Dual Connectivity Uplink Transmission via Semi-Persistent Resource Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face challenges in supporting dual connectivity in new radio access technology (NR) due to limitations in beamforming and resource management, particularly with the need for efficient uplink transmission and spectrum sharing between carrier groups, which affects coverage and throughput.
Innovation Solution
The method involves designing a control channel for dual connectivity in NR, allowing for synchronous and asynchronous operations, and sharing uplink spectrum between carrier groups, enabling user equipment to perform uplink transmission using semi-statically configured resources, thereby optimizing resource utilization and beamforming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple transceivers are installed to enable independent beamforming for each antenna element, then beamforming gain and coverage are improved, but device cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the beamforming function into two independent parts: digital beamforming at the transceiver level and analog beamforming at the antenna element level. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high beamforming gain through analog processing without requiring a transceiver for each antenna element, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining coverage reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines digital beamforming and analog beamforming into a hybrid beamforming architecture. The digital beamforming handles signal processing at the transceiver level, while analog beamforming handles phase and amplitude adjustment at the antenna level. This merging allows the system to achieve the benefits of both approaches with reduced overall complexity.
2Device complexity
If a hybrid beamforming scheme with B transceivers and Q antenna elements is used, then device cost is reduced, but the number of simultaneous beam directions is limited to less than B
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the beamforming capability from the traditional transceiver dimension to the antenna element dimension through analog phase shifters. This allows the system to create multiple beam directions simultaneously by adjusting phase shifts at the antenna level, effectively increasing the number of usable beam directions beyond the number of transceivers without adding more transceivers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic phase adjustment capability through analog phase shifters at each antenna element. This dynamic control allows the system to rapidly switch between different beam directions and create multiple simultaneous beams, enhancing adaptability without increasing the number of transceivers or overall device complexity.
3Productivity
If uplink transmission is allowed on both carrier groups simultaneously, then throughput is improved, but resource management complexity and interference increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic time-division multiplexing for uplink transmission between the first and second carrier groups. Instead of allowing simultaneous transmission which would cause interference, the system alternates transmission opportunities periodically, reducing resource management complexity and interference while maintaining acceptable throughput levels through efficient time scheduling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows partial simultaneous transmission by enabling uplink on one carrier group primarily, with optional opportunistic transmission on the other carrier group when resources are available. This partial action approach balances throughput improvement with resource management complexity, avoiding full simultaneous transmission that would cause excessive interference.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and an apparatus for supporting dual connectivity (DC) in new radio access technology (NR) are provided. As an embodiment, a method for performing uplink (UL) transmission by user equipment (UE) is provided. More specifically, the UE receives a semi-persistent configuration with respect to a first UL resource of a first carrier group (CG) and a second UL resource of a second CG that are separated from one another, and performs UL transmission to the first CG using the first UL resource only.