Configured Grant COT Sharing for Low-Latency Unlicensed Uplink
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication networks face inefficiencies and increased latency due to multiple network operating entities contending for shared radio frequency spectrum, leading to interference and signaling overhead, particularly in unlicensed bands.
Innovation Solution
A user equipment (UE) acquires a channel occupancy time (COT) through a successful listen before talk (LBT) procedure and determines whether COT sharing is enabled, identifying relevant information for a serving base station via an uplink control message, facilitating efficient sharing of COT resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple network operating entities contend for shared radio frequency spectrum, then spectrum utilization is achieved, but interference and signaling overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The UE performs LBT procedure in advance to acquire COT before actual data transmission. By securing channel access beforehand and announcing the COT duration to the base station, the system eliminates the need for continuous contention during data transmission, thereby reducing interference and signaling overhead while maintaining high spectrum utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The COT sharing mechanism acts as an intermediary between the UE and base station. The UE acquires COT through LBT and shares it with the base station by providing COT information in uplink control messages. This intermediary arrangement allows coordinated transmission without continuous contention, reducing interference while enabling efficient spectrum use.
2Reliability
If COT sharing is enabled with full COT information reporting, then network coordination is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential COT information elements needed for network coordination. Instead of reporting complete COT details, the system identifies and transmits only critical parameters (such as COT duration, timing information, and resource allocation), thereby maintaining reliable network coordination while minimizing signaling overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by reporting a subset of COT information rather than complete details. The UE provides sufficient COT information for the base station to coordinate transmissions effectively, without transmitting all possible COT parameters. This partial reporting approach achieves the necessary coordination while reducing signaling overhead.
3Ease of operation
If LBT procedure is performed before each transmission, then fair spectrum access is achieved, but communication latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The UE performs the LBT procedure in advance to acquire a COT that spans multiple transmission opportunities. By securing channel access beforehand for an extended period, the system eliminates the need to perform LBT before each individual transmission, thereby maintaining fair spectrum access through initial contention while significantly reducing communication latency during data transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The COT mechanism enables continuous useful action by allowing the UE to transmit data without repeated LBT interruptions. Once the UE successfully contends for the channel and acquires COT, it can continue transmitting data throughout the COT duration without performing additional LBT procedures, thereby maintaining fair access while eliminating latency caused by repeated contention.
Data Source
AI summary
Configured grant (CG) channel occupancy time (COT) sharing procedure is disclosed. A user equipment (UE) sharing a COT may indicate in the uplink control indicator (UCI) the remaining COT duration, an offset indication identifying where the uplink transmission is expected to end, and a channel access priority class (CAPC) which may be used by the base station to determine which type of data may be included in downlink transmissions in the shared COT. Where the energy detection (ED) threshold has not been configured for COT sharing, the UE may reduce the information included in the UCI. The base station may alternatively configured which information for the UE to include in the UCI for potential COT sharing. The COT sharing information may further be compressed by coding such information into tables or leveraging knowledge of transmission characteristics, such as configured end points.