ACK Feedback Resource Mapping for Mixed-Service Wireless Slots

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face ambiguity in mapping downlink control channel transmissions to uplink acknowledgment feedback resources, particularly in cases where multiple services like URLLC and eMBB share the same slot, leading to unclear association of acknowledgment feedback with corresponding downlink shared channel transmissions.

Innovation Solution

Implementing codebook-based acknowledgment resources with feedback delay values associated with time domain resources of downlink shared channel transmissions, ensuring unambiguous mapping by configuring different delay values for different wireless services, and associating monitoring occasions or search spaces with specific acknowledgment feedback resources.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If codebook-based acknowledgment resources are used without service-specific delay values, then resource configuration is simpler, but ambiguity arises in mapping acknowledgment feedback to downlink transmissions when multiple services share the same slot

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource configuration complexityVSAvoidmapping ambiguity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the acknowledgment feedback resources by associating different feedback delay values (K1) with different time domain resources or search spaces. This segmentation allows the system to distinguish between multiple services (e.g., URLLC and eMBB) sharing the same slot, resolving the mapping ambiguity while maintaining a unified codebook-based framework.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by configuring service-specific feedback delay values for specific time domain resources or search spaces. Instead of a uniform configuration, each service or resource type receives tailored delay values, enabling unambiguous acknowledgment mapping while preserving the overall codebook-based resource determination approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If feedback delay values are associated with time domain resources or search spaces, then acknowledgment mapping becomes unambiguous, but the configuration and management of delay values becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveacknowledgment feedback reliabilityVSAvoiddelay value management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring feedback delay values (K1) associated with specific time domain resources or search spaces before actual data transmissions occur. This advance configuration ensures that when multiple services share a slot, the UE can immediately determine the correct acknowledgment resources without real-time decision complexity, thus improving reliability while managing complexity through pre-planning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If multiple services share the same slot, then resource utilization efficiency improves, but ambiguity in identifying corresponding acknowledgment resources increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidfeedback association clarity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves the ambiguity by introducing another dimension for resource identification: feedback delay values (K1) associated with specific time domain resources or search spaces. While multiple services share the same time slot (one dimension), the differentiated K1 values associated with different time domain resources or search spaces provide an additional distinguishing dimension, enabling clear feedback association without compromising resource utilization efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3888283B1Acknowledgment feedback techniques in wireless communications
Publication Date: 2025.12.17 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3888283B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3888283B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3888283B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described that provide for unambiguous mapping between downlink control channel transmissions, downlink shared channel transmissions, and uplink acknowledgment feedback resources. The uplink acknowledgment feedback resource may be located within a same transmission time interval (TTI). A base station may configure codebook-based acknowledgment resources from a user equipment (UE), and feedback delay values may be associated with time domain resources of the downlink shared channel transmissions. In some examples, feedback delay values may be associated with particular search spaces or monitoring occasions of the downlink control channel transmissions that include resource allocations for the downlink shared channel transmissions. A UE using codebook-based acknowledgment feedback resources may thus unambiguously identify uplink resources that are to be used for transmitting the uplink acknowledgment feedback.