Control Channel Code Points for Lower-Overhead Scheduling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in reducing the overhead and complexity of L1/L2 control signaling, particularly for delay-sensitive services with small data packets, leading to inefficient resource utilization and increased mobile station complexity.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of code points in control channel signals to indicate scheduling modes, allowing for reduced signaling overhead by combining control channel fields to implicitly convey scheduling information, thereby simplifying decoding and optimizing resource allocation for different service types.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional dynamic scheduling with explicit control signaling is used, then scheduling flexibility and resource allocation precision are improved, but control signaling overhead and mobile station complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescheduling flexibilityVSAvoidcontrol signaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple control channel fields (HARQ process number field and redundancy version field) into a unified code point structure. Instead of transmitting separate fields for HARQ process number and redundancy version, the invention combines them into a single code point that implicitly indicates both parameters, thereby reducing control signaling overhead while maintaining scheduling flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces code points as an intermediary mechanism between the scheduler and the mobile station. These code points serve as compact representations that carry multiple pieces of scheduling information (HARQ process number, redundancy version, and scheduling mode) in a condensed form, reducing the amount of explicit control signaling required

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If separate control channel fields are used for HARQ process number and redundancy version, then information completeness is improved, but signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the HARQ process number field and redundancy version field into a single code point structure. The code point simultaneously encodes both the HARQ process number and redundancy version information, ensuring that all necessary information is conveyed while reducing the total number of bits required for signaling

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The code point structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it identifies the HARQ process number, indicates the redundancy version, and can also signal the scheduling mode (persistent or dynamic). This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated fields for each parameter, reducing overall signaling overhead

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

3Device complexity

If code points are used to indicate scheduling mode, then signaling overhead is reduced, but decoding complexity at mobile station increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignaling overheadVSAvoiddecoding complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary configuration of code points and their meanings at the network side. The base station pre-defines the mapping between code point values and scheduling modes (persistent or dynamic), allowing the mobile station to simply look up the scheduling mode based on the received code point without performing complex analysis, thereby reducing decoding complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation from multiple separate fields to a unified code point parameter. This parameter transformation consolidates multiple pieces of information into a single value that can be efficiently processed and looked up, reducing the computational complexity at the mobile station while maintaining information completeness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3846563B1Control channel signaling using code points for indicating the scheduling mode
Publication Date: 2025.10.29 PANASONIC HOLDINGS CORP
  • EP3846563B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3846563B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3846563B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a control channel signal for use in a mobile communication system providing at least two different scheduling modes. Further the invention relates to a scheduling unit for generating the control channel signal and a base station comprising the scheduling unit. The invention also relates to the operation of a mobile station and a base station for implementing a scheduling mode using the control channel signal proposed by the invention. In order to facilitate the use of different scheduling schemes for user data transmission while avoiding an additional flag for indicating the scheduling mode in the control signaling, the invention proposes the use of code points in existing control channel signal fields. Further, the invention proposes a specific scheduling mode for use in combination with the proposed new control channel signal according to the invention. According to this scheduling mode control channel information is only provided for retransmissions, while initial transmissions are decoded using blind detection.