DRX Retransmission Timer Management for Wireless Packet Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, particularly in LTE, user equipment (UE) experiences packet loss due to the single DRX retransmission timer managing multiple DL HARQ processes, leading to missed retransmission packets during discontinuous reception.
Innovation Solution
The method involves separately managing retransmission reception timings for each DL HARQ process by assigning a distinct DRX retransmission timer for each process, ensuring that other processes do not stop waiting for their retransmission packets even if one process receives a retransmission, thereby preventing packet loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single DRX retransmission timer is used to manage multiple DL HARQ processes, then device complexity is reduced, but packet loss occurs due to timer conflicts between processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single shared DRX retransmission timer into multiple separate timers, with each timer dedicated to a specific DL HARQ process. This segmentation eliminates timer conflicts between different HARQ processes, ensuring that each process can independently manage its retransmission timing without interfering with others, thereby preventing packet loss while maintaining manageable complexity through systematic organization
2Ease of operation
If the DRX retransmission timer is restarted for each detected packet, then retransmission detection timing is simplified, but retransmission packets are missed when multiple processes share the same timer
Solution Approach 1:
By assigning dedicated timers to each HARQ process, the system maintains the simplicity of restarting a timer upon packet detection while eliminating the harmful side effect of timer conflicts. Each process's timer operates independently, ensuring that restarting a timer for one process does not affect the timing of other processes, thus preserving both ease of operation and reliability
3Use of energy by moving object
If UE enters standby mode after receiving one retransmission packet, then energy consumption is reduced, but other pending retransmission packets are missed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the UE to enter standby mode more aggressively by using separate timers for each HARQ process. Since each timer independently tracks its own process's retransmission timing, the UE can confidently enter standby when one timer expires without fearing that other processes will miss their retransmissions. This segmentation thus reduces energy consumption while maintaining complete packet reception reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses independent timer feedback for each HARQ process to determine when the UE can safely enter standby mode. Each timer provides feedback about its specific process's timing status, allowing the UE to make informed decisions about when to wake up and when to remain in standby, optimizing energy consumption while ensuring no packets are missed
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for improving discontinuous reception for a user equipment of a wireless communication system includes separately managing retransmission reception time limits of a plurality of downlink hybrid automatic repeat request, hereinafter called DL HARQ, processes when the discontinuous reception is used in the plurality of DL HARQ processes.