Carrier-Aware Uplink Scheduling via Quality Metrics
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Solution Overview
Problem
User equipment (UE) connected to LTE networks using carrier aggregation experiences inefficient uplink data transmission due to the MAC layer's lack of awareness about component carrier quality, leading to potential transmission on poorly performing carriers and reduced power efficiency across multiple carriers.
Innovation Solution
The UE determines component carrier quality metrics and selects the best carrier for uplink data transmission, using mechanisms such as modified MAC scheduling, forceful component carrier switching, and forceful release operations to ensure data is transmitted over high-quality carriers, thereby optimizing power distribution and improving transmission efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the MAC layer schedules uplink data packets on a first come first serve basis without carrier awareness, then the scheduling process is simple and fast, but high priority data packets may be transmitted on poorly performing component carriers leading to poor user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the UE measures component carrier quality metrics (CQM) and reports them to the network. The network uses this feedback to make informed scheduling decisions, selecting component carriers based on their quality rather than just scheduling order. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining scheduling efficiency while improving transmission reliability through quality-aware carrier selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary assessment of component carrier quality before scheduling uplink data transmissions. The UE measures and reports CQM metrics in advance, allowing the network to pre-identify suitable component carriers. This preliminary action ensures that when data packets need to be transmitted, the network can immediately select from pre-evaluated high-quality carriers, maintaining both scheduling speed and transmission reliability.
2Quantity of substance
If carrier aggregation is configured with multiple component carriers, then the available bandwidth is increased, but the maximum uplink transmit power is split among carriers reducing transmission efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by dynamically allocating transmit power to specific component carriers based on their individual quality metrics. Instead of uniform power distribution, the network concentrates power on component carriers with higher CQM values. This allows the system to maintain increased bandwidth through multiple carriers while improving power efficiency by focusing transmission energy on the most suitable carriers for each data packet.
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a user equipment (UE) that is connected to a network component, the user equipment and the network component configured with a carrier aggregation functionality. The UE performs a method that includes determining a primary component carrier and at least one secondary component carrier associated with the carrier aggregation functionality of the user equipment, determining a component carrier quality measurement (CQM) metric for each of the component carriers, when an uplink data packet is capable of being transmitted over the secondary component carrier, selecting one of the primary component carrier and the at least one secondary component carrier based on the CQM metrics, generating measurement data indicative of the selected component carrier to increase a probability to transmit the uplink data packet over the selected component carrier and transmitting the measurement data to the network component.