Adaptive HARQ Feedback Management for Ultra Low Latency Wireless Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication systems, particularly in ultra low latency (ULL) environments, the challenge of providing timely hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback is exacerbated by the reduction of communication time slots to single symbol durations, making conventional HARQ feedback operations inefficient.

Innovation Solution

The receiving device modifies HARQ feedback operations by determining to turn off HARQ feedback or simplify it by excluding negative acknowledgement (NAK) or acknowledgement (ACK) reporting, based on evaluated conditions such as signaling, channel, or traffic conditions, which influences channel quality indicator (CQI) reporting and modulation and coding scheme (MCS) usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If communication time slots are reduced to single symbol duration in ULL environments, then latency is reduced, but timely reporting of HARQ feedback becomes challenging

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovelatencyVSAvoidtimely reporting of HARQ feedback
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments HARQ feedback reporting into multiple opportunities across different time slots when single symbol duration is insufficient. Instead of requiring all feedback in one compressed time slot, the system divides feedback reporting into multiple manageable segments that can be transmitted across available uplink resources, making the operation feasible within ULL constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces additional time dimension for HARQ feedback reporting by utilizing multiple time slots and subframes. When the time slot duration is reduced to single symbol, the system compensates by extending the feedback reporting across multiple time dimensions (different subframes, different uplink slots), effectively trading time compression for temporal distribution.

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

2Device complexity

If HARQ feedback operations are simplified by excluding NAK or ACK reporting, then system complexity is reduced, but data transmission reliability may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveHARQ feedback operation complexityVSAvoiddata transmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic HARQ feedback operations where the receiving device can adaptively turn off HARQ feedback or simplify it by excluding NAK or ACK reporting based on evaluated conditions. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to reduce complexity when conditions permit while maintaining reliability when needed, creating a flexible trade-off mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters of HARQ feedback by allowing the receiving device to modify feedback behavior (turn off completely, exclude NAK, exclude ACK) based on channel conditions, traffic conditions, and signaling. This parameter change approach enables the system to adapt feedback complexity to match current system state, reducing overhead when possible while preserving reliability when necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3266138B1Simplified HARQ management
Publication Date: 2019.11.20 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3266138B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3266138B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3266138B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods for managing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback are disclosed, where HARQ feedback operations by a receiving device may be modified. A receiving device may receive a data transmission. The receiving device may evaluate a condition for determining how to provide HARQ feedback in response to the data transmission. The receiving device may modify a HARQ feedback operation based at least in part on the condition. Modification of HARQ feedback operations may include turning off HARQ feedback, excluding negative acknowledgment (NAK) reporting, or excluding acknowledgement (ACK) reporting.