Downlink Control Signaling for Cross-BWP Scheduling in 5G

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communications systems face challenges in efficiently managing frequency domain resources and power consumption in scenarios with varying bandwidth and numerology requirements, particularly in 5G networks, where UEs have different bandwidth capabilities and service types.

Innovation Solution

The base station configures carrier bandwidth parts (BWPs) with specific numerologies and adjusts BWP configurations based on service types and scenarios, using DCI to allocate frequency domain resources and implement BWP switching or cross-BWP scheduling, optimizing resource allocation and reducing power consumption by truncating information fields in DCI.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the network device sends DCI with full information fields for all BWPs, then the scheduling flexibility and resource allocation capability are improved, but the power consumption of UE increases and resource utilization efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescheduling flexibilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes unnecessary information fields from the DCI message based on the active BWP configuration. When a BWP has a narrower bandwidth than the maximum supported bandwidth, the DCI is truncated to exclude resource allocation fields that would correspond to frequencies outside the active BWP's range, thereby reducing UE power consumption while maintaining scheduling flexibility within the active BWP.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic DCI formatting where the structure and length of DCI messages adapt based on the currently active BWP configuration. The DCI information fields are dynamically adjusted to match the active BWP's bandwidth characteristics, allowing the system to optimize between full scheduling capability and power efficiency depending on the operational context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the network device configures multiple BWPs with different numerologies, then the adaptability to different service types is improved, but the device complexity and configuration management difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice type adaptabilityVSAvoidconfiguration management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the overall bandwidth into multiple BWPs, each with specific numerology configurations tailored to different service types. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by handling each BWP as an independent configuration unit with dedicated parameters, rather than managing a single complex configuration for all services.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal BWP configuration framework where each BWP can serve multiple purposes. The same BWP configuration structure supports different numerologies (subcarrier spacings, cyclic prefix types) to accommodate various service types including eMBB, URLLC, and mMTC, making the configuration system multi-functional and adaptable.

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

3Productivity

If the DCI includes resource allocation for the entire maximum bandwidth, then the resource allocation capability is improved, but the resource utilization efficiency decreases when UEs operate on narrower BWPs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation capabilityVSAvoidresource utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality optimization by truncating DCI resource allocation fields to match the specific bandwidth of the active BWP. Instead of uniformly allocating resources across the entire maximum bandwidth for all UEs, the DCI message is locally adapted to allocate resources only within the active BWP's frequency range, improving resource utilization efficiency while maintaining adequate allocation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4221403B1Downlink control information transmission method
Publication Date: 2026.04.08 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4221403B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4221403B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4221403B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

This application provides a downlink control information transmission method and an apparatus. The method includes: receiving first downlink control information DCI in search space of a first carrier bandwidth part BWP, where if a frequency domain resource allocation type of the first BWP is a type 0, an Lf -bit frequency domain resource allocation indication in the first DCI is an Lf -bit bitmap, and bits in the Lf - bit bitmap in descending order are respectively corresponding to resource block groups RBG 0 to RBG (Lf -1) in a second BWP; and for one bit in the Lf -bit bitmap, when a value of the bit is 11, an allocated resource includes one RBG corresponding to the bit. According to this method, BWP switching or cross-BWP scheduling can be performed by using a truncated information field.