Dynamic LBT Parameter Adjustment for URLLC Channel Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

The deployment of ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) over unlicensed spectrum faces challenges due to contention nature and low-latency requirements, where existing channel access contention management techniques struggle to prioritize high-priority traffic effectively.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a base station (BS) configuring user equipment (UE) with dynamic scheduling grants or semi-static configured grants that include listen-before-talk (LBT) parameters, allowing the BS to control channel access contention priority by modifying LBT parameters and restricting out-of-COT CG-UL transmissions based on in-COT SUL transmissions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If LBT procedure is used to avoid collisions in shared spectrum, then channel access reliability is improved, but transmission latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel access reliabilityVSAvoidtransmission latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic LBT parameter adjustment where the base station modifies contention window sizes and LBT configuration based on real-time channel conditions and traffic priority. High-priority URLLC traffic receives optimized LBT parameters that reduce backoff time and increase access probability, dynamically balancing reliability requirements with latency constraints for different service types

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes LBT parameters such as contention window size, energy detection thresholds, and backoff counters based on channel occupancy patterns and traffic priority. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system achieves both high reliability through proper collision avoidance and low latency through optimized access timing for urgent traffic

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If dynamic LBT parameter adjustment is implemented to prioritize high-priority traffic, then QoS for URLLC is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveQoS for URLLCVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments LBT parameter management by traffic priority levels and service types. Different QoS flows receive different LBT configurations managed through separate parameter sets, allowing the system to handle URLLC, eMBB, and other traffic types with appropriate priority handling without requiring complete reconfiguration for each traffic type

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The base station implements feedback mechanisms where LBT performance metrics such as channel access success rates, collision detection, and latency measurements are monitored and used to automatically adjust LBT parameters. This closed-loop control simplifies management by using measured performance data to drive parameter optimization rather than requiring complex manual configuration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4074126B1Channel access contention management for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC)
Publication Date: 2025.05.07 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP4074126B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4074126B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4074126B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Wireless communications systems and methods related to channel access contention management in a shared radio frequency band are provided. A first wireless communication device communicates, with a second wireless communication device, a grant for communicating a first communication signal, the grant indicating a listen-before-talk (LBT) configuration. The first wireless communication device communicates, with the second wireless communication device, a LBT configuration modification after communicating the grant. The first wireless communication device communicates, with the second wireless communication device, the first communication signal based on the LBT configuration modification.