Carrier Aggregation Mixed Numerologies Scheduling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems, particularly in 5G networks, face challenges in efficiently managing carrier aggregation with different numerologies, which affects the scheduling and feedback mechanisms across component carriers, leading to suboptimal performance in handling diverse transmission time intervals and quality of service requirements for various wireless communication services.

Innovation Solution

The method involves scheduling downlink transmissions and receiving uplink control information across component carriers with different numerologies, allowing for cross-carrier scheduling and feedback handling to accommodate diverse numerologies, ensuring efficient communication and quality of service for services like eMBB, mMTC, and URLLC by aligning timing and resource allocation across carriers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If carrier aggregation with different numerologies is implemented, then spectral efficiency and service diversity are improved, but scheduling complexity and feedback management difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespectral efficiencyVSAvoidscheduling complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the carrier aggregation system into multiple scheduling entities, where each component carrier can be independently scheduled. The feedback management is divided into separate feedback processes for each numerology type, allowing independent optimization of scheduling algorithms for each carrier group without affecting others.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic scheduling configurations that adapt to different numerology requirements. The base station can dynamically adjust scheduling parameters, feedback timing, and resource allocation based on the specific numerology of each component carrier, enabling flexible management of heterogeneous carriers with varying transmission time intervals.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If different transmission time intervals are used across component carriers, then quality of service for diverse services is improved, but feedback timing alignment and resource allocation complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality of service adaptabilityVSAvoidfeedback timing alignment complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by allowing each component carrier to have its own feedback timing configuration tailored to its specific numerology and service requirements. Instead of enforcing a uniform feedback timing across all carriers, each carrier can have optimized feedback intervals that match its transmission time interval, enabling service-specific QoS management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an additional dimension in feedback management by implementing feedback timing that operates independently for each numerology group. This multi-dimensional feedback structure allows simultaneous support of different transmission time intervals without requiring complex cross-carrier timing alignment, as each dimension (numerology group) has its own timing reference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Adaptability or versatility

If cross-carrier scheduling is implemented for mixed numerologies, then resource allocation flexibility is improved, but control signal overhead and processing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation flexibilityVSAvoidcontrol signal overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements universal scheduling structures that can function across different numerologies. The cross-carrier scheduling mechanism uses a unified control format that can accommodate multiple numerology types, reducing the need for separate control signaling for each carrier type and minimizing control overhead while maintaining flexibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3665839B1Carrier aggregation (CA) of mixed numerologies
Publication Date: 2023.02.22 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3665839B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3665839B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3665839B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for handling carrier aggregation (CA) involving component carriers (CCs) having different numerologies.