Base Station HARQ Feedback Post-Indicator for URLLC Pre-emption

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current mobile telecommunications systems, particularly in the transition to 5G, face challenges in efficiently managing HARQ feedback and retransmissions due to the pre-emption of resources by ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) on existing LTE and LTE-A systems, which can corrupt enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) transmissions and disrupt the HARQ timeline.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a base station and user equipment circuitry that dynamically overrides the HARQ feedback schedule by using a post-indicator to postpone the HARQ ACK/NACK response, allowing sufficient time for the user equipment to process retransmitted data, and reschedules resources to ensure accurate HARQ feedback transmission after the completion of data processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If URLLC transmissions are allowed to pre-empt eMBB resources for low-latency communication, then URLLC reliability and latency are improved, but eMBB transmission integrity is corrupted and HARQ feedback timing is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveURLLC transmission reliabilityVSAvoideMBB transmission corruption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a post-indicator as an intermediary signal that mediates between URLLC pre-emption and eMBB HARQ feedback. The post-indicator is transmitted after the URLLC transmission to indicate whether eMBB resources were pre-empted, allowing the UE to adjust its HARQ feedback timing accordingly without corrupting the eMBB transmission integrity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic HARQ feedback timing adjustment based on URLLC pre-emption conditions. The HARQ feedback timeline is made flexible rather than fixed, allowing the UE to postpone its ACK/NACK transmission when pre-emption is detected, thus adapting the system to handle both URLLC low-latency requirements and eMBB reliability requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of time

If HARQ feedback is transmitted according to the original schedule after URLLC pre-emption, then HARQ feedback timing is maintained, but data processing is incomplete and feedback accuracy is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveHARQ feedback timingVSAvoidHARQ feedback accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the HARQ feedback timeline dynamic by allowing postponement of the ACK/NACK transmission when URLLC pre-emption occurs. The UE can adjust its feedback timing based on whether pre-emption was detected, ensuring that feedback is transmitted only after complete data processing while maintaining timing synchronization through the post-indicator mechanism

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If eMBB transmissions are protected from URLLC pre-emption to maintain transmission integrity, then eMBB reliability is improved, but URLLC low-latency communication capability is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveeMBB transmission integrityVSAvoidURLLC communication speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by protecting only the specific eMBB resources that are actually pre-empted by URLLC, rather than protecting all eMBB resources globally. The post-indicator provides localized information about which resources were affected, allowing selective adjustment of HARQ feedback timing only for the impacted transmissions, thus minimizing impact on URLLC performance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3580874B1Base station and user equipment
Publication Date: 2023.11.15 INTERDIGITAL PATENT HOLDINGS INC
  • EP3580874B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2(b)
  • EP3580874B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3580874B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A base station for a mobile telecommunications system has circuitry which is configured to communicate with at least one user equipment. The circuitry is further configured to: transmit a short data transmission within the time scheduled for a long data transmission; and schedule, based on the transmission of the short data, a HARQ ACK/NACK response relating to at least a part of the long data transmission.