Plane Function (UPF) 184a, 184b, routing of control plane information towards Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 182a, 182b and the like. As shown in FIG. ID, the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c may communicate with one another over an Xn interface.

[0070] The CN 115 shown in FIG. ID may include at least one AMF 182a, 182b, at least one UPF 184a, 184b, at least one Session Management Function (SMF) 183a, 183b, and possibly a Data Network (DN) 185a, 185b. While each of the foregoing elements are depicted as part of the CN 115, it will be appreciated that any of these elements may be owned and/or operated by an entity other than the CN operator.

[0071] The AMF 182a, 182b may be connected to one or more of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c in the RAN 113 via an N2 interface and may serve as a control node. For example, the AMF 182a, 182b may be responsible for authenticating users of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, support for network slicing (e.g., handling of different PDU sessions with different requirements), selecting a particular SMF 183a, 183b, management of the registration area, termination of NAS signaling, mobility management, and the like. Network slicing may be used by the AMF 182a, 182b in order to customize CN support for WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c based on the types of services being utilized WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c. For example, different network slices may be established for different use cases such as services relying on ultrareliable low latency (URLLC) access, services relying on enhanced massive mobile broadband (eMBB) access, services for machine type communication (MTC) access, and/or the like. The AMF a82a, 182b may provide a control plane function for switching between the RAN 113 and other RANs (not shown) that employ other radio technologies, such as LTE, LTE-A, LTE- A Pro, and/or non-3GPP access technologies such as Wi-Fi.

[0072] The SMF 183a, 183b may be connected to an AMF 182a, 182b in the CN 115 via an Ni l interface. The SMF 183a, 183b may also be connected to a UPF 184a, 184b in the CN 115 via an N4 interface. The SMF 183a, 183b may select and control the UPF 184a, 184b and configure the routing of traffic through the UPF 184a, 184b. The SMF 183a, 183b may perform other functions, such as managing and allocating UE IP address, managing PDU sessions, controlling policy enforcement and QoS, providing downlink data notifications, and the like. A PDU session type may be IP-based, non-IP based, Ethernet-based, and the like.

[0073] The UPF 184a, 184b may be connected to one or more of the gNBs 180a, 180b, 180c in the RAN 113 via an N3 interface, which may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to packet-switched networks, such as the Internet 110, to facilitate communications between the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and IP-enabled devices. The UPF 184, 184b may perform other functions, such as routing and forwarding packets, enforcing user plane policies, supporting multi-homed PDU sessions, handling user plane QoS, buffering downlink packets, providing mobility anchoring, and the like.

[0074] The CN 115 may facilitate communications with other networks. For example, the CN 115 may include, or may communicate with, an IP gateway (e.g., an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) server) that serves as an interface between the CN 115 and the PSTN 108. In addition, the CN 115 may provide the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c with access to the other networks 112, which may include other wired and/or wireless networks that are owned and/or operated by other service providers. In one embodiment, the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c may be connected to a local Data Network (DN) 185a, 185b through the UPF 184a, 184b via the N3 interface to the UPF 184a, 184b and an N6 interface between the UPF 184a, 184b and the DN 185a, 185b.

[0075] In view of Figs. 1A-1D, and the corresponding description of Figs. 1A-1D, one or more, or all, of the functions described herein with regard to one or more of: WTRU 102a-d, Base Station 114a-b, eNode-B 160a-c, MME 162, SGW 164, PGW 166, gNB 180a-c, AMF 182a-b, UPF 184a-b, SMF 183a-b, DN 185a-b, and/or any other device(s) described herein, may be performed by one or more emulation devices (not shown). The emulation devices may be one or more devices configured to emulate one or more, or all, of the functions described herein. For example, the emulation devices may be used to test other devices and/or to simulate network and/or WTRU functions. [0076] The emulation devices may be designed to implement one or more tests of other devices in a lab environment and/or in an operator network environment. For example, the one or more emulation devices may perform the one or more, or all, functions while being fully or partially implemented and/or deployed as part of a wired and/or wireless communication network in order to test other devices within the communication network. The one or more emulation devices may perform the one or more, or all, functions while being temporarily implemented/deployed as part of a wired and/or wireless communication network. The emulation device may be directly coupled to another device for purposes of testing and/or may performing testing using over-the-air wireless communications.

[0077] The one or more emulation devices may perform the one or more, including all, functions while not being implemented/deployed as part of a wired and/or wireless communication network. For example, the emulation devices may be utilized in a testing scenario in a testing laboratory and/or a non-deployed (e.g., testing) wired and/or wireless communication network in order to implement testing of one or more components. The one or more emulation devices may be test equipment. Direct RF coupling and/or wireless communications via RF circuitry (e.g., which may include one or more antennas) may be used by the emulation devices to transmit and/or receive data.

[0078] Non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) facilitate deployment of wireless networks in areas where land-based antennas are impractical, for example, due to geography or cost. It is envisioned that, coupled with terrestrial networks, NTNs will enable truly ubiquitous coverage of 5G networks. Initial Rel-17 NTN deployments support basic talk and text anywhere in the world; however, it is expected that further releases coupled with proliferation of nextgeneration low-orbit satellites will enable enhanced services such as web browsing.

[0079] A basic NTN consists of an aerial or space-bome platform which, via a gateway (GW), transports signals from a land-based gNB to a WTRU and vice-versa. Current Rel-17 NR NTNs supports a power class 3 WTRU with omnidirectional antenna and linear polarization, or a very small aperture antenna (VS AT) terminal with directive antenna and circular polarization. Support for LTE-based narrow-band loT (NB-IoT) and eMTC type devices are also expected to be standardized in Rel-17, based on recommendations from 3GPP TR 36.736. Regardless of device type, it is assumed all Rel-17 NTN WTRUs are global navigation satellite system (GNSS) capable.

[0080] Aerial or space-bome platforms are classified in terms of orbit, with Rel-17 standardization focusing on low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites with an altitude range of 300 - 1500 km and geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites with altitude at 35,786 km. Other platform classifications, such as medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellites with altitude range 7000 - 25000 km and high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) with altitude of 8 - 50 km, are assumed to be implicitly supported. Satellite platforms are further classified as having a "transparent" or "regenerative" payload. Transparent satellite payloads implement frequency conversion and RF amplification in both uplink and downlink, with multiple transparent satellites possibly connected to one land-based gNB. Regenerative satellite payloads can implement either a full gNB or gNB distributed unit (DU) onboard the satellite. Regenerative satellite payloads may perform digital processing on the signal including demodulation, decoding, re-encoding, remodulation, and/or filtering.

[0081] FIG. 2 is a system diagram illustrating a combined terrestrial and non-terrestrial network (NTN) (collectively "network") that may be used within and/or in connection with the communications system illustrated in FIG. 1 according to various embodiments. Referring to FIG. 2, the network 200 may include an NTN 201, a gNB 204, a gateway (GW) 206 and a WTRU 202. The NTN 201 may include first and second satellites 201a, 201b. The NTN 202 may include more or fewer satellites Radio interfaces defined in an NTN include a feeder link, a service link and an inter-satellite link (ISL). Each feeder link defines a wireless link between the GW 206 and one of the first and second satellites 201a, 201b. A service link defines a radio link between one of the first and second satellites 201a, 201b and the WTRU 202. An ISL defines a transport link between the first and second satellites 201a, 201b and is supported only by regenerative payloads and may be a 3GPP radio or proprietary optical interface.

[0082] Depending on the satellite pay load configuration, different 3 GPP interfaces are used for each radio link. In a transparent payload, the new radio uplink unicast (NR-Uu) radio interface is used for both the service link and feeder link. For a regenerative payload, the NR- Uu interface is used on the service link, and a satellite radio interface (SRI) is used for the feeder link. 3GPP is not currently defined ISLs for Rel-17. A detailed user plane/control plane (UP/CP) protocol stack for each payload configuration can be found in 3GPP TR 38.821 Section 5.1 and 5.2.

[0083] An NTN satellite can support multiple cells, where each cell has one or more satellite beams. Satellite beams cover a footprint on earth (like a terrestrial cell) and can range in diameter from 100 - 1000 km in low earth orbit (LEO) deployments, and 200 - 3500 km diameter in geostationary orbit (GEO) deployments. Beam footprints in GEO deployments remain fixed relative to earth, whereas, in LEO deployments, the area covered by a beam/cell changes over time due to satellite movement relative to the surface of the earth. This movement of the beam coverage can be classified as "earth moving" where the LEO beam moves continuously across the earth, or "earth fixed" where the beam is steered to remain covering a fixed location until a new cell overtakes the coverage area in a discrete and coordinated change. [0084] Due to the altitude of NTN platforms and beam diameter, the round-trip time (RTT) and maximum differential delay is significantly larger than that of terrestrial systems. In a typical transparent NTN deployment, a RTT can range from 25.77 ms (LEO @ 600km altitude) to 541.46 ms (GEO) and maximum differential delay can range from 3.12 ms to 10.3 ms. The RTT of a regenerative payload is approximately half that of a transparent payload, as a transparent configuration comprises both the service and feeder links, whereas the RTT of a regenerative payload comprises the service link only. To minimize impact to existing NR systems (e.g., to avoid preamble ambiguity or time reception windows conflict), prior to initial access a WTRU performs timing pre-compensation.

[0085] The pre-compensation procedure requires the WTRU to obtain its position via GNSS, and to obtain a feeder link (or common) delay and satellite position via satellite ephemeris data. The satellite ephemeris data is periodically broadcast in system information, and includes the satellite speed, direction, and velocity. The WTRU estimates the distance (and thus delay) from the satellite and adds the feeder link delay component to obtain a full RTT between the WTRU and gNB. The full RTT may be used to offset timers, reception windows, or timing relations. It is assumed that frequency compensation is performed by the network.

[0086] Other key enhancements in Rel-17 NTN concern WTRU mobility and measurement reporting. As captured in 3GPP TR 38.821, the difference in reference signal received powers (RSRPs) between cell center and cell edge is not as pronounced as in terrestrial systems. This less pronounced difference, coupled with the much larger region of cell overlap, results in traditional measurement-based mobility becoming less reliable in an NTN environment. 3GPP has therefore introduced new conditional handover and measurement reporting triggers relying on location and time, with details to be confirmed. Enhanced mobility is of special interest in LEO deployments where, due to satellite movement, even a stationary WTRU is expected to perform mobility approximately every 7 seconds (depending on deployment characteristics).

[0087] DRX

[0088] FIG. 3 is a graphical illustration depicting discontinuous reception (DRX) 300. Monitoring for physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmissions is partially governed by the DRX 300, where, when the DRX 300 is configured, a WTRU does not have to continuously monitor for PDCCH transmissions. The DRX 300 may include a repetition of a plurality of cycles, although only one full cycle 302 is shown. The DRX 300 is characterized by the following parameters: (i) on-duration, (ii) inactivity -timer, (iii) retransmission-timer, (iv) cycle, and (v) active-time.

[0089] The on-duration is a duration that the WTRU waits, after waking up, to receive PDCCHs. If a WTRU successfully decodes a PDCCH, the WTRU stays awake and starts the inactivity timer.

[0090] The inactivity-timer is a duration that the WTRU waits to successfully decode a PDCCH, from the last successful decoding of a PDCCH, failing which it can go back to sleep. The WTRU may restart the inactivity timer following a single successful decoding of a PDCCH for a first transmission only (i.e., not for retransmissions).

[0091] The retransmission-timer is a duration until a retransmission can be expected. The cycle specifies the periodic repetition of the on-duration followed by a possible period of inactivity.

[0092] The active-time is a total duration that the WTRU monitors PDCCH. This duration includes the "on-duration" of the DRX cycle, the time WTRU is performing continuous reception while the inactivity timer has not expired, and the time when the WTRU is performing continuous reception while waiting for a retransmission opportunity.

[0093] The serving cells of a MAC entity may be configured by radio resource control (RRC) in two DRX groups with separate DRX parameters, specifically the on-duration and inactivity timer. When two DRX groups have been configured by RRC, each serving cell may be uniquely assigned to either of the DRX groups. When only one DRX group has been configured, all serving cells belong to that DRX group.

[0094] In LTE (including eMTC and NB-IoT) and in NR, the WTRU may use discontinuous reception (DRX) in RRC idle and RRC inactive states in order to reduce power consumption. The WTRU monitors one paging occasion (PO) per DRX cycle. A PO is a set of PDCCH monitoring occasions and may comprise a plurality of time slots (e.g., subframe or OFDM symbol) where paging downlink control information (DCI) can be sent. One paging frame (PF) is one radio frame and may include one or a plurality of POs or a starting point of a PO.

[0095] In multi-beam operation, the WTRU assumes that the same paging message and the same short message are repeated in all transmitted beams, and, thus, the selection of the beam(s) for the reception of the paging message and short message is up to WTRU implementation. The paging message is the same for both RAN initiated paging and CN initiated paging.

[0096] The WTRU initiates RRC connection resume procedure upon receiving RAN initiated paging. If the WTRU receives a CN initiated paging in RRC inactive state, the WTRU moves to RRC idle and informs the NAS. [0097] When SearchSpaceld other than 0 is configured for pagingSearchSpace, the WTRU monitors the (i s + l)th PO. A PO is a set of 'S*X' consecutive PDCCH monitoring occasions, where 'S' is the number of actual transmitted SSBs determined according to ssb- PositionsInBurst in system information block SIB1 and X is the nrofPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionPerSSB-InPO if configured or is equal to 1 otherwise. The x*S+K]th PDCCH monitoring occasion for paging in the PO corresponds to the K^th transmitted SSB, where x=0,l,... ,X-1, K=l,2,... ,S. The PDCCH monitoring occasions for paging which do not overlap with UL symbols (determined according to tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon) are sequentially numbered from zero starting from the first PDCCH monitoring occasion for paging in the PF. When firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is present, the starting PDCCH monitoring occasion number of (i s + l)th PO is the (i s + l)th value of the firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO parameter; otherwise, it is equal to i_s * S*X. If X > 1, when the WTRU detects a PDCCH transmission addressed to P-RNTI within its PO, the WTRU is not required to monitor the subsequent PDCCH monitoring occasions for this PO.

[0098] The following parameters are used for the calculation of PF and i s above:

• T: DRX cycle of the WTRU (T is determined by the shortest of the WTRU specific DRX value(s), if configured by RRC and/or upper layers, and a default DRX value broadcast in system information; in RRC IDLE state, if the WTRU specific DRX is not configured by upper layers, the default value is applied);

• N: number of total paging frames in T;

• Ns: number of paging occasions for a PF;

• PF offset: offset used for PF determination; and

• UE ID: 5G-S-TMSI mod 1024.

[0099] Parameters Ns, nAndPagingFrameOffset, nrofPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionPerSSB- InPO, and the length of default DRX Cycle are signaled in SIB1. The values of N and PF offset are derived from the parameter nAndPagingFrameOffset. The parameter first-PDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO is signaled in SIB1 for paging in initial DL BWP. For paging in a DL BWP other than the initial DL BWP, the parameter flrst-PDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO is signaled in the corresponding BWP configuration.

[0100] If the WTRU has no 5G-S-TMSI, for instance when the WTRU has not yet registered onto the network, the WTRU may use as default identity UE ID = 0 in the PF and i s formulas above. [0101] A WTRU may monitor for or listen to the paging message to know about one or more of incoming calls, system information change, earthquake and tsunami warning service (ETWS) notification for ETWS capable WTRUs, commercial mobile alert system (CMAS) notification and extended access barring parameters modification.

[0102] In RRC idle state, the WTRU monitors short messages transmitted with paging RNTI (P-RNTI) over DCI and monitors a paging channel for CN paging using 5G-S-TMSI. In RRC inactive state, the WTRU monitors short messages transmitted with P-RNTI over DCI and monitors a paging channel for CN paging using 5G-S-TMSI and RAN paging using full-RNTI. In RRC connected state, a WTRU may monitor short messages transmitted with P-RNTI over DCI.

[0103] eDRX

[0104] 3GPP TS 36.304 V17.0.0 (2022-03) at section 7.3 "Paging in extended DRX" states: The UE may be configured by upper layers with an extended DRX (eDRX) cycle T_£DRX. Except for NB-IoT, the UE may operate in extended DRX only if the UE is configured by upper layers and the cell indicates support for eDRX in System Information. For NB- loT, the UE may operate in extended DRX only if the UE is configured by upper layers. If the UE is configured with a T_£DRX cycle of 512 radio frames, it monitors POs as defined in 7.1 with parameter T = 512. Otherwise, a UE configured with eDRX monitors POs as defined in 7.1 (i.e, based on the upper layer configured DRX value and a default DRX value determined in 7.1 or if the UE is in RRC-INACTIVE based on the upper layer configured DRX value, default DRX cycle and RAN paging cycle determined in 7.1), during a periodic Paging Time Window (PTW) configured for the UE or until a paging message including the UE's NAS identity is received for the UE during the PTW, whichever is earlier. The PTW is UE-specific and is determined by a Paging Hyperframe (PH), a starting position within the PH (PTW start) and an ending position (PTW end). PH, PTW start and PTW end are given by the following formulae:

The PH is the H-SFN satisfying the following equation:

H-SFN mod T_£DRX,H= (UE_ID_H mod T_£DRX,H), where

- UE ID H:

- 10 most significant bits of the Hashed ID, if P-RNTI is monitored on

PDCCH or MPDCCH

- 12 most significant bits of the Hashed ID, if P-RNTI is monitored on

NPDCCH - T _eDRx,H : eDRX cycle of the UE in Hyper-frames, (T_£DRX,H =1, 2, ... , 256 Hyper-frames) (for NB-IoT, TCDRX,H =2, ... , 1024 Hyper-frames) and configured by upper layers.

PTW start denotes the first radio frame of the PH that is part of the PTW and has

SFN satisfying the following equation:

SFN = 256* ieDRx, where

- ieDRx = floor(UE_ID_H /TCDRX,H) mod 4

PTW end is the last radio frame of the PTW and has SFN satisfying the following equation:

SFN = (PTW start + L*100 - 1) mod 1024, where

- L = Paging Time Window length (in seconds) configured by upper layers

Hashed ID is defined as follows:

Hashed ID is Frame Check Sequence (FCS) for the bits b31, b30... , bO of S-TMSI or 5G-S-TMSI. 5G-S-TMSI is used for Hashed-ID if the UE supports connection to 5GC and NAS indicated to use 5GC for the selected cell.

S-TMSI = <b39, b38, ... , b0> as defined in TS 23.003 [35] 5G-S-TMSI = <b47, b46, ... , b0> as defined in TS 23.003 [35], The 32-bit FCS shall be the ones complement of the sum (modulo 2) of Y1 and Y2, where

- Y1 is the remainder of x^k (x³¹ + x³⁰ + x²⁹ + x²⁸ + x²⁷ + x²⁶ + x²⁵ + x²⁴ + x²³ + v A22 _| '_ _V21 _| '_ _vA20 _| '_ _vA19 _| '_ _vA18 _| '_ _vA17 i ' _vA16 _i '_ _vA15 i ' _vA14 i ' _vA13 i ' _vA12 i ' _VA11 i ' _vA10 i ¹ _v A9 i ¹ _v A8 + x⁷ + x⁶ + x⁵ + x⁴ + x³ + x² + x¹ + 1) divided (modulo 2) by the generator polynomial x³² + x²⁶ + x²³ + x²² + x¹⁶ + x¹² + x¹¹ + x¹⁰ + x⁸ + x⁷ + x⁵ + x⁴ + x² + x + 1, where k is 32; and

- Y2 is the remainder of Y3 divided (modulo 2) by the generator polynomial x³²

+ X²⁶ + X²³ + X²² + X¹⁶ + X¹² + X¹¹ + X¹⁰ + X⁸ + X⁷ + X⁵ + X⁴ + X² + X + 1, where

Y3 is the product of x³² by "b31, b30... , bO of S-TMSI or 5G-S-TMSI", i.e., Y3 is the generator polynomial x³² (b31*x³¹ + b30*x³⁰ + ... + b0*l).

NOTE: The Y1 is 0xC704DD7B for any S-TMSI or 5G-S-TMSI value. An example of hashed ID calculation is in Annex B.

[0105] In LEO deployments, as a satellite moves overhead, there becomes a transition point where the satellite has moved sufficiently far from the geographic location of the WTRU that it can no longer provide suitable coverage. For earth fixed beam, this loss of coverage may occur simultaneously for all WTRUs within a boundary cell, and for earth-moving beams this loss of coverage happens gradually as the outer boundary of the cell moves along the earth.

[0106] FIGs. 4 and 5 are illustrations depicting a WTRU within an NTN network with continuous coverage at four different times and locations. Referring to FIG. 4, a LEO satellite will complete a full orbit of the earth in approximately 22 minutes (depending on characteristics such as orbit, altitude, speed etc.) and will begin to serve the same geographic area again. In Rel-17 NR NTN, it has been assumed that there will be enough satellites within a given orbit to provide continuous coverage. Continuous coverage is defined in NTN as once the footprint of a satellite can no longer serve a given geographic location, an incoming secondary satellite along the same orbital path will provide service to the geographic location.

[0107] However, referring to FIG. 5, considering that satellites move at very high velocity, a satellite footprint may only provide coverage to an area for a short time. To provide continuous coverage, many satellites must follow the same orbit to ensure continuous coverage. Considering many orbits are necessary to provide global coverage, a typical LEO satellite constellation would require on the order of several thousand satellites to provide continuous global coverage. In early NTN deployments, especially in deeply rural locations (e.g., high arctic or ocean), it is expected that there will be coverage gaps due to the lack of satellites within an orbit.

[0108] There are several downsides to legacy systems for a WTRU within a coverage gap, including a WTRU not being reachable, impacts on power saving, unnecessary declaration of link issues and lack of network synchronization, as further detailed below.

[0109] WTRU not reachable: If a WTRU is within a coverage gap, there is no way for the WTRU to receive network signals, e.g., paging. loT devices in particular are expected to be configured with long DRX cycles on the order of several minutes. If the paging time window (PTW) happens to fall within a coverage gap, then the WTRU will be unreachable for an extended period of time, or in the worst case unreachable indefinitely.

[0110] Power saving impacts: If a WTRU is within a coverage gap there is no way for the WTRU to receive network signals. In this case, procedures such as monitoring for paging, RUM or cell (re)selection would cause needless WTRU power consumption, which is a critical issue especially in the loT-NTN case.

[0111] Unnecessary declaration of link issues: A WTRU within a coverage gap may assume radio link issues even though coverage loss is only temporary. In this case a WTRU may unnecessarily declare beam failure detection (BFD) or radio link failure (RLF) leading to lengthy re-establishment procedures, which may take much longer than a coverage gap duration.

[0112] Lack of network synchronization: If both the network and the WTRU are not aware of both the start and duration of a coverage gap, there may be mis-synchronization between the WTRU and the network. For example, the network may assume that the WTRU can detect that it is back within coverage and attempt to page the WTRU on the new cell, but the WTRU assumes it is still within a coverage gap and is not monitoring paging.

[0113] The time in which these coverage gaps appear can be determined deterministically based on the satellite orbital characteristics. Such information may be leveraged to modify/adapt legacy procedures to accommodate for periodic coverage gaps in NTN, as described herein.

[0114] Overview

[0115] As would be appreciated by a person of skill in the art based on the teachings herein, encompassed within the embodiments described herein, without limitation, are procedures, methods, architectures, apparatuses, systems, devices, and computer program products directed to carrying out DRX in connection with (e.g., before, after, upon, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, etc.) one or more discontinuities of network coverage ("coverage discontinuities").

[0116] Among the procedures, methods, architectures, apparatuses, systems, devices, and computer program products is a first method that that may include any of determining a paging timing window (PTW) start occasion based at least in part on configuration information, and monitoring a paging occasion according to the determined PTW start occasion.

[0117] In various embodiments, monitoring a paging occasion according to the determined PTW start occasion may include receiving and/or decoding one or more transmissions during the paging occasion. As used herein, the term "monitoring" may refer to (or imply) any of receiving and/or decoding.

[0118] In various embodiments, the method may include reporting the determined PTW start occasion to a network, e.g., prior to monitoring the paging occasion. As used herein, the term "reporting" (and/or the terms "may report") may refer to performing (and/or may perform) one or more transmissions including, and/or including information indicating, the subject(s) of the reporting.

[0119] In various embodiments, the WTRU may be configured with a plurality of alternative PTW start occasions and associated indices, and the method may include any of determining a start and a duration of a discontinuity of network coverage (sometimes referred to herein as "coverage discontinuity") and selecting one of the plurality of alternative PTW start occasions. As used herein, the terms "discontinuity of network coverage" may be interchangeably referred to as "coverage discontinuity", "discontinuous coverage", "discontinuity of coverage", and/or the like, and any of which may refer to a coverage gap.

[0120] In various embodiments, reporting the determined PTW start occasion may include reporting the selected one of the plurality of alternative PTW start occasions. In various embodiments, monitoring the paging occasion may include applying the selected one of the plurality of alternative PTW start occasions. Alternatively, the method may include applying the selected one of the plurality of alternative PTW start occasions separate from, and/or in connection with, monitoring the paging occasion, such as, e.g., after, upon, when, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, etc., monitoring the paging occasion.

[0121] In various embodiments, determining the start and the duration of the coverage discontinuity may include any of receiving an explicit indication of the coverage discontinuity via and/or in system information and/or RRC transmissions, determining the coverage discontinuity (e.g., implicitly) based on assistance information (e.g., broadcast in one or more system information transmissions and/or transmitted in one or more RRC transmissions), and calculating the coverage discontinuity based on location information.

[0122] In various embodiments, the explicit indication may include a start time of the coverage discontinuity, for example. In various embodiments, the assistance information may include various information, conditions, criteria, parameters, etc., associated with the coverage discontinuity. For example, the assistance information may include any of cell stop time and a neighboring cell start time. In various embodiments, the location information may include information indicating a distance between the WTRU and cell centers of serving and neighboring cells plus diameters of cell coverage thereof.

[0123] In various embodiments, selecting one of the plurality of alternative PTW start occasions may include any of receiving an explicit indication of an index by the network and adapting a PTW based on one or more rules (e.g., one or more configured rules). In various embodiments, adapting the PTW based on the rules may include at least one of (i) selecting a PTW start occasion for which a last paging occasion within its corresponding PTW ends before a start of the coverage discontinuity; and (ii) selecting a PTW start occasion for which a first paging occasion within its corresponding PTW starts after the discontinuous coverage.

[0124] In various embodiments, the WTRU may be configured with an offset value (e.g., dynamically, semi-statically, periodically, etc. via and/or by one or more network elements), and the method may include determining a start and a duration of the coverage discontinuity of, and/or determining that an upcoming PTW falls within a coverage gap. In various embodiments, determining the PTW start occasion may include applying the offset to the PTW. In various embodiments, reporting the determined PTW start occasion to the network may include confirming application of the offset to the PTW.

[0125] In various embodiments, the offset value may be at least one of (i) configured to be applied based one or more reference points (e.g., one or more (pre)determined reference points), (ii) dedicated and at least one of provided by one or more RRC transmissions (e.g., signaling transmissions), (iii) indicated in one or more system information transmissions, and (iv) a timer (e.g., an elapsed amount of time). In various embodiments, the reference points may include any of a start of the coverage gap, an end of the coverage gap, a start of a default PTW, and an end of the default PTW.

[0126] In various embodiments, determining the start and the duration of the coverage discontinuity may include any of (i) receiving an explicit indication of the coverage discontinuity in system information (and/or RRC) transmissions, (ii) determining the coverage discontinuity (e.g., implicitly) based on assistance information (e.g., broadcast in one or more system information transmissions and/or transmitted in one or more RRC transmissions); and calculating the coverage discontinuity based on location information.

[0127] In various embodiments, the explicit indication may include a start time of the discontinuous coverage. In various embodiments, the assistance information may include a cell stop time and a neighboring cell start time. In various embodiments, the location information may include information indicating a distance between the WTRU and cell centers of serving and neighboring cells plus diameters of cell coverage thereof.

[0128] In various embodiments, the WTRU may be configured with a first DRX cycle having a first periodicity, and another WTRU is configured with another DRX cycle having a second periodicity different from the first periodicity. In various embodiments, the method may include any of monitoring for an indication that at least one of a next PTW or PO falls within a coverage gap, and determining that a DRX cycle length is greater than the coverage gap.

[0129] In various embodiments, determining the PTW start occasion may include modifying the PTW such that it occurs before and after the coverage gap. In various embodiments, the modification occurring in response to the determination that the DRX cycle length is greater than the coverage gap, wherein reporting the determined PTW start occasion to the network includes signaling to the network a confirmation that the WTRU has modified the PTW. [0130] In various embodiments, the method may include determining that another DRX cycle length is less than another coverage gap, and skipping one or more PTW occasions in response to the determination that the DRX cycle length is less than the coverage gap.

[0131] In various embodiments, monitoring the paging occasion according to the determined PTW start occasion may include any of applying a the determined PTW start occasion only once to compensate for discontinuous coverage; and updating a default PTW according to the determined PTW start occasion.

[0132] In various embodiments, the method may include determining at least one of a paging hyperframe (PH) and a paging occasion (PO) based, at least in part, on any of an identifier of the WTRU (e.g., a UE ID), a hyperframe system frame number (HSFN), and a (re)mapping function. In various embodiments, determining at least one of a PH and a PO based, at least in part, on any of an identifier of the WTRU, a HSFN, and a (re)mapping function, whereby, for example, the at least one of the PH or the PO occurs while there is coverage.

[0133] In various embodiments, the determination of the at least one of the PH or the PO may ensure that the WTRUs are distributed evenly within an in-coverage time.

[0134] In various embodiments, the method may include employing a (re)mapping function to (re)map one or more paging PHs.

[0135] Among the procedures, methods, architectures, apparatuses, systems, devices, and computer program products is a second method that that may include any of: determining a paging occasion in a DRX cycle based on a first time period associated with a partial overlap of (i) a second time period of the DRX cycle with (ii) a third time period corresponding to a discontinuity in network coverage between first and second cells, In various embodiments, the first and second cell may be two of a plurality of cells of an NTN, for instance, In various embodiments, the first time period may be offset (in time) from a point in time of the third time period.

[0136] In various embodiments, the method may include receiving one or more transmissions during the paging occasion. In various embodiments, the method may (e.g., may optionally) reporting the discontinuity in network coverage between first and second cells and/or the first time period to a network.

[0137] In various embodiments, the method may include any of receiving assistance information for the plurality of cells; and determining the third time period based on the assistance information.

[0138] In various embodiments, the assistance information may include any of (i) information indicating that a next paging occasion is to occur during the discontinuity in network coverage, and (ii) information indicating a preconfigured configuration for determining the paging occasion.

[0139] In various embodiments, the method may include determining no paging occasions occurred in an earlier DRX cycle based on the earlier DRX cycle occurring during the discontinuity in network coverage.

[0140] In various embodiments, the method may include determining the paging occasion at least in part based on configuration information for the second cell, and/or the WTRU may receive the configuration information from the first cell.

[0141] Among the procedures, methods, architectures, apparatuses, systems, devices, and computer program products is a second method that that may include any of: determining a paging occasion in a DRX cycle based on a first time period associated with a partial overlap of (i) a second time period of the DRX cycle with (ii) a third time period corresponding to a discontinuity in network coverage between first and second cells; and receiving one or more transmissions during the paging occasion. In various embodiments, the first and second cell may be two of a plurality of cells of an NTN, for instance. In various embodiments, the first time period may be offset (in time) from a point in time of the third time period.

[0142] In various embodiments, the second method may (e.g., may optionally) include reporting the discontinuity in network coverage between first and second cells and/or the first time period to a network.

[0143] In various embodiments, the method may include any of receiving assistance information for the plurality of cells; and determining the third time period based on the assistance information. In various embodiments, the assistance information may include any of (i) information indicating that a next paging occasion is to occur during the discontinuity in network coverage, and (ii) information indicating a preconfigured configuration for determining the paging occasion. In various embodiments, the method may include determining no paging occasions occurred in an earlier DRX cycle based on the earlier DRX cycle occurring during the discontinuity in network coverage.

[0144] In various embodiments, the method may include any of determining the paging occasion at least in part based on configuration information for the second cell, and receiving the configuration information from the first cell.

[0145] In various embodiments, the first time period may be based on a ratio (and/or another function) of (i) one or more first paging occasions that would occur during the first time period but for the discontinuity in network coverage and (ii) one or more second paging occasions occurring during the DRX cycle, In various embodiments, the third time period may be based on the one or more first paging occasions.

[0146] Among the procedures, methods, architectures, apparatuses, systems, devices, and computer program products is a third method that that may include any of: determining a paging occasion during a first active time period of a cycle of a discontinuous reception based on any of (i) a first set of paging occasions to occur during the cycle; and (ii) a second set of paging occasions that would occur during the cycle but for a discontinuity in network coverage; and receiving one or more transmissions during the paging occasion.

[0147] In various embodiments, the second set of paging occasions, for example, may be one or more paging occasions that would occur during a first time period corresponding to an overlap of (a) at least a portion of a second time period of the cycle with (b) a third time period corresponding to a discontinuity in network coverage. In various embodiments, the first active time period may be an alternative to a second active time period of the cycle.

[0148] In various embodiments, the method may (e.g., may optionally) include reporting the discontinuity in network coverage between first and second cells and/or the first time period to a network.

[0149] Among the procedures, methods, architectures, apparatuses, systems, devices, and computer program products is a fourth method that that may include any of: determining a paging occasion during a first active time period of a first cycle of a discontinuous reception based on (at least) a start time of a discontinuity in network coverage occurring during an upcoming cycle of the discontinuous reception; and receiving one or more transmissions during the paging occasion.

[0150] In various embodiments, the first active time period may occur (i) after a second active time period of the cycle and before the upcoming cycle or (ii) after an end time of the discontinuity in network coverage and before a second cycle of the discontinuous reception following the end time of the discontinuity in network coverage. In various embodiments, the end time of the discontinuity in network coverage may occur during the upcoming cycle.

[0151] In various embodiments, the method may (e.g., may optionally) include reporting the discontinuity in network coverage between first and second cells and/or the first time period to a network.

[0152] Reference to non-terrestrial networks has been used throughout this disclosure, however such solutions may be applicable to any scenario with discontinuous or noncontiguous coverage. The terms "discontinuous coverage" and "coverage gap" may be used interchangeably to indicate a temporary lack of coverage as experienced by the WTRU. [0153] Representative Methods/Procedures for Detection/Declaration of Discontinuous Coverage

[0154] Methods and/or procedures for detection and/or declaration of discontinuous coverage may be carried out, used, defined, configured and/or determined. Disclosed herein supra and/or infra are various methods for determining characteristics and/or information regarding a coverage gap. Such characteristics may be, for example: the start time of the coverage gap; duration of the coverage gap; upcoming cell information; periodicity of discontinuous coverage; etc. The WTRU may use one or more of the exemplary solutions disclosed herein supra and/or infra to determine and/or in connection with determining a coverage gap.

[0155] In various embodiments, the WTRU may monitor for a network indication regarding characteristics of discontinuous coverage. In one example, monitoring for the network indication may mean the WTRU performing updates based on one or more system information transmissions and/or information elements carried by the system information transmissions. In another example, monitoring for the network indication may mean the WTRU performs RACH. In another example, the WTRU may enter DRX OnDuration and start monitoring PDCCH to receive updated information regarding discontinuous coverage.

[0156] In one solution, the WTRU may trigger monitoring for the network indication regarding discontinuous coverage via one or more of the following methods.

[0157] The WTRU may monitor for characteristics of discontinuous coverage upon cell (re)selection;

[0158] The WTRU may monitor for characteristics of discontinuous coverage based on current camped cell measurements. For example, the WTRU may monitor for a discontinuous coverage indication if serving cell measurements fall below a configured threshold.

[0159] The WTRU may monitor for discontinuous coverage information if it cannot detect a neighboring cell, or if signal strength (e.g., RSRP) and/or RS SI etc. of one or more neighboring cells fall below a configured threshold.

[0160] The WTRU may monitor for discontinuous coverage information upon an expiry condition regarding the validity of currently stored discontinuous coverage information. For example, upon (or after) receiving information regarding discontinuous coverage, the WTRU may start or restart a timer; upon expiry of the timer, the WTRU may start to monitor for the network indication.

[0161] The WTRU may monitor for discontinuous coverage information based on the distance between itself and the current serving satellite. For example, the WTRU may determine that the distance between itself and the current serving satellite has exceeded a pre-configured threshold.

[0162] In various embodiments, information regarding time and/or distance thresholds, durations of validity for discontinuous coverage information, and/or information related to when and how the WTRU is to start monitoring for discontinuous coverage information may be provided in system information.

[0163] In various embodiments, such information may be included in RRC Release message or RRCRelease with suspend config message upon WTRU transition to IDLE and/or Inactive mode.

[0164] The WTRU may receive the signaling for example, via, based on, and/or using one or more of the following methods.

[0165] The WTRU may request characteristics of discontinuous coverage (e.g., via an SR or RACH procedure). Such characteristics may be provided via unicast signaling (e.g., one or more RRC transmissions).

[0166] The network may indicate to the WTRU an expected time and duration of the coverage gap. This may be carried out in an optimized manner by providing partial information as described in examples set forth herein supra and infra, including examples discloses under the heading "Representative DRX in connection with Discontinuous Coverage" below.

[0167] Information regarding discontinuous coverage may be at least partially broadcast in system information (SI) (e.g., as part of satellite ephemeris data).

[0168] Dynamic information may be provided on a per-subframe basis as part of DCI in PDCCH, as part of a Wake-Up Signal (WUS) or Paging Early Indication (PEI), as part of a paging message in PDSCH.

[0169] Following the update to the PTW in use, the network may page the WTRU in one or more of the paging occasions within the PTW, and the WTRU may respond by initiating a random-access procedure.

[0170] Detection of discontinuous coverage via and/or based on assistance information may be carried out, used, defined, configured and/or determined. In various embodiments, the WTRU may request and/or monitor for and/or acquire assistance information to assist in determining a coverage gap. The assistance information may be or include, for example, one or more criteria, conditions, parameters factors and/or other information, such as (i) geographic based information regarding any of a current satellite, a current cell, a current beam, a neighboring satellite, a neighboring cell and a neighboring beam and/or (ii) time based information regarding any of a current satellite, a current cell, a current beam, a neighboring satellite, a neighboring cell and a neighboring beam.

[0171] The geographic based information may be or include, for example, any of (i) ephemeris from a current satellite, (ii) ephemeris from a neighboring satellite, (iii) a coverage footprint of a current satellite, (iv) a coverage footprint of a neighboring satellite, (v) beam coordinates for a current beam of a current cell, (vi) beam coordinates for a neighboring beam of a current cell, (vii) beam coordinates for a beam of a neighboring cell, (viii) beam coordinates for a neighboring beam of a neighboring cell, (ix) cell center coordinates for a current cell of a current satellite, (x) cell center coordinates for a neighboring cell of a current satellite, (xi) cell center coordinates for a cell of a neighboring satellite, (xii) cell center coordinates for a neighboring cell of a neighboring satellite, (xiii) a beam diameter for a current beam of a current cell, (xiv) a beam diameter for a neighboring beam of a current cell, (xv) a beam diameter for a beam of a neighboring cell, (xvi) a beam diameter for a neighboring beam of a neighboring cell, (xvii) a cell center diameter for a current cell of a current satellite, (xviii) a cell center diameter for a neighboring cell of a current satellite, (xix) a cell center diameter for a cell of a neighboring satellite and (xc) a cell center diameter for a neighboring cell of a neighboring satellite. The ephemeris from a current satellite may include information indicating any of a location, a speed, a direction and an altitude of the current satellite. The ephemeris from a neighboring satellite may include information indicating any of a location, a speed, a direction and an altitude of the neighboring satellite. The coverage footprint of a current satellite may include information indicating a diameter of the coverage footprint of the current satellite. The coverage footprint of a neighboring satellite may include information indicating a diameter of the coverage footprint of the neighboring satellite.

[0172] The time based information may be or include, for example, any of (i) a time at which a current cell (e.g., a current serving cell) stops providing coverage and (ii) a time at which a neighboring cell (e.g., a not currently serving cell) starts providing coverage.

[0173] In various embodiments, a WTRU may update a timing reference for a paging DRX cycle based on the coverage gap detection. In various embodiments, a WTRU may indicate the updated timing reference to the network.

[0174] In various embodiments, a WTRU may be configured to support either a time-based method of discontinuous coverage detection or a geographic/location-based method of discontinuous coverage detection. In various embodiments, a WTRU may acquire assistance information pertaining to a method of discontinuous coverage detection the WTRU is configured to support. In various embodiments, a WTRU might not acquire assistance information pertaining to a method of discontinuous coverage detection the WTRU is not configured to support. In various embodiments, a WTRU may acquire the assistance information pertaining to a method of discontinuous coverage detection the WTRU is configured to support and to a method of discontinuous coverage detection the WTRU is not configured to support. In various embodiments, a WTRU may acquire only the assistance information pertaining to the method of discontinuous coverage detection the WTRU is configured to support.

[0175] In various embodiments, a WTRU may select which assistance information to obtain for discontinuous coverage detection based on its capability or device type. For example, a power limited NB-IoT device may acquire only assistance information for a time-based discontinuous-coverage detection method (e.g., to minimize power consumption).

[0176] In various embodiments, a WTRU may select which assistance information to acquire based on the current validity of its GNSS and/or other information regarding WTRU location. For example, if WTRU GNSS positioning information is out of date, the WTRU may obtain time-based assistance information.

[0177] In various embodiments, a WTRU may detect that it is about to enter discontinuous coverage and or detect characteristics about the coverage gap based on one or more distancebased calculations. For example, the WTRU may derive characteristics of a coverage gap based on one or a combination of the following exemplary distance calculations (i) a distance between the WTRU and a current satellite; (ii) a distance between the WTRU and a neighboring satellite; (iii) a distance between the WTRU and a serving (or camped) cell/beam center; (iv) a distance between the WTRU and a neighboring (or upcoming/receding) cell/beam center; (vii) a distance between a WTRU and a serving (or camped) cell/beam edge; (viii) a distance between a WTRU and neighboring (or upcoming/receding) cell/beam edge; (ix) a distance between a WTRU and serving satellite footprint; (x) a distance between a WTRU and neighbouring (or upcoming/receding) satellite footprint; (xi) a distance between a serving (or camped cell/beam center) and neighboring (or upcoming or receding) cell/beam center; (xii) a distance between a serving (or camped cell/beam center) and neighboring (or upcoming or receding) satellite footprint; and/or (xiii) a distance between a serving (or camped cell/beam center) and neighboring (or upcoming or receding) satellite location.

[0178] In various embodiments, the WTRU may be provided an absolute threshold, where, if the distance of one of the above falls below (or alternatively exceeds) the threshold, the WTRU will assume it is in a coverage gap. In various embodiments, the WTRU may combine several distance calculations. [0179] In various embodiments, the satisfaction of a distance-based criteria (i.e., exceeding or falling below a threshold) may trigger the WTRU to request or start monitoring for network indication of coverage gap/discontinuous coverage.

[0180] In various embodiments, the satisfaction of a distance-based criteria (i.e., exceeding or falling below a threshold) may trigger the WTRU to acquire additional assistance information for coverage gap detection (e.g., by performing an SI update procedure).

[0181] In various embodiments, the WTRU may combine one or more distance-metrics with information (e.g., timing information and/or radio link measurements) to determine that it is in discontinuous coverage.

[0182] RSRP-based detection of discontinuous coverage may be carried out, used, defined, configured and/or determined. In various embodiments, a WTRU may declare it is in discontinuous coverage based on radio link measurements. For example, the WTRU may determine it is in a coverage gap based on one or more of the following events:

[0183] If the measured RSRP of a current serving (or camped) cell falls below a configured threshold (e.g., Qrxlevmin);

[0184] If the measured RSRP of a current serving (or camped) cell falls below a configured threshold X times (such measurements may be consecutive, or within a given duration (e.g., while a timer is running), if X measurements fall below a threshold then discontinuous coverage is declared).

[0185] If the measured RSRP of a neighbouring (or upcoming/receding) cell falls below a configured threshold;

[0186] If the measured RSRP of a number X or more neighbouring (or upcoming/receding) cells falls below a configured threshold; and/or

[0187] After N out-of-sync indications are received from PHY, as per the RLF procedure.

[0188] Representative DRX in connection with Discontinuous Coverage

[0189] PTW reference time update based on PDCCH detection may be carried out, used, defined, configured and/or determined. Referring to FIG. 6, a WTRU may update PTW reference timing upon PDCCH detection after a coverage gap as follows.

[0190] The network may page the WTRU within a first PO(s) after a coverage gap (e.g., to indicate to the WTRU to move a timing reference signal). A paging signal may be modified/ enhanced to explicitly indicate to the WTRU to update PTW reference time (e.g., as part of the DCI scheduling paging or as part of the paging message carried on PDSCH). The WTRU may respond to the paging message to inform the network that the reference has been updated. The WTRU may determine a coverage gap (e.g., based on lack of RSS or out-of- sync), and may shift reference time autonomously upon detection of PDCCH at the end of a coverage gap and/or The WTRU may report the updated PTW reference time to the network (e.g., using a preamble, msg3, etc.).

[0191] Referring to FIG. 7, upon detection/indication of PTW, a WTRU may apply an offset to the PTW as follows:

[0192] A WTRU is configured with an offset value:

[0193] The offset may be configured to be applied based on several possible reference points (e.g., start/end of coverage gap, start/end of default PTW);

[0194] The offset may alternatively be a timer;

[0195] The offset may apply to a predetermined point of reference (e.g., start of discontinuous coverage, end of discontinuous coverage, or old start timer of PTW);

[0196] The offset may be provided in SI to the WTRU in a dedicated manner (e.g., via RRC parameter in DRX config);

[0197] The offset may be provided as part of DCI or other information in PDCCH, or may be provided as part of a paging message in PDSCH; for example, the offset to be applied to the next PTW may be provided in the current or a previous PTW; this offset may be provided per DRX cycle such that WTRUs configured with different DRX cycles in a cell, with paging occasions occurring in the same subframe(s), may be updated in the same paging occasion;

[0198] The offset may be a time offset and signalled using a number of paging frames or paging cycles; and/or

[0199] The offset may further be randomized based on, for example, UE-ID or another pseudo-random number, such that multiple WTRUs detecting a coverage gap at the same paging occasion are spread over multiple alternative paging occasions.

• A WTRU may determine the start and duration of discontinuous coverage as follows: [0200] Discontinuous coverage may be explicitly indicated in SI (e.g., start UTC 10:00 + 90s);

[0201] Implicitly determined via cell stop time and neighboring cell start time (broadcast in SI); and/or

[0202] Calculated via location information (e.g., distance between WTRU and serving/neighbouring cell center + diameter of cell coverage).

[0203] A WTRU may determine if an upcoming PTW falls within a coverage gap. If yes, the WTRU may apply the offset to the PTW; [0204] A WTRU may apply an alternative PTW occasion only once to compensate for discontinuous coverage, or update a default PTW;

[0205] A WTRU may update a configured offset based on location information determined at the WTRU;

[0206] A WTRU may confirm it has applied the offset via signaling to the network; and/or

[0207] Following the update to the PTW in use, the network may page the WTRU in one or more of the paging occasions within the PTW, and the WTRU may respond by initiating a random-access procedure.

[0208] Selection of alternative PTW occasion (e.g., based on index value) may be carried out, used, defined, configured and/or determined. Referring to FIG. 8, a WTRU may be provided with multiple PTW start durations associated with an index as follows:

[0209] The network may explicitly select between multiple configurations via selection of an index (e.g., as part of DCI or other information in PDCCH, or may be provided as part of a paging message in PDSCH); multiple indices associated with configurations corresponding to different DRX cycle configurations may be provided;

[0210] A rule associated with index selection if aware of discontinuous coverage (e.g., the WTRU may always select the index where PTW completed prior to declaration of discontinuous coverage, alternatively the WTRU may select an index after discontinuous coverage);

[0211] The index may refer to multiple alternative paging occasions, which the WTRU selects amongst based on its UE-ID or another pseudo-random number, such that multiple WTRUs detecting a coverage gap at the same paging occasion are spread over multiple alternative paging occasions;

[0212] A WTRU may determine the start and duration of discontinuous coverage as follows:

[0213] Discontinuous coverage may be explicitly indicated in SI (e.g., start UTC 10:00 + 90s);

[0214] Implicitly determined via assistance information broadcast in SI cell stop time and neighbouring cell start time; and/or

[0215] Calculated via location information (e.g., distance between WTRU and serving/neighbouring cell center + diameter of cell coverage);

[0216] A WTRU may select between multiple alternative PTW start occasions as follows: [0217] May be explicitly indicated by the network via selection of an index;

[0218] The WTRU may be configured with rules to adapt a PTW as follows:

[0219]May select a PTW where the last PO ends before the start of discontinuous coverage; and/or

[0220]May select a PTW where the first PO within the PTW starts after discontinuous coverage;

[0221] A WTRU may report a selected PTW start occasion index for synchronization with the network;

[0222] A WTRU may apply an alternative PTW occasion only once to compensate for discontinuous coverage, or update a default PTW; and/or

[0223] Following the update to the PTW in use, the network may page the WTRU in one or more of the paging occasions within the PTW, and the WTRU may respond by initiating a random-access procedure.

[0224] Cycle duration-based shift of PTW occasion may be carried out, used, defined, configured and/or determined. Referring to FIG. 9, a WTRU may implement duration-based shift of a PTW occasion as follows:

[0225] A WTRU may be configured with a DRX cycle;

[0226] A WTRU may monitor for a network indication that a next PTW/PO falls within a coverage gap (e.g., as part of DCI or other information in PDCCH, or may be provided as part of a paging message in PDSCH);

[0227] A WTRU may do the following as a function of DRX cycle length:

[0228] If DRX cycle length is less than a coverage gap, the WTRU may skip one or more PTW occasions;

[0229] If the DRX cycle length is greater than the coverage gap, the WTRU may modify a start of the PTW such that it occurs before and after the coverage gap:

[0230] A WTRU may apply an alternative PTW occasion only once to compensate for discontinuous coverage, or update a default PTW (e.g., using an alternative PTW configuration or offset which may be absolute or determined relative to the DRX cycle length); and/or

[0231] The WTRU may further select amongst multiple alternative paging occasions, based on its UE-ID or another pseudo random number, such that multiple WTRUs detecting a coverage gap at the same paging occasion are spread over multiple alternative paging occasions;

[0232] A WTRU may confirm it has modified PTW via signaling to the network; [0233] Multiple WTRUs in a cell may be configured with different DRX cycles as follows:

[0234] The network may indicate per DRX cycle whether the next PTW falls within a coverage gap; and/or

[0235] Following the update to the PTW in use, the network may page the WTRU in one or more of the paging occasions within the PTW, and the WTRU may respond by initiating a random-access procedure.

[0236] Mapping and/or remapping (("re)mapping") of radio frames having one or more POs (e.g., PHs) may be carried out, used, defined, configured and/or determined. In some implementations, WTRUs may be redistributed among PHs that fall inside periods of cell coverage. In one alternative, only WTRUs that determine that their PTWs occur during a period of no coverage, and in another alternative, all WTRUs in a cell may (re)map their PTWs according to when there is coverage, advantageously spreading the paging load evenly throughout the time when there is network coverage.

[0237] A WTRU and/or network elements may (e.g., may have to) determine when the coverage gaps occur. This determination may be accomplished according to any of the methods disclosed herein supra and/or infra, including the disclosures under the heading "Representative Methods/Procedures for detection/declaration of discontinuous coverage." The techniques may be summarized with 2 general approaches. The first approach is that the network determines when the coverage gap occurs and explicitly informs the WTRU. The first approach may be more suitable, for example, when an NTN deployment uses earth-fixed cells such that the network knows the discrete times at which a satellite/ cell is able to provide coverage in a certain location. The second approach is that the WTRU estimates when the coverage gap will occur based on assistance information from the network. For example, if the network provides in system information, some indication of the current and neighbor cell ephemeris information (e.g., including the cell center co-ordinates and diameter, the satellite velocity, and direction) may be provided. For PTW/PH/PO (re)mapping, it may prove advantageous if both the network and the WTRU perform the (re)mapping according to the same information, such that the network may page the WTRU at the correct times according to when the WTRU is monitoring for paging. As such, for the second approach, the WTRU must report the estimated coverage gap to the network. This may, for example, be performed at the same time and/or using the same signaling messages as used for requesting extended DRX. The network may confirm and may provide additional information (e.g., a hyper system frame number (HSFN) range to be used in a (re)mapping calculation, which may have been based on the WTRU report of estimated coverage gaps). The network may provide the confirmation and/or additional information along with the eDRX configuration.

[0238] The re-mapping may be accomplished in many different ways.

[0239] In summary, the PHs or paging window calculation disclosed herein under the heading "eDRX" may be modified such that only the hyper system frame numbers (H-SFNs) (or SFNs or POs) that occur when there is network coverage are determined to be used by WTRUs in the calculation determining the PH/PTW (or PF or PO), and all of the WTRUs may be evenly distributed amongst the usable H-SFNs using a modulo of the UE-ID (the UE-ID provides a way to evenly distribute as this is a pseudo-random number assigned to the WTRU). Some examples follow.

[0240] In one example, the WTRU may determine, based on its eDRX cycle (T_eDRx,n), whether there is both coverage and coverage gap(s) during the current eDRX cycle. If so, then the WTRU may apply the (re)mapping. The result is that the WTRU may use original paging calculations (PH, PTW, PF, PO) in case there is continuous coverage throughout the current eDRX cycle. The WTRU may skip the PTW altogether if there is no coverage throughout the current eDRX cycle. And the WTRU may modify it's paging calculation if there is both coverage and coverage gap(s) such that WTRUs with the same eDRX cycle are spread evenly in the paging occasions occurring during coverage in the current eDRX cycle.

[0241] The (re)mapping may include determining the range of H-SFNs used through the current eDRX cycle, determining which of those H-SFNs occur when there is coverage and/or no coverage, and re-numbering the H-SFNs in order to perform a modulo function that spreads the WTRUs among the renumbered H-SFNs within that paging cycle. For example, if the current eDRX cycle uses H-SFNs 256-511, and the first 100 (256-355) are out of coverage, then the usable H-SFNs (356-5 ll)_may be renumbered as 0-411.

[0242] The PH any given WTRU may then use within this current eDRX cycle may be given by:

H-SFN-(re)mapped mod N = (UE ID H mod N). where N in this example is the number of remaining usable H-SFNs in that eDRX cycle (in the given example, N is 412). This technique evenly distributes (in a pseudo-random manner) all of the WTRUs within the usable H-SFNs based on their UE-ID.

[0243] Referring to Fig. 10, a simpler example is illustrated in which the coverage gap is towards the end of the eDRX cycle. Only the first N H-SFNs within the eDRX cycle are in coverage; therefore, in this example the (re)mapping numbers the H-SFNs within the eDRX cycle from 0..N-1 and the same function as above is applied. The example in FIG. 10 shows N=7, but N could be any value up to T_£DRX,H. Alternatively the H-SFNs are not renumbered but are used directly in the same function as mentioned above to calculate the PH. For example:

H-SFN-(re)mapped mod N = (UE ID H mod N).

[0244] In an alternative example, and similar to the one explained above for eDRX cycle, the WTRU may determine, based on the entire range of H-SFNs (0-1023), which of those H-SFNs occur while there is coverage. This range may be explicitly signaled by the network, for example, based on the WTRU report of estimated coverage gap or the network estimate of coverage gap. Alternatively, it may be calculated by the WTRU based on coverage gap assistance information. Similar to the first example, the H-SFNs may be re-numbered such that only those occurring during coverage are assigned a number, then the WTRU may apply a modulo function to determine the H-SFN to use. For example, if it is determined that H-SFNs 0-99 are without coverage, then the (re)mapping may renumber H-SFNs 100 - 1023 to be numbered as 0-923.

[0245] In order to make this usable in the PH calculation, the (re)mapping may be applied to the UE-ID such that a UE ID_H-(re)mapped is calculated. By (re)numbering the usable H- SFNs, then the following calculation may be applied:

UE ID H MOD N = UE_ID_H-(re)mapped.

[0246] This (re)mapping ensures that the UE_ID_H-(re)mapped will fall into the range 0..N- 1 of H-SFN-(re)mapped. The actual PH may be calculated in a similar manner as it is today. For example, the PH may be the H-SFN satisfying the following equation:

H-SFN-(re)mapped mod T_eDRx,H= (UE ID H-(re)mapped mod T_eDRx,n).

[0247] In order to determine the actual H-SFN according to the (re)mapping, a reverse (re)mapping may apply. In case the coverage gap falls (occurs) at the end of the range (e.g., 900-1023) the actual H-SFN in use may be identical to the H-SFN-(re)mapped. In case the coverage gap falls (occurs) at the start of the range, then an offset may be applied. For example, if 0-99 are not usable, then H-SFN = H-SFN-(re)mapped + 100. If the gap falls (occurs) in a middle of the range, then reversing the (re)mapping depends on whether the H-SFN falls before or after the gap. For example, in case 100-199 are not usable then the following may apply:

If H-SFN-(re)mapped <100

H-SFN = HSFN-(re)mapped.

Else if H-SFN-(re)mapped >=100

H-SFN = HSFN-(re)mapped + 200. [0248] Similarly, the H-SFN used for PH may be calculated in a single step, using the (re)mapped UE-ID (UE ID H MOD N).

[0249] Consider the following parameters:

G_start = the H-SFN corresponding to the start of the gap;

G end = the H-SFN corresponding to the end of the gap; and

N = the number of usable (in coverage) H-SFN. N = G_start + (1023 - G_end), then the H-SFN may be determined according to:

The PH may be the H-SFN satisfying the following equation:

If H-SFN < G start

H-SFN mod T_eDRx,n = (UE_ID_H mod N) mod T_eDRx,n.

Else If H-SFN > G_end

H-SFN mod T_eDRx,n = (G_end+1) + (UE_ID_H mod N) mod T_eDRx,n).

// Else

// H-SFN falls in coverage gap - not used.

In the above example, the WTRU PH may be distributed amongst the remaining usable H- SFNs and maintain the same DRX cycle (i.e., there is still a gap of TeDRX,H between PHs). [0250] In another alternative, the original PH may be calculated first, and then the WTRUs may be evenly distributed among the remaining paging occasions. This technique has the effect of spreading the WTRUs evenly, however it does mean the eDRX cycle (i.e., the length of time between PHs of any given WTRU) is scaled according to the ratio of used and unused subframes. As illustrated in FIG. 11, an alternative way to achieve the same result is to scale the TeDRx,n and use the scaled result in the above formula. For example:

If H-SFN < G start

H-SFN mod (T_eDRx,H * FLOOR(N/1024))= (UE_ID_H mod N) mod (T_eDRx,H

* FLOOR(N/1024)).

Else If H-SFN > G_end

H-SFN mod (T_eDRx,H * FLOOR(N/1024)) = (G_end+1) + (UE_ID_H mod N) mod (T_eDRx,H * FLOOR(N/1024)). [0251] Another way, as mentioned, is to use the original formula first to calculate H-SFNs in the range 0-1023, then (re)map by scaling within the remaining range, renumbered according to the in-coverage H-SFNs. For example, for each PH calculated according to:

H-SFN mod TeDRx,n= (UE ID H mod TCDRX,H), the following logic may apply for (re)mapping each PH:

If H-SFN (re)mapped = FLOOR((PH*N/1024) + (1024-N)) MOD N < G_start

H-SFN of the PH is determined according to FLOOR((PH*N/1024) + (1024- N)) MOD N.

Else

H-SFN of the PH PH is determined according to FLOOR((PH*N/1024) + (1024-N)) MOD N + (1024-N).

[0252] The If/else operation may have the effect of keeping any renumbered H-SFNs that correspond to a H-SFN before a coverage gap and applying an offset equal to the length of the coverage gap to any others - hence providing the actual H-SFN based on the calculated H-SFN using the (re)mapped sequence of 1..N-1.

[0253] In various embodiments, the coverage gap may be equivalent to the time at which the current cell stops providing coverage. The WTRU may re-map PHs such that WTRUs are distributed in a way that allows all WTRUs to have at least one paging occasion or PH during the coverage of the current cell. This (re)mapping, for example, may be used in cases where the cell coverage time is less than the range of H-SFNs. The value N used in the redistribution function may be the total number of usable H-SFNs in the current cells service time. In other examples, WTRUs may calculate the PH normally as long as the full range of H-SFN is available and may apply the alternative calculation when the full range is not available. For example, a cell may provide coverage during (partial or full) 3 H-SFN cycles (e.g., H-SFN 500-1023, 0-1023, 0-200). In this case, the PH (re)mapping may be performed in the first (partial) H-SFN cycle 500-1023, the PH (re)mapping may not be used during (full) H-SFN cycle 0-1023 (or, equivalently, the (re)mapping would result in the original mapping since N is equivalent to the full H-SFN range), and the PH (re)mapping may be used during the final (partial) H-SFN cycle 0-200, at which time the cell would stop providing any coverage.

[0254] The above examples are non-limiting, and there may be other mathematical expressions that can be used to re-map PHs such that WTRUs calculate their PH/PO based on the UE-ID, H-SFN, and a (re)mapping function such that PH/PO occur while there is coverage (i.e., not inside the determined coverage gap).

[0255] A WTRU may handle cell change as follows:

[0256] In various embodiments, the WTRU may be in the coverage of the same satellite or same cell before and after the coverage gap (e.g., if the DRX cycle length is an integer multiple of the satellite orbit time.

[0257] In various embodiments, the WTRU may be in a new satellite or new cell after the coverage gap. In this case, the WTRU may receive a new paging configuration corresponding to the new cell. The WTRU may apply an offset or index as described in the above examples, which was received in the previous cell, to the new paging configuration in the new cell. In various embodiments, the offset or index may additionally need to be updated to allow extra time to synchronize and/or receive system information from the new cell. In various embodiments, the previous cell may indicate that all or part of the system information received in the current or a previous cell is valid in the new cell, reducing system acquisition time. For example, the paging DRX configuration received in a previous cell may be valid in the new cell;. The WTRU may re-use stored system information obtained on a previous occasion camped in the new cell.

[0258] In one example illustrated in FIG. 12, the numbering of H-SFNs may be coordinated between cells, such that the H-SFN takes into account the gap in coverage and continues in the new cell such that no WTRUs have a resulting PH falling within a coverage gap. Similar to the (re)mapping of H-SFNs within the cell, paging cycle, or H-SFN range, the H-SFNs may be (re)mapped such that "NULL" H-SFN is assigned during coverage gaps and the H-SFN numbering continues after a gap and cell change.

[0259] A WTRU detecting a coverage gap, based on assistance information from the network, may therefore predict not only when the coverage gap ends, but also when an associated PH will occur during the upcoming paging cycle on the new cell. In this case, the WTRU may not necessarily need to switch on the receiver to read system information immediately as the coverage gaps ends but may delay this operation until a short time before the PH occurs so that it can synchronise and read the system information of the new cell and then monitor for paging. Stated differently, the WTRU may advantageously wait and perform synchronization, system information acquisition, and monitoring for paging during one time period in which the receiver is switched on, before returning to DRX "off¹.

[0260] FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating an example flow 1300 in accordance with various embodiments. The flow 1300 may be suitable for carrying out a DRX in connection with (e.g., before, after, upon, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, etc.) one or more discontinuities of network coverage, e.g., in accordance with various embodiments disclosed herein infra and/or supra, such as in the disclosures accompanying FIG. 6. For example, the flow 1300 may be suitable for adapting a DRX under a coverage discontinuity. For convenience and simplicity of exposition, the flow 1300 and accompanying disclosures herein are described with reference to the architectures of the communications system 100 (FIG. 1). The flow 1300 may be carried out using different architectures as well.

[0261] Referring now to FIG. 13, a WTRU may determine a paging timing window (PTW) start occasion based at least in part on configuration information (1302). The WTRU may, e.g., may optionally, report the determined PTW start occasion to a network (1304). The WTRU may monitor a paging occasion according to the determined PTW start occasion (1306). In various embodiments, the WTRU may monitor a paging occasion according to the determined PTW start occasion, e.g., at least in part by receiving and/or decoding one or more transmissions during the paging occasion.

[0262] In various embodiments, the WTRU may be configured with a plurality of alternative PTW start occasions and associated indices. Although not shown, the WTRU may determine a start and a duration of a coverage discontinuity and/or select one of the plurality of alternative PTW start occasions.

[0263] In various embodiments, the WTRU may report the selected one of the plurality of alternative PTW start occasions, e.g., in connection with (e.g., before, after, upon, when, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, etc.) reporting the determined PTW start occasion. As used herein, the term "reporting" (and/or the terms "may report") may refer to performing (and/or may perform) one or more transmissions including, and/or including information indicating, the subjects of the reporting. In various embodiments, the WTRU may monitor the paging occasion at least in part by applying the selected one of the plurality of alternative PTW start occasions.

[0264] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the start and the duration of the coverage discontinuity at least in part by any of receiving an explicit indication of the coverage discontinuity via and/or in one or more system information (and/or RRC) transmissions, determining the coverage discontinuity (e.g., implicitly) based on assistance information (e.g., broadcast in one or more system information transmissions and/or transmitted in one or more RRC transmissions), and calculating the coverage discontinuity based on location information. In various embodiments, the explicit indication may include a start time of the coverage discontinuity, for example. In various embodiments, the assistance information may include any of cell stop time and a neighboring cell start time. In various embodiments, the location information may include information indicating a distance between the WTRU and cell centers of serving and neighboring cells plus diameters of cell coverage thereof.

[0265] In various embodiments, the WTRU may select one of the plurality of alternative PTW start occasions at least in part by any of: receiving an explicit indication of an index by the network; and adapting a PTW (and/or determining and/or selecting another one of the plurality of alternative PTWs) as an alternative to the based on one or more configured rules. [0266] In various embodiments, the WTRU may adapt the PTW based on the configured rules at least in part by at least one of: (i) selecting a PTW start occasion for which a last paging occasion within its corresponding PTW ends before a start of the coverage discontinuity; and (ii) selecting a PTW start occasion for which a first paging occasion within its corresponding PTW starts after the discontinuous coverage.

[0267] In various embodiments, the WTRU may be configured with an offset value, and the WTRU may carry out any of determining a start and a duration of the coverage discontinuity; and determining that an upcoming paging timing window falls within a coverage gap. In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the PTW start occasion at least in part by applying the offset to the PTW.

[0268] In various embodiments, the WTRU may report the determined PTW start occasion to the network at least in part by confirming application of the offset to the PTW. In various embodiments, the offset value may be at least one of: (i) configured to be applied based one or more predetermined reference points; (ii) dedicated and at least one of provided by one or more RRC transmissions (e.g., signaling transmissions), (iii) indicated in one or more system information transmissions; and (iv) a timer (e.g., an elapsed amount of time). In various embodiments, the one or more predetermined reference points may include any of a start of the coverage gap, and end of the coverage gap, a start of a default PTW, and an end of the default PTW.

[0269] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the start and the duration of the coverage discontinuity at least in part by any of (i) receiving an explicit indication of the coverage discontinuity via and/or in one or more system information (and/or RRC) transmissions; (ii) determining the coverage discontinuity (e.g., implicitly) based on assistance information (e.g., broadcast in one or more system information transmissions and/or transmitted in one or more RRC transmissions); and (iii) calculating the coverage discontinuity based on location information. In various embodiments, the explicit indication may include a start time of the discontinuous coverage. In various embodiments, the assistance information may include a cell stop time and a neighboring cell start time. In various embodiments, the location information may include information indicating a distance between the WTRU and cell centers of serving and neighboring cells plus diameters of cell coverage thereof.

[0270] In various embodiments, the WTRU may be configured with a first DRX cycle having a first periodicity, and another WTRU may be configured with another DRX cycle having a second periodicity different from the first periodicity. In various embodiments, the WTRU may carry out any of monitoring for an indication that at least one of a next PTW or PO falls within a coverage gap and may determine that a DRX cycle length is greater than the coverage gap.

[0271] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the PTW start occasion at least in part by modifying the PTW such that it occurs before and after the coverage gap. In various embodiments, the WTRU may modify the PTW in response to the determination that the DRX cycle length is greater than the coverage gap. The WTRU may report the determined PTW start occasion to the network, which may include the WTRU signaling to the network a confirmation that the WTRU has modified the PTW.

[0272] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine that another DRX cycle length is less than another coverage gap and may skip one or more PTW occasions in response to the determination that the DRX cycle length is less than the coverage gap.

[0273] In various embodiments, the WTRU may monitor the paging occasion according to the determined PTW start occasion at least in part by any of applying the determined PTW start occasion only once to compensate for discontinuous coverage and updating a default PTW according to the determined PTW start occasion.

[0274] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine at least one of a PH and a paging occasion (PO) based, at least in part, on any of an identifier of the WTRU (e.g., a UE ID), a hyperframe system frame number (HSFN), and a (re)mapping function. In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine at least one of a PH and a PO based, at least in part, on any of an identifier of the WTRU, a HSFN, and a (re)mapping function, whereby, for example, the at least one of the PH or the PO occurs while there is coverage.

[0275] In various embodiments, the determination of the at least one of the PH or the PO may ensure that the WTRUs are distributed evenly within an in-coverage time. In various embodiments, the WTRU may carry out a (re)mapping function to (re)map one or more PHs.

[0276] FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating an example flow 1400 in accordance with various embodiments. The flow 1400 may be suitable for carrying out a DRX in connection with (e.g., before, after, upon, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, etc.) one or more discontinuities of network coverage, e.g., in accordance with various embodiments disclosed herein infra and/or supra, such as in the disclosures accompanying FIGs. 7 and 9.. For example, the flow 1400 may be suitable for adapting a DRX under a coverage discontinuity. For convenience and simplicity of exposition, the flow 1400 and accompanying disclosures herein are described with reference to the architectures of the communications system 100 (FIG. 1). The flow 1400 may be carried out using different architectures as well.

[0277] Referring to FIG. 14, a WTRU may determine a paging occasion in a DRX cycle based on a first time period associated with a partial overlap of (i) a second time period of the DRX cycle with (ii) a third time period corresponding to a coverage discontinuity between first and second cells (1402). In various embodiments, the first and second cell may be two of a plurality of cells of an NTN, for instance. In various embodiments, the first time period may be offset (in time) from a point in time of the third time period. In various embodiments, the WTRU may (e.g., may optionally) report the coverage discontinuity between first and second cells and/or the first time period to a network (1404). The WTRU may receive one or more transmissions during the paging occasion (1406).

[0278] In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive assistance information for the plurality of cells and may determine the third time period based on the assistance information. In various embodiments, the assistance information may include various information, conditions, criteria, parameters, etc. For example, the assistance information may include any of (i) information indicating that a next paging occasion is to occur during the discontinuity in network coverage, and (ii) information indicating a preconfigured configuration for determining the paging occasion.

[0279] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine no paging occasions occurred in an earlier DRX cycle based on the earlier DRX cycle occurring during the coverage discontinuity.

[0280] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the paging occasion at least in part based on configuration information for the second cell. In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive the configuration information from the first cell.

[0281] In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive (e.g., in or via one or more layer 1 (LI), layer 2 (L2), layer 3 (L3) and/or higher layer transmission)information indicating the first time period is based on a ratio (and/or another function) of (i) the first paging occasions that would occur during the first time period but for the discontinuity in network coverage and (ii) the second paging occasions occurring during the DRX cycle. In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive (e.g., in or via one or more LI, L2, L3 and/or higher layer transmission) information indicating any of a value for the first time period, a value for the first paging occasions, a value for the first paging occasions, and a function. Alternatively, the WTRU may determine any of the value for the first time period, the value for the first paging occasions, the value for the first paging occasions, and the function.

[0282] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the first time period. The WTRU, for example, may determine the first time period based on a ratio (and/or another function) of (i) one or more first paging occasions that would occur during the first time period but for the discontinuity in network coverage and (ii) one or more second paging occasions occurring during the DRX cycle.

[0283] In various embodiments, the third time period may be based on the one or more first paging occasions. In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the third time period. The WTRU, for example, may determine the third time period based on the first paging occasions.

[0284] FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating an example flow 1500 in accordance with various embodiments. The flow 1500 may be suitable for carrying out a DRX in connection with (e.g., before, after, upon, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, etc.) one or more discontinuities of network coverage, e.g., in accordance with various embodiments disclosed herein infra and/or supra, such as in the disclosures accompanying FIGs. 8, 9 and 10. For example, the flow 1500 may be suitable for adapting a DRX under a coverage discontinuity. For convenience and simplicity of exposition, the flow 1500 and accompanying disclosures herein are described with reference to the architectures of the communications system 100 (FIG. 1). The flow 1500 may be carried out using different architectures as well.

[0285] Referring to FIG. 15, a WTRU may determine a paging occasion during a first active time period of a cycle of a discontinuous reception based on any of (i) a first set of paging occasions to occur during the cycle; and (ii) a second set of paging occasions that would occur during the cycle but for a discontinuity in network coverage (1502). The second set of paging occasions, for example, may be one or more paging occasions that would occur during a first time period corresponding to an overlap of (a) at least a portion of a second time period of the cycle with (b) a third time period corresponding to a discontinuity in network coverage. In various embodiments, the first active time period may be an alternative to a second active time period of the cycle.

[0286] In various embodiments, the WTRU may (e.g., may optionally) report the discontinuity in network coverage between first and second cells and/or the first time period to a network (1504). The WTRU may receive one or more transmissions during the paging occasion (1506). [0287] FIG. 16 is a flow chart illustrating an example flow 1600 in accordance with various embodiments. The flow 1600 may be suitable for carrying out a DRX in connection with (e.g., before, after, upon, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, etc.) one or more discontinuities of network coverage, e.g., in accordance with various embodiments disclosed herein infra and/or supra, such as in the disclosures accompanying FIGs. 6, 7 and 9.. For example, the flow 1600 may be suitable for adapting a DRX under a coverage discontinuity. For convenience and simplicity of exposition, the flow 1600 and accompanying disclosures herein are described with reference to the architectures of the communications system 100 (FIG. 1). The flow 1600 may be carried out using different architectures as well.

[0288] Referring to FIG. 16, a WTRU may determine a paging occasion during a first active time period of a first cycle of a discontinuous reception based on (at least) a start time of a discontinuity in network coverage occurring during an upcoming cycle of the discontinuous reception (1602). In various embodiments, the first active time period may occur (i) after a second active time period of the cycle and before the upcoming cycle or (ii) after an end time of the discontinuity in network coverage and before a second cycle of the discontinuous reception following the end time of the discontinuity in network coverage. In various embodiments, the end time of the discontinuity in network coverage may occur during the upcoming cycle.

[0289] In various embodiments, the WTRU may (e.g., may optionally) report the coverage discontinuity to a network (1604). The WTRU may receive one or more transmissions during the paging occasion (1606).

[0290] Referring now to any of FIGs. 14, 15 and 16, in various embodiments, the WTRU may receive information indicating one or more parameters for discontinuous reception ("discontinuous-reception parameters"). The discontinuous-reception parameters may include a periodic active time period for the discontinuous reception. Alternatively, the discontinuous- reception parameters may include a default active time period for the discontinuous reception. The default active time period may be the same as or different from the periodic active time period.

[0291] In various embodiments, the discontinuous-reception parameters may include one or more parameters common to all of one or more cycles of the discontinuous reception. In various embodiments, the parameters common to all of one or more cycles of the discontinuous reception may include the default active time period.

[0292] The second active time period may be or include any of the periodic active time period of the cycle and the default active time period for the discontinuous reception. In various embodiments, the periodic active time period and the default active time period may be or have minimum active time periods.

[0293] In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive configuration information for discontinuous reception. In various embodiments, the configuration information may include the information indicating discontinuous-reception parameters. In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive one or more transmissions including any of (i) the information indicating discontinuous-reception parameters and (ii) the configuration information including the information indicating the discontinuous reception parameters. In various embodiments, the transmissions may be and/or include one or more system information transmissions, one or more radio resource control transmissions or a combination of one or more system information transmissions and one or more radio resource control transmissions.

[0294] In various embodiments, the first active time period may occur before, after or before and after the first time period. In various embodiments, the first time period may be prepended to the second active time period. In various embodiments, the first time period may be appended to the second active time period.

[0295] In various embodiments, a start time of the first active time period may occur at a start time of the second active time period, and an end time of the first active time period may occur after the first time period. In various embodiments, the start time of the first active time period may occur before the start time of the second active time period, and the end time of the first active time period may occur after the first time period. In various embodiments, the start time of the first active time period may occur at or before the start time of the second active time period, and the end time of the first active time period may occur at or before a start time of the first time period. In various embodiments, the first active time period may correspond to an active time period of a cycle of discontinuous reception for another WTRU.

[0296] In various embodiments, the periodic active time period for the discontinuous reception may be a first periodic active time period, the first active time period may corresponds to an active time period of a cycle of discontinuous reception for another WTRU, the one or more parameters may comprise a second periodic active time period for discontinuous reception for the other WTRU, and the active time period may be or include the second periodic active time period. In various embodiments, the second periodic active time period may be or include a minimum active time period.

[0297] In various embodiments, the default active time period for the discontinuous reception may a first default active time period, the first active time period may correspond to an active time period of a cycle of discontinuous reception for another WTRU, the one or more parameters may include a second default active time period for discontinuous reception for the other WTRU, and the active time period may be or include the second default active time period. In various embodiments, the default active time period may be or include a minimum active time period.

[0298] In various embodiments, the first active time period may correspond to an active time period of a cycle of discontinuous reception for another WTRU, the information indicating one or more parameters for discontinuous reception is first information indicating one or more first parameters for discontinuous reception, the periodic active time period for the discontinuous reception is a first periodic active time period, and the WTRU may receive second information indicating one or more second parameters for discontinuous reception, wherein the one or more second parameters comprise a second periodic active time period for discontinuous reception for the other WTRU, and the active time period may be or include the second periodic active time period. In the foregoing various embodiments, the periodic active time period may be or include a minimum active time period.

[0299] In various embodiments, the first active time period may correspond to an active time period of a cycle of discontinuous reception for another WTRU, the information indicating one or more parameters for discontinuous reception may be first information indicating one or more first parameters for discontinuous reception, the default active time period for the discontinuous may be a first default active time period, and the WTRU may receive second information indicating one or more second parameters for discontinuous reception, wherein the one or more second parameters may include a second default active time period for discontinuous reception for the other WTRU, and wherein the active time period may include the second default active time period.

[0300] In various embodiments, the first active time period may correspond to an active time period of a cycle of discontinuous reception for another WTRU, the information indicating one or more parameters for discontinuous reception may be first information indicating one or more first parameters for discontinuous reception, the default active time period for the discontinuous reception may be a first default active time period, and the WTRU may receive second information indicating one or more second parameters for discontinuous reception, wherein the one or more second parameters may be or include one or more parameters common to all of one or more cycles of discontinuous reception for the other WTRU, including a second default active time period, and wherein the active time period may be or include the second default active time period. In various embodiments, the second default active time period may be or include a minimum active time period. [0301] In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive configuration information for discontinuous reception, wherein the configuration information may be or include the second information indicating one or more second parameters for discontinuous reception for the other WTRU.

[0302] In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive one or more third transmissions comprising any of (i) the information indicating one or more parameters for discontinuous reception and (ii) the configuration information comprising the information indicating one or more parameters for discontinuous reception. In various embodiments, the one or more third transmissions comprise any of (i) one or more system information transmissions and (ii) one or more radio resource control transmissions.

[0303] In various embodiments, the first set of paging occasions may be or include all paging occasions to occur during the cycle. In various embodiments, the second set of paging occasions may be a subset of the first set of paging occasions. In various embodiments, the first set of paging occasions may be or include all paging occasions to occur during a portion of cycle that does not include the first time period. In various embodiments, the first time period is prepended to the second active time period.

[0304] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the paging occasion during the first active time period of the cycle based on a ratio of the second set of paging occasions with the first set of paging occasions. In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the paging occasion during the first active time period of the cycle based on (i) a number of the paging occasions of the second set of paging occasions, (ii) a number of the paging occasions of the first set of paging occasions and (iii) a start time of the second active time period. In various embodiments, the WTRU determining the paging occasion during the first active time period of the cycle based on (i) an order of the paging occasions of the second set of paging occasions, (ii) an order of the paging occasions of the first set of paging occasions and (iii) a start time of the second active time period. In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the paging occasion during the first active time period of the cycle based on (i) an order of the paging occasions of the second set of paging occasions, (ii) an order of the paging occasions of the first set of paging occasions and (iii) a start time of the first time period. In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the paging occasion during the first active time period of the cycle based on (i) an order of the paging occasions of the second set of paging occasions, (ii) an order of the paging occasions of the first set of paging occasions, (iii) a start time of the second active time period, and (iv) a start time of the first time period. [0305] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the paging occasion during the first active time period of the cycle in any one of idle mode, inactive mode and connected mode.

[0306] In various embodiments, \the first active time period may be or include a paging time window.

[0307] In various embodiments, the first active time period comprises a paging time window during a PH. In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine a PH based on the first and second sets of paging occasions.

[0308] FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating an example flow 1700 in accordance with various embodiments. The flow 1700 may be suitable for carrying out a DRX in connection with (e.g., before, after, upon, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, etc.) one or more discontinuities of network coverage, e.g., in accordance with various embodiments disclosed herein infra and/or supra, such as in the disclosures accompanying FIG. 10. For example, the flow 1700 may be suitable for adapting a DRX under a coverage discontinuity. For convenience and simplicity of exposition, the flow 1700 and accompanying disclosures herein are described with reference to the architectures of the communications system 100 (FIG. 1). The flow 1700 may be carried out using different architectures as well.

[0309] Referring to FIG. 17, a WTRU may determine a set of radio frames for a cycle of a DRX based on a discontinuity in network coverage occurring during the cycle of the discontinuous reception (1702). The WTRU may determine a paging occasion during an active time period of the cycle based on a partition of a collection of paging occasions associated with the set of radio frames (1704). In various embodiments, the WTRU may (e.g., may optionally) report the discontinuity in network coverage to a network (1706). The WTRU may receive one or more transmissions during the paging occasion (1708).

[0310] FIG. 18 is a flow chart illustrating an example flow 1800 in accordance with various embodiments. The flow 1800 may be suitable for carrying out a DRX in connection with (e.g., before, after, upon, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, etc.) one or more discontinuities of network coverage, e.g., in accordance with various embodiments disclosed herein infra and/or supra, such as in the disclosures accompanying FIGs. 10 and 7. The flow 1800 may be suitable for adapting a DRX under a coverage discontinuity. For convenience and simplicity of exposition, the flow 1800 and accompanying disclosures herein are described with reference to the architectures of the communications system 100 (FIG. 1). The flow 1800 may be carried out using different architectures as well. [0311] Referring to FIG. 18, a WTRU may determine a paging occasion during an active time period of a cycle of a discontinuous reception based on a collection of paging occasions associated with a set of radio frames to occur during the cycle based on a discontinuity in network coverage occurring during the cycle of the discontinuous reception (1802). The WTRU, for example, may determine the paging occasion during the active time period of the cycle based on a partition of the collection of paging occasions. In various embodiments, the collection of paging occasions may include at least one (e.g., all) paging occasion from at least some (e.g., all) of a set of radio frames to occur during the cycle. In various embodiments, the set of radio frames may be based on the discontinuity in network coverage occurring during the cycle of the discontinuous reception. In various embodiments, the WTRU may (e.g., may optionally) report the discontinuity in network coverage to a network (1804). The WTRU may receive one or more transmissions during the paging occasion (1806).

[0312] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the set of radio frames for the cycle of the discontinuous reception based on the discontinuity in network coverage occurring during the cycle of the discontinuous reception.

[0313] Referring now to either or both FIGs. 17 and 18, in various embodiments, the radio frames within the set of radio frames may be based on a time period corresponding to the discontinuity in network coverage that is to occur during the cycle of the discontinuous reception.

[0314] In various embodiments, the active time period may correspond to one or more radio frames of the set of radio frames, and the WTRU may determine any of (i) the one or more radio frames and (ii) the partition based on at least one of an identifier of the WTRU, an identity of the WTRU, one or more system frame numbers, one or more hyper system frame numbers and a mapping function.

[0315] In various embodiments, the active time period may correspond to one or more radio frames of the set of radio frames, and the WTRU may employ a mapping function to map the one or more radio frames to the WTRU. In various embodiments, the mapping function may e at least partly based on at least one of the identifier of the WTRU, the identity of the WTRU, one or more system frame numbers, and one or more hyper system frame numbers.

[0316] In various embodiments, each radio frame of the set of radio frames may be a PH. In various embodiments, each radio frame of the set of radio frames may be a paging frame.

[0317] In various embodiments, the partition may be associated with the WTRU or with another WTRU. [0318] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the partition based, at least in part, on partitioning the collection of paging occasions based on a number of WTRUs associated with the cycle. In various embodiments, the WTRU may partition the collection of paging occasions based on an equitable distribution of the paging occasions of the collection among all WTRUs associated with the cycle.

[0319] In various embodiments, the WTRU may transmit to one or more network elements (e.g., a base station) first information indicating a time period corresponding to the discontinuity in network coverage ("discontinuity time period"). In various embodiments, the WTRU may transmit to one or more network elements (e.g., a base station, an AMF, etc.) second information indicating one or more first parameters associated with the discontinuity in network coverage ("coverage-discontinuity parameters"). In various embodiments, the coverage-discontinuity parameters may include any of the discontinuity time period, a start time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a duration of the discontinuity in network coverage, an end time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a cell stop time and a neighboring cell start time.

[0320] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the discontinuity in network coverage. For example, in various embodiments, the WTRU may receive third information indicating one or more coverage-discontinuity parameters one or more network elements (e.g., a base station, an AMF, etc.) and may determine the discontinuity in network coverage based on at least one the one or more coverage-discontinuity parameters. In various embodiments, the one or more coverage-discontinuity parameters may include any of a discontinuity time period, a start time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a duration of the discontinuity in network coverage, an end time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a cell stop time and a neighboring cell start time. In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive the third information via and/or in one or more transmissions, such as one or more system information transmissions, one or more radio resource control transmissions or a combination of one or more system information transmissions and one or more radio resource control transmissions. [0321] As another example, in various embodiments, the WTRU may receive fourth information indicating the set of radio frames and the collection of paging occasions and may determine the discontinuity in network coverage based on any of (i) the set of radio frames and (ii) the collection of paging occasions. In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive the fourth information via and/or in one or more transmissions, such as one or more system information transmissions, one or more radio resource control transmissions or a combination of one or more system information transmissions and one or more radio resource control transmissions.

[0322] As another example, in various embodiments, the WTRU may determine location information, and may determine the discontinuity in network coverage based on the location information. In various embodiments, the location information may be and/or include information indicating any of a first distance between the WTRU and a cell center of a serving cell, a second distance between the WTRU and a cell center of a neighboring cell, a boundary of cell coverage of the serving cell and a boundary of cell coverage of the neighboring serving cell.

[0323] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine another paging occasion ("second paging occasion") during another active time period ("second active time period") of another cycle ("second cycle") of the discontinuous reception based on another partition ("second partition") of another collection (or set) of paging occasions ("second collection of paging occasions"). In various embodiments, the second collection of paging occasions may include at least one paging occasion (e.g., all paging occasions) from at least some (e.g., all) of another set of radio frames ("second set of radio frames") to occur during the second cycle. In various embodiments, the second set of radio frames may be based on continuity in network coverage occurring during the second cycle of discontinuous reception. In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive one or more second transmissions during the second paging occasion.

[0324] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the second set of radio frames for the second cycle of the discontinuous reception based on continuity in network coverage ("coverage continuity") occurring during the second cycle of the discontinuous reception. In various embodiments, the radio frames within the second set of radio frames may be based on a time period corresponding to the second cycle of the discontinuous reception.

[0325] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the paging occasion in any one of idle mode, inactive mode and connected mode.

[0326] FIG. 19 is a flow chart illustrating an example flow 1900 in accordance with various embodiments. The flow 1900 may be suitable for carrying out a DRX in connection with (e.g., before, after, upon, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, etc.) one or more discontinuities of network coverage, e.g., in accordance with various embodiments disclosed herein infra and/or supra, such as in the disclosures accompanying FIG. 11. The flow 1900 may be suitable for adapting a DRX under a coverage discontinuity. For convenience and simplicity of exposition, the flow 1900 and accompanying disclosures herein are described with reference to the architectures of the communications system 100 (FIG. 1). The flow 1900 may be carried out using different architectures as well.

[0327] Referring to FIG. 19, a WTRU may determine a set of radio frames to occur during a time period corresponding to a subrange of a range of frame numbers (1902). The WTRU may determine a paging occasion during an active time period of the DRX cycle based on a partition of a collection of paging occasions associated with the set of radio frames (1904). The WTRU may (e.g., optionally report) report the coverage discontinuity to a network (1906). The WTRU may receive one or more transmissions during the paging occasion (1908).

[0328] FIG. 20 is a flow chart illustrating an example flow 2000 in accordance with various embodiments. The flow 200 may be suitable for carrying out a DRX in connection with (e.g., before, after, upon, based on, responsive to, on condition of, together with, etc.) one or more discontinuities of network coverage, e.g., in accordance with various embodiments disclosed herein infra and/or supra, such as in the disclosures accompanying FIG. 11. The flow 2000 may be suitable for adapting a DRX under a coverage discontinuity. For convenience and simplicity of exposition, the flow 2000 and accompanying disclosures herein are described with reference to the architectures of the communications system 100 (FIG. 1). The flow 2000 may be carried out using different architectures as well.

[0329] Referring to FIG. 20, a WTRU may determine a paging occasion during an active time period of a DRX cycle based on a collection of paging occasions associated with a set of radio frames to occur during a time period corresponding to a subrange of a range of frame numbers (2002). The WTRU may report (e.g., optionally report) the coverage discontinuity to a network (1906). The WTRU may receive one or more transmissions during the paging occasion (1908). [0330] Referring now to either or both FIGs. 19 and 20, in various embodiments, the radio frames within the set of radio frames may be based on a time period corresponding to the subrange of a range of frame numbers.

[0331] In various embodiments, the active time period may correspond to one or more radio frames of the set of radio frames, and the WTRU may determine any of (i) the one or more radio frames and (ii) the partition based on at least one of an identifier of the WTRU, an identity of the WTRU, one or more system frame numbers, one or more hyper system frame numbers and a mapping function.

[0332] In various embodiments, the active time period may correspond to one or more radio frames of the set of radio frames, and the WTRU may employ a mapping function to map the one or more radio frames to the WTRU. In various embodiments, the mapping function may e at least partly based on at least one of the identifier of the WTRU, the identity of the WTRU, one or more system frame numbers, and one or more hyper system frame numbers.

[0333] In various embodiments, each radio frame of the set of radio frames may be a PH. In various embodiments, the partition may be associated with the WTRU or with another WTRU. [0334] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the partition based, at least in part, on partitioning the collection of paging occasions based on a number of WTRUs associated with the cycle. In various embodiments, the WTRU may partition the collection of paging occasions based on an equitable distribution of the paging occasions of the collection among all WTRUs associated with the range of frame numbers.

[0335] In various embodiments, the WTRU may transmit to one or more network elements (e.g., a base station) first information indicating a discontinuity time period. In various embodiments, the WTRU may transmit to one or more network elements (e.g., a base station, an AMF, etc.) second information indicating one or more first parameters associated with the coverage-discontinuity parameters. In various embodiments, the coverage-discontinuity parameters may include any of the discontinuity time period, a start time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a duration of the discontinuity in network coverage, an end time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a cell stop time and a neighboring cell start time.

[0336] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the coverage discontinuity. For example, in various embodiments, the WTRU may receive third information indicating one or more coverage-discontinuity parameters one or more network elements (e.g., a base station, an AMF, etc.) and may determine the coverage discontinuity based on at least one the one or more coverage-discontinuity parameters. In various embodiments, the one or more coveragediscontinuity parameters may include any of a discontinuity time period, a start time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a duration of the discontinuity in network coverage, an end time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a cell stop time and a neighboring cell start time. In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive the third information via and/or in one or more transmissions, such as one or more system information transmissions, one or more radio resource control transmissions or a combination of one or more system information transmissions and one or more radio resource control transmissions.

[0337] As another example, in various embodiments, the WTRU may receive fourth information indicating the set of radio frames and the collection of paging occasions and may determine the coverage discontinuity based on any of (i) the set of radio frames and (ii) the collection of paging occasions. In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive the fourth information via and/or in one or more transmissions, such as one or more system information transmissions, one or more radio resource control transmissions or a combination of one or more system information transmissions and one or more radio resource control transmissions. [0338] As another example, in various embodiments, the WTRU may determine location information, and may determine the coverage discontinuity based on the location information. In various embodiments, the location information may be and/or include information indicating any of a first distance between the WTRU and a cell center of a serving cell, a second distance between the WTRU and a cell center of a neighboring cell, a boundary of cell coverage of the serving cell and a boundary of cell coverage of the neighboring serving cell.

[0339] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine another paging occasion ("second paging occasion") during another active time period ("second active time period") of another cycle ("second cycle") of the discontinuous reception based on another partition ("second partition") of another collection (or set) of paging occasions ("second collection of paging occasions"). In various embodiments, the second collection of paging occasions may include at least one paging occasion (e.g., all paging occasions) from at least some (e.g., all) of another set of radio frames ("second set of radio frames") to occur during the range of frame numbers. In various embodiments, the second set of radio frames may be based on continuity in network coverage occurring during range of frame numbers. In various embodiments, the WTRU may receive one or more second transmissions during the second paging occasion.

[0340] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the second set of radio frames for the second cycle of the discontinuous reception based on continuity in network coverage ("coverage continuity") occurring during the range of frame numbers. In various embodiments, the radio frames within the second set of radio frames may be based on a time period corresponding to the range of frame numbers.

[0341] In various embodiments, the WTRU may determine the paging occasion in any one of idle mode, inactive mode and connected mode.

[0342] Conclusion

[0343] Although features and elements are provided above in particular combinations, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that each feature or element can be used alone or in any combination with the other features and elements. The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particular embodiments described in this application, which are intended as illustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and variations may be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. No element, act, or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly provided as such. Functionally equivalent methods and apparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods or systems.

[0344] The foregoing embodiments are discussed, for simplicity, with regard to the terminology and structure of infrared capable devices, i.e., infrared emitters and receivers. However, the embodiments discussed are not limited to these systems but may be applied to other systems that use other forms of electromagnetic waves or non-electromagnetic waves such as acoustic waves.

[0345] It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the term "video" or the term "imagery" may mean any of a snapshot, single image and/or multiple images displayed over a time basis. As another example, when referred to herein, the terms "user equipment" and its abbreviation "UE", the term "remote" and/or the terms "head mounted display" or its abbreviation "HMD" may mean or include (i) a wireless transmit and/or receive unit (WTRU); (ii) any of a number of embodiments of a WTRU; (iii) a wireless-capable and/or wired-capable (e.g., tetherable) device configured with, inter alia, some or all structures and functionality of a WTRU; (iii) a wireless-capable and/or wired-capable device configured with less than all structures and functionality of a WTRU; or (iv) the like. Details of an example WTRU, which may be representative of any WTRU recited herein, are provided herein with respect to FIGs. 1 A-1D. As another example, various disclosed embodiments herein supra and infra are described as utilizing a head mounted display. Those skilled in the art will recognize that a device other than the head mounted display may be utilized and some or all of the disclosure and various disclosed embodiments can be modified accordingly without undue experimentation. Examples of such other device may include a drone or other device configured to stream information for providing the adapted reality experience.

[0346] In addition, the methods provided herein may be implemented in a computer program, software, or firmware incorporated in a computer-readable medium for execution by a computer or processor. Examples of computer-readable media include electronic signals (transmitted over wired or wireless connections) and computer-readable storage media. Examples of computer-readable storage media include, but are not limited to, a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a register, cache memory, semiconductor memory devices, magnetic media such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magnetooptical media, and optical media such as CD-ROM disks, and digital versatile disks (DVDs). A processor in association with software may be used to implement a radio frequency transceiver for use in a WTRU, WTRU, terminal, base station, RNC, MME, EPC, AMF, or any host computer.

[0347] Variations of the method, apparatus and system provided above are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. In view of the wide variety of embodiments that can be applied, it should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are examples only, and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the following claims. For instance, the embodiments provided herein include handheld devices, which may include or be utilized with any appropriate voltage source, such as a battery and the like, providing any appropriate voltage.

[0348] Moreover, in the embodiments provided above, processing platforms, computing systems, controllers, and other devices that include processors are noted. These devices may include at least one Central Processing Unit ("CPU") and memory. In accordance with the practices of persons skilled in the art of computer programming, reference to acts and symbolic representations of operations or instructions may be performed by the various CPUs and memories. Such acts and operations or instructions may be referred to as being "executed," "computer executed" or "CPU executed."

[0349] One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the acts and symbolically represented operations or instructions include the manipulation of electrical signals by the CPU. An electrical system represents data bits that can cause a resulting transformation or reduction of the electrical signals and the maintenance of data bits at memory locations in a memory system to thereby reconfigure or otherwise alter the CPU's operation, as well as other processing of signals. The memory locations where data bits are maintained are physical locations that have particular electrical, magnetic, optical, or organic properties corresponding to or representative of the data bits. It should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned platforms or CPUs and that other platforms and CPUs may support the provided methods.

[0350] The data bits may also be maintained on a computer readable medium including magnetic disks, optical disks, and any other volatile (e.g., Random Access Memory (RAM)) or non-volatile (e.g., Read-Only Memory (ROM)) mass storage system readable by the CPU. The computer readable medium may include cooperating or interconnected computer readable medium, which exist exclusively on the processing system or are distributed among multiple interconnected processing systems that may be local or remote to the processing system. It should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned memories and that other platforms and memories may support the provided methods.

[0351] In an illustrative embodiment, any of the operations, processes, etc. described herein may be implemented as computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable instructions may be executed by a processor of a mobile unit, a network element, and/or any other computing device.

[0352] There is little distinction left between hardware and software implementations of aspects of systems. The use of hardware or software is generally (but not always, in that in certain contexts the choice between hardware and software may become significant) a design choice representing cost versus efficiency tradeoffs. There may be various vehicles by which processes and/or systems and/or other technologies described herein may be effected (e.g., hardware, software, and/or firmware), and the preferred vehicle may vary with the context in which the processes and/or systems and/or other technologies are deployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed and accuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly hardware and/or firmware vehicle. If flexibility is paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly software implementation. Alternatively, the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware.

[0353] The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples include one or more functions and/or operations, it will be understood by those within the art that each function and/or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples may be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In an embodiment, several portions of the subject matter described herein may be implemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), and/or other integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, in whole or in part, may be equivalently implemented in integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein may be distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described herein applies regardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearing medium include, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable type medium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a CD, a DVD, a digital tape, a computer memory, etc., and a transmission type medium such as a digital and/or an analog communication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wired communications link, a wireless communication link, etc.).

[0354] Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the art to describe devices and/or processes in the fashion set forth herein, and thereafter use engineering practices to integrate such described devices and/or processes into data processing systems. That is, at least a portion of the devices and/or processes described herein may be integrated into a data processing system via a reasonable amount of experimentation. Those having skill in the art will recognize that a typical data processing system may generally include one or more of a system unit housing, a video display device, a memory such as volatile and non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors and digital signal processors, computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, graphical user interfaces, and applications programs, one or more interaction devices, such as a touch pad or screen, and/or control systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for sensing position and/or velocity, control motors for moving and/or adjusting components and/or quantities). A typical data processing system may be implemented utilizing any suitable commercially available components, such as those typically found in data computing/communication and/or network computing/communication systems.

[0355] The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components included within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely examples, and that in fact many other architectures may be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively "associated" such that the desired functionality may be achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality may be seen as "associated with" each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated may also be viewed as being "operably connected", or "operably coupled", to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated may also be viewed as being "operably couplable" to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactable and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically interacting and/or logically interactable components.

[0356] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

[0357] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, where only one item is intended, the term "single" or similar language may be used. As an aid to understanding, the following appended claims and/or the descriptions herein may include usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim including such introduced claim recitation to embodiments including only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"). The same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B." Further, the terms "any of followed by a listing of a plurality of items and/or a plurality of categories of items, as used herein, are intended to include "any of," "any combination of," "any multiple of," and/or "any combination of multiples of' the items and/or the categories of items, individually or in conjunction with other items and/or other categories of items. Moreover, as used herein, the term "set" is intended to include any number of items, including zero. Additionally, as used herein, the term "number" is intended to include any number, including zero. And the term "multiple", as used herein, is intended to be synonymous with "a plurality".

[0358] In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group. [0359] As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein may be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as "up to," "at least," "greater than," "less than," and the like includes the number recited and refers to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member. Thus, for example, a group having 1-3 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, or 3 cells. Similarly, a group having 1-5 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cells, and so forth.

[0360] Moreover, the claims should not be read as limited to the provided order or elements unless stated to that effect. In addition, use of the terms "means for" in any claim is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112, 6 or means-plus-function claim format, and any claim without the terms "means for" is not so intended.

[0361] Suitable processors include, by way of example, a general purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in association with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Application Specific Standard Products (ASSPs); Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) circuits, any other type of integrated circuit (IC), and/or a state machine.

[0362] The WTRU may be used in conjunction with modules, implemented in hardware and/or software including a Software Defined Radio (SDR), and other components such as a camera, a video camera module, a videophone, a speakerphone, a vibration device, a speaker, a microphone, a television transceiver, a hands free headset, a keyboard, a Bluetooth® module, a frequency modulated (FM) radio unit, a Near Field Communication (NFC) Module, a liquid crystal display (LCD) display unit, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display unit, a digital music player, a media player, a video game player module, an Internet browser, and/or any Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) or Ultra Wide Band (UWB) module.

[0363] Although the various embodiments have been described in terms of communication systems, it is contemplated that the systems may be implemented in software on microprocessors/general purpose computers (not shown). In certain embodiments, one or more of the functions of the various components may be implemented in software that controls a general-purpose computer.

[0364] In addition, although the invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to the details shown. Rather, various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention.

[0365] The following references are incorporated herein by reference.

[0366] [1] 3GPP TR 38.821, "Solutions for NR to support non-terrestrial networks

(NTN)," V16.1.0

[0367] [2] 3GPP TR 36.763, "Study on Narrow-band Internet of Things (NB-IoT)

/ enhanced Machine Type Communication (eMTC) support for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN)," V17.0.0

[0368] [3] 3GPP TR 38.300, "NR and NG-RAN Overall description; Stage-2"

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method implemented in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising: determining a paging occasion during an active time period of a cycle of discontinuous reception based on a partition of a collection of paging occasions, wherein: the collection of paging occasions comprises at least one paging occasion from at least some of a set of radio frames to occur during the cycle, and the set of radio frames are based on a discontinuity in network coverage occurring during the cycle of the discontinuous reception; and receiving one or more transmissions during the paging occasion.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising: determining the set of radio frames for the cycle of the discontinuous reception based on the discontinuity in network coverage occurring during the cycle of the discontinuous reception.

3. The method of at least one of claims 1-2, wherein the set of radio frames being based on the discontinuity in network coverage occurring during the cycle of the discontinuous reception comprises: the set of radio frames being based on a time period corresponding to the discontinuity in network coverage that is to occur during the cycle of the discontinuous reception.

4. The method of at least one of claims 1-3, wherein the active time period corresponds to one or more radio frames of the set of radio frames, the method comprising: determining any of (i) the one or more radio frames and (ii) the partition based on at least one of an identifier of the WTRU, an identity of the WTRU, one or more system frame numbers, one or more hyper system frame numbers and a mapping function.

5. The method of at least one of claims 1-3, wherein the active time period corresponds to one or more radio frames of the set of radio frames, the method comprising: employing a mapping function to map the one or more radio frames to the WTRU.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the mapping function is at least partly based on at least one of an identifier of the WTRU, an identity of the WTRU, one or more system frame numbers, and one or more hyper system frame numbers.

7. The method of at least one of claims 1-6, wherein each radio frame of the set of radio frames is a paging hyperframe.

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8. The method of at least one of claims 1-6, wherein each radio frame of the set of radio frames is a paging frame.

9. The method of at least one of claims 1-8, wherein the partition is associated with the WTRU:

10. The method of at least one of claims 1-8, wherein the partition is associated with another WTRU.

11. The method of at least one of claims 4-9, wherein determining the partition comprises partitioning the collection of paging occasions based on a number of WTRUs associated with the cycle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein partitioning the collection of paging occasions comprises partitioning the collection of paging occasions based on an equitable distribution of the paging occasions of the collection among all WTRUs associated with the cycle.

13. The method of at least one of claims 1-12, comprising: transmitting to a network element first information indicating a time period corresponding to the discontinuity in network coverage.

14. The method of at least one of claims 1-13, comprising: transmitting to a network element second information indicating one or more first parameters associated with the discontinuity in network coverage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more first parameters comprise any of a start time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a duration of the discontinuity in network coverage, an end time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a cell stop time and a neighboring cell start time.

16. The method of at least one of claims 1-15, comprising: determining the discontinuity in network coverage.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising: receiving third information indicating one or more second parameters associated with the discontinuity in network coverage, wherein determining the discontinuity in network coverage comprises determining the discontinuity in network coverage based on at least one the one or more second parameters.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more second parameters comprise any of a start time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a duration of the discontinuity in network

- 68 - coverage, an end time of the discontinuity in network coverage, a cell stop time and a neighboring cell start time.

19. The method of at least one of claims 17-18, wherein the one or more transmissions are one or more first transmissions, and the method comprising: receiving one or more second transmissions comprising the third information indicating the one or more second parameters.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more second transmissions comprise any of (i) one or more system information transmissions and (ii) one or more radio resource control transmissions.

21. The method of claim 16, comprising: receiving fourth information indicating the set of radio frames and the collection of paging occasions, wherein determining the discontinuity in network coverage comprises determining the discontinuity in network coverage based on at least one of (i) the set of radio frames and (ii) the collection of paging occasions.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more transmissions are one or more first transmissions, and the method comprising: receiving one or more second transmissions comprising the fourth information indicating the set of radio frames and the collection of paging occasions.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more second transmissions comprise any of (i) one or more system information transmissions and (ii) one or more radio resource control transmissions.

24. The method of claim 23, comprising: determining location information, wherein determining the discontinuity in network coverage comprises determining the discontinuity in network coverage based on the location information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the location information comprises any of a first distance between the WTRU and a cell center of a serving cell, a second distance between the WTRU and a cell center of a neighboring cell, a boundary of cell coverage of the serving cell and a boundary of cell coverage of the neighboring serving cell.

26. The method of at least one of claims 1-25, wherein: the paging occasion is a first paging occasion;

- 69 - the active time period is a first active time period; the cycle of discontinuous reception is a first cycle of a discontinuous reception, the partition is a first partition; the collection of paging occasions is a first collection of paging occasion; the set of radio frames is a first set of radio frames; the one or more transmissions are one or more first transmissions; and the method comprising: determining a second paging occasion during a second active time period of a second cycle of the discontinuous reception based on a second partition of a second collection of paging occasions, wherein: the second collection of paging occasions comprises at least one paging occasion from at least some of a second set of radio frames to occur during the second cycle, and the second set of radio frames are based on continuity in network coverage occurring during the second cycle of discontinuous reception; and receiving one or more second transmissions during the second paging occasion.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising: determining the second set of radio frames for the second cycle of the discontinuous reception based on the continuity in network coverage occurring during the second cycle of the discontinuous reception.

28. The method of at least one of claims 26-27, wherein the second set of radio frames being based on continuity in network coverage occurring during the second cycle of the discontinuous reception comprises: the second set of radio frames being based on a time period corresponding to the cycle of the discontinuous reception.

29. The method of at least one of claims 1-28, wherein determining a paging occasion comprises: determining the paging occasion in any one of idle mode, inactive mode and connected mode.

30. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising circuitry, including a transmitter, a receiver, a processor and memory, configured to perform a method as in at least one of the preceding claims.

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