Carrier Aggregation Feedback Timing for UE Capability-Based Activation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently managing carrier aggregation and bandwidth part configurations to optimize data throughput and adapt to diverse user equipment capabilities in next-generation networks.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of methods and apparatuses for controlling and configuring component carriers and bandwidth parts, including flexible activation/deactivation, to enhance data throughput and adapt to varying user equipment capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If carrier aggregation and bandwidth part configurations are activated to increase network capacity and data throughput, then network capacity and throughput are improved, but system complexity and resource management overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata throughputVSAvoidconfiguration management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the network receives capability reports from user equipment regarding CA and BWP support, and adjusts configurations based on this feedback. The network determines response timing for activation commands based on UE capabilities, creating a closed-loop system that adapts configuration complexity to actual device needs and network conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables dynamic activation and deactivation of carrier aggregation and bandwidth parts based on real-time network conditions and user equipment capabilities. Configuration parameters such as response timing are adjusted dynamically rather than being fixed, allowing the system to optimize between throughput and complexity on-demand

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If carrier aggregation is configured to serve diverse user equipment capabilities, then adaptability is improved, but configuration management overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveUE capability adaptabilityVSAvoidconfiguration management overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different configuration strategies to different user equipment based on their individual capabilities. Each UE receives tailored CA and BWP configurations matched to its specific capabilities rather than a uniform configuration, allowing the network to optimize for each device type while managing overall complexity through capability-based grouping

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes configuration parameters such as response timing for activation commands based on UE capability categories. By defining different parameter sets for different capability levels, the system achieves broad adaptability without manually managing every possible configuration variant, reducing management overhead through parameterization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4057717B1Feedback timing and uplink control information resource management for carrier aggregation activation
Publication Date: 2026.04.22 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP4057717B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4057717B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4057717B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Aspects of the present disclose provide various methods and apparatuses for communicating, controlling, and configuring component carrier and bandwidth part (BWP). A scheduling entity receives a capability report from a user equipment (UE). The capability report indicates a capability of the UE to utilize at least one of carrier aggregation (CA) or one or more bandwidth parts. The scheduling entity transmits a command to the UE to reconfigure at least one of a CA configuration or a bandwidth part (BWP) configuration. The scheduling entity determines an anticipated response timing of an acknowledgment (ACK) of the command based on the capability report received from the UE. The scheduling entity receives the ACK according to the anticipated response timing.