Wireless Command Acknowledgment via Confirmation Field Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication networks, existing signaling schemes face ambiguity in acknowledging commands, particularly when multiple operating configurations are activated or released simultaneously, leading to uncertainty about the receipt of commands by User Equipment (UE) due to bit toggling mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves methods where User Equipment (UE) and access nodes use confirmation fields with specific values to acknowledge commands, allowing for selective transmission or refraining from transmission of acknowledgement messages based on whether the second value differs from the first, thereby resolving ambiguity and ensuring clear confirmation of command receipt.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If a single confirmation bit is used to acknowledge multiple commands, then signaling overhead is reduced, but ambiguity arises when multiple operating configurations are activated or released simultaneously

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignaling overheadVSAvoidcommand receipt confirmation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the acknowledgment mechanism by introducing separate confirmation bits for different command types (activation commands and release commands). Instead of using a single shared bit that causes ambiguity, the acknowledgment structure is divided into distinct fields: a first confirmation bit for activation commands and a second confirmation bit for release commands. This segmentation eliminates the ambiguity while maintaining efficient signaling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If bit toggling is used to indicate command receipt, then acknowledgment is simplified, but reliability decreases when multiple commands of the same type are received

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveacknowledgment mechanism simplicityVSAvoidcommand acknowledgment reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional bit-toggling approach by using separate confirmation bits that are set based on the type of command received, rather than toggling a shared bit. When an activation command is received, the first confirmation bit is set; when a release command is received, the second confirmation bit is set. This inversion of the acknowledgment mechanism maintains simplicity while eliminating the reliability issues caused by toggling the same bit multiple times.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11212058B2Command acknowledgment in a wireless communication system

Publication Date: 2021.12.28 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

A user equipment (105), UE, is configured for use in a wireless communication system (100). The UE (105) acknowledges one or more first commands received from an access node (110) by transmitting, to the access node (110), a first acknowledgment comprising a confirmation field set to a first value. After acknowledging the one or more first commands, the UE (105) acknowledges one or more second commands received from the access node (110) by selectively transmitting or refraining from transmitting, to the access node (110), a second acknowledgement comprising the confirmation field set to a second value depending respectively on whether or not the second value would be different from the first value.