BWP Frequency Hopping for eRedCap Spectrum Efficiency
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Enhanced reduced capability (eRedcap) UEs face significant degradation in spectrum efficiency and throughput performance due to reduced bandwidth, lacking frequency diversity gain compared to non-eRedcap UEs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing bandwidth part (BWP) based frequency hopping (FH) operations, including configurations for parent and child BWPs, sub-band approaches, and dynamic activation/deactivation mechanisms to enhance frequency diversity gain for eRedcap UEs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If eRedcap UEs use reduced bandwidth (5 MHz or 10 MHz) to lower device complexity and power consumption, then device complexity and energy use are reduced, but spectrum efficiency and throughput performance degrade significantly due to lack of frequency diversity gain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the available spectrum into multiple bandwidth parts (BWPs), each with specific frequency resource parameters. The UE is configured with multiple BWPs (first BWP and second BWP) that it can hop between, effectively segmenting the frequency resources to achieve diversity gain while maintaining reduced bandwidth operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic BWP switching through frequency hopping, where the UE transitions between different BWPs based on network scheduling decisions. This dynamic behavior allows the UE to exploit frequency diversity over time, changing which frequency resources are used for transmission and reception to avoid deep fades and interference.
2Adaptability or versatility
If eRedcap UEs operate with limited bandwidth (up to 11 PRBs) to meet reduced capability requirements, then device complexity is reduced, but frequency diversity gain is lost leading to performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the frequency resource usage from a single narrow BWP to multiple BWPs separated by frequency offsets. By introducing the frequency dimension through BWP hopping with configured offsets, the UE achieves frequency diversity without increasing its instantaneous bandwidth capability, effectively using another dimension (time-varying frequency selection) to compensate for limited bandwidth.
Solution Approach 2:
The network pre-configures multiple BWPs with specific frequency resource parameters and offsets before the UE begins communication. This preliminary configuration allows the UE to immediately utilize frequency diversity through pre-planned BWP hopping patterns, rather than requiring complex real-time frequency selection algorithms.
3Productivity
If multiple BWPs are configured for frequency hopping to enhance frequency diversity, then spectrum efficiency improves through frequency diversity gain, but device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The UE autonomously determines the frequency resource parameters for hopping BWPs based on pre-configured parameters from the network. The UE uses the configured first frequency resource parameters and frequency offset to automatically calculate and switch to the second BWP's frequency resources without requiring complex network coordination or additional signaling for each hop.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the frequency resource parameters (physical resource block offsets, frequency locations) of BWPs to create diversity. By configuring different frequency offsets and resource parameters for multiple BWPs, the system enables frequency hopping that exploits parameter variations to achieve diversity gain while keeping the overall mechanism manageable through standardized parameter configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A user equipment (UE) is configured to receive a configuration from a network for parameters including time and frequency resource parameters for a first bandwidth part (BWP) and frequency hopping (FH) parameters for determining time and frequency resource parameters for one or more FH BWPs from the first BWP, determine the time and frequency resource parameters for the one or more FH BWPs based in part on information included in the configuration, the time and frequency resource parameters for the FH BWPs including at least a first physical resource block (PRB) offset between the first BWP and a first FH BWP, receive a scheduling downlink control information (DCI) indicating the first BWP and a subset of the determined FH BWPs are activated for a first channel and perform uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) communications on the first channel in the first BWP and the one or more FH BWPs.