Asynchronous HARQ Receiver with Separate Memory Storage

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional HARQ solutions in 5G wireless communication systems face challenges with high latency and control overhead, particularly in dense Radio Access Technology (RAT) systems, where synchronous HARQ limits scheduling freedom and asynchronous HARQ requires significant signaling, and do not effectively support contention-based data transmissions.

Innovation Solution

A receiver and transmitter system that stores successfully and unsuccessfully decoded data packets separately, allowing for retransmissions without HARQ process ID synchronization and reduced control signaling, enabling asynchronous non-adaptive retransmissions and supporting contention-based data transmissions by combining received data packets with stored packets for decoding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If asynchronous HARQ is used, then scheduling freedom is improved, but control signaling overhead increases due to HARQ process ID and RV information requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescheduling freedomVSAvoidcontrol signaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the HARQ process ID and RV information from the control signaling. By using a pre-defined mapping between uplink grants and HARQ processes, the system eliminates the need to explicitly signal these parameters, thereby reducing control overhead while maintaining scheduling flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables the receiver to automatically determine the HARQ process ID and RV through a pre-configured mapping mechanism without requiring explicit signaling. This self-service approach allows the receiver to autonomously identify the correct HARQ process and redundancy version based on the uplink grant timing and format.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Loss of information

If synchronous HARQ is used, then control signaling is reduced, but scheduling freedom is limited due to fixed timing relationships

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol signaling overheadVSAvoidscheduling freedom
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic scheduling capabilities by allowing the HARQ process mapping to be determined by the uplink grant timing and format rather than fixed predetermined relationships. This dynamic approach enables the network to flexibly allocate resources while maintaining a simplified control signaling structure similar to synchronous HARQ.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Loss of information

If conventional HARQ solutions are used for contention-based transmissions, then signaling is minimized, but HARQ synchronization problems occur and retransmission reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol signalingVSAvoidretransmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a pre-defined mapping mechanism as an intermediary between the uplink grant and the HARQ process identification. This mapping acts as a mediator that resolves the synchronization ambiguity in contention-based transmissions by providing a deterministic relationship between the grant received and the HARQ process to be used, thereby improving retransmission reliability without requiring additional signaling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Measurement precision

If HARQ process ID and RV information are included in every transmission, then transmission accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases due to memory and processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission accuracyVSAvoidHARQ memory and processing
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the HARQ process ID and RV information from the explicit control signaling and replaces it with a compact pre-defined mapping mechanism. This reduction in explicitly signaled information decreases the memory and processing requirements at both transmitter and receiver, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining transmission accuracy through the mapping-based identification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3219038B1Methods and nodes in a wireless communication system
Publication Date: 2021.07.28 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3219038B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3219038B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~3C
  • EP3219038B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5B

AI summary

A transmitter (110), a method in a transmitter (110), a receiver (120) and a method (700) in a receiver (120) for communicating data packets from a transmitter (110). The method (700) comprises receiving (701) a data packet and determining (702) if it is a re- or new transmission; and, when it is a retransmission: combining (703) the received (701) data packet with oldest unsuccessfully decoded data packet stored in a second memory (850); decoding (704) the received (701) data packet when it is determined (702) to be a new transmission, or decoding (704) the combined (703) data packet and oldest unsuccessfully decoded data packet stored in the second memory (850) when it is a retransmission; checking (705) if the decoding (704) is successful; deleting (706) the oldest stored data packet in the first memory (840); storing (707) the decoded (704) data packet in the first memory (840) when the decoding (704) is successful or storing (707) the decoded (704) data packet in the second memory (850) when the decoding (704) is not successful; and transmitting (708) feed-back information to the transmitter (110), concerning the successfulness in the decoding (704).