Base Station PRB Scheduling for Multiple User Equipment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing LTE communication systems face limitations in scheduling resources, leading to increased delays and higher processing loads in base stations, as they need to reserve resources for prioritized users and use a large portion of physical resource blocks for PUCCH, limiting the number of users that can be handled with low delay.

Innovation Solution

A method in a base station that allocates a single physical resource block scheduling resource to multiple user equipment, allowing for efficient granting of scheduling requests by determining the highest prioritized user equipment and eliminating candidates involved in data traffic, discontinuous reception, or out-of-sync states, thereby reducing the need for random access procedures and optimizing resource allocation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a large portion of physical resource blocks are allocated for PUCCH scheduling resources to ensure all users have dedicated scheduling resources, then scheduling reliability is improved, but the number of available PRBs for traffic data is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescheduling request reliabilityVSAvoidavailable PRBs for traffic data

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple user equipments are merged to share the same PUCCH scheduling resource, allowing them to collectively use a single PRB for scheduling requests. This combining approach reduces the total number of PRBs needed for PUCCH while maintaining scheduling capability for all users.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The PUCCH scheduling resource is made universal by allowing it to serve multiple user equipments simultaneously. Instead of dedicating exclusive resources to each UE, the same resource becomes multi-functional, handling scheduling requests from multiple UEs through shared access mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Device complexity

If random access procedure is used for scheduling requests when PUCCH resources are limited, then resource allocation complexity is reduced, but access delay increases and processing load in base station increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescheduling resource allocation complexityVSAvoidaccess delay

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

User equipments are pre-configured with shared PUCCH scheduling resources through RRC signaling before actual data transmission occurs. This preliminary allocation allows UEs to immediately use the shared resource for scheduling requests without initiating random access procedures, thereby reducing access delay while maintaining manageable complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of time

If dedicated PUCCH scheduling resources are allocated to each user equipment, then access delay is reduced, but the number of users that can be handled is limited due to resource constraints

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescheduling access delayVSAvoidnumber of users handled

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of resource allocation from exclusive one-to-one mapping to shared many-to-one mapping. By modifying how resources are assigned (from dedicated to shared), the system can support a larger number of users with the same physical resource blocks, thereby increasing productivity without sacrificing access speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If scheduling resources are reserved for prioritized user equipment, then service quality for emergency calls is improved, but resource allocation complexity and processing load increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice quality for prioritized usersVSAvoidscheduling resource handling complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of creating a separate resource allocation system for prioritized users, the patent applies local quality differentiation within the shared resource framework. Specific UEs are identified as prioritized and given preferential treatment in the grant decision process, while using the same shared PUCCH resources as other users. This maintains service quality differentiation without adding complex separate resource management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2698027B1Method in a base station for allocating communication resources to a user equipment

Publication Date: 2017.06.21 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a method 50 in a base station 2 for allocating communication resources to a user equipment 4, 5,..., n. The base station 2 supports the use of a single physical resource block, PRB, scheduling resource for two or more user equipment 4, 5,..., n. The method 50 comprises: receiving 51, from a user equipment 4, 5,..., n, a scheduling request on the PRB scheduling resource; and granting access 52 to a selected user equipment 4, 5,..., n of the two or more user equipment 4, 5,..., n using the PRB scheduling resource. The invention also relates to a base station, computer program and computer program products.