eNode B DCI Allocation for Coverage-Enhanced PDSCH Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication methods face challenges in designing downlink control information (DCI) for UEs requiring coverage enhancement, particularly in Machine-Type Communication (MTC), as the DCI size significantly impacts UE active time and power consumption, necessitating efficient resource allocation in both time and frequency domains.
Innovation Solution
The method involves designing DCI based on coverage enhancement levels, using different sizes for different sets of coverage enhancement levels, and employing joint or separate resource assignment fields to indicate resource allocation in both domains, optimizing DCI size and UE active time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If DCI size is increased to provide more detailed resource assignment information, then resource allocation precision is improved, but UE active time increases and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The DCI format is segmented into different fields with different precision levels. The resource assignment is divided into frequency domain resource assignment (FDRA) and time domain resource assignment (TDRA), where only the necessary precision is provided for each field based on the coverage enhancement level, avoiding unnecessary information that would increase DCI size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the DCI size and field structure according to coverage enhancement levels. For different CE levels, different DCI formats are used with varying degrees of resource assignment detail, optimizing the balance between allocation precision and DCI size for each specific scenario.
2Manufacturing precision
If DCI size is increased to provide more detailed resource assignment information, then resource allocation precision is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The DCI structure is segmented to include only the essential resource assignment fields needed for the specific coverage enhancement level. By dividing the resource assignment into frequency and time domains with appropriate precision for each, the patent reduces unnecessary information transmission, thereby reducing UE processing power consumption while maintaining adequate allocation precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes DCI parameters (size, field structure, precision) based on coverage enhancement levels. For higher CE levels, simplified DCI formats with reduced precision are used, directly reducing the processing burden and power consumption of the UE while still providing sufficient resource allocation information for the given channel conditions.
3Loss of time
If DCI size is reduced to minimize UE active time, then power consumption is reduced, but resource allocation precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The resource assignment information is segmented into frequency domain and time domain components, with each segment providing the minimum necessary precision for the specific coverage enhancement level. This segmentation allows the DCI to be compact while still conveying adequate resource allocation details by distributing information across multiple fields rather than requiring a single large field.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts DCI parameters including size, field structure, and precision based on the determined coverage enhancement level. For each CE level, the optimal DCI format is selected to achieve the right balance between size reduction and maintaining sufficient resource allocation precision for the specific radio conditions.
4Reliability
If coverage enhancement is implemented for MTC UEs in basement environments, then communication coverage is improved, but signal strength loss due to penetration loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adaptation by determining coverage enhancement levels based on actual channel conditions and UE capabilities. The DCI format, resource assignment precision, and transmission parameters are dynamically adjusted according to the determined CE level, allowing the system to optimize communication reliability for basement environments while adapting to varying penetration loss conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting multiple transmission and reception parameters based on coverage enhancement levels. These include DCI size, resource assignment precision, repetition factors, and resource allocation strategies, all of which are modified to compensate for signal strength loss in penetration-prone environments like basements, thereby improving overall communication coverage and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit includes reception circuitry that controls of a reception of first downlink control information (DCI) used for a first coverage enhancement (CE) level, the first DCI including frequency domain information and time domain information, the frequency domain information indicating a number of physical resource blocks (PRBs) from a plurality of candidates for the number of PRBs in a frequency domain within a narrowband which is a part of a bandwidth, and the time domain information indicating a number of repetitions in a time domain; and demodulation circuitry that controls a demodulation of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) based on the number of PRBs and the number of repetitions in the time domain. A number of bits of the first DCI is smaller than that of second DCI used for a second CE level, the second CE level being lower than the first CE level.