Extended Carrier Aggregation via Dual PUCCH Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

LTE Rel. 10/11/12 limits the maximum number of component carriers that can be allocated to each user terminal to five, restricting flexible and high-speed wireless communication, and extended carrier aggregation requires PUCCH extension and MAC system changes.

Innovation Solution

The solution enables extended carrier aggregation by utilizing dual-PUCCHs and bundling ACK/NACK bits, allowing up to 20 component carriers without PUCCH extension or MAC system changes, and includes methods for efficient resource management and power consumption reduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the number of component carriers is increased beyond five, then the peak communication data rate is improved, but the device complexity and system configuration complexity increase due to requiring PUCCH extension and MAC system changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepeak communication data rateVSAvoidsystem configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the component carriers into multiple groups, with each group associated with a separate PUCCH resource. This allows the system to handle more than five component carriers by dividing them into manageable segments, each with its own acknowledgment feedback mechanism, thereby increasing peak data rate without requiring complete PUCCH extension

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new dimension for managing component carriers by associating multiple PUCCH resources with different component carrier groups. This dimensional approach allows the system to scale beyond the traditional five-carrier limit by adding PUCCH resource dimensions rather than extending the existing single-PUCCH structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If extended carrier aggregation is implemented to allocate at least six component carriers, then wireless communication flexibility and speed are improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring PUCCH extension and MAC system changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewireless communication flexibilityVSAvoidsystem operation simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting component carriers into groups and assigning separate PUCCH resources to each group, the patent maintains operational simplicity for each segment while achieving extended carrier aggregation capabilities. This segmentation allows the system to operate with six or more carriers without requiring complex PUCCH extension or MAC system changes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal framework where multiple PUCCH resources can be used for acknowledgment feedback across different component carrier groups. This multi-functional approach allows the same PUCCH mechanism to serve multiple carriers simultaneously, maintaining ease of operation while achieving extended carrier aggregation

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

3Productivity

If more component carriers are allocated to each user terminal, then the communication throughput is improved, but the power consumption increases due to increased resource allocation and control overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication throughputVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments component carriers into groups with separate PUCCH resources, allowing the user terminal to manage and activate only the necessary segments. This segmentation enables the terminal to maintain high throughput by using multiple carriers while reducing power consumption by selectively activating only the required carrier groups based on traffic demands

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables dynamic configuration of PUCCH resources for different component carrier groups. The user terminal can dynamically activate or deactivate specific PUCCH resources and their associated carrier groups based on current communication needs, thereby optimizing the balance between throughput and power consumption in real-time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3217747B1User terminal, wireless base station, wireless communication system, and wireless communication method for ACK/NACK transmission and reception
Publication Date: 2022.11.23 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP3217747B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP3217747B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3217747B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

An object is to enable proper operation of extended carrier aggregation that can allocate at least six component carriers to each user terminal. Provided is a user terminal that communicates with a radio base station that configures a plurality of cell groups each of which including one or more cells. The user terminal includes: a control unit that controls six or more component carriers configured by the radio base station; and a transmitting/receiving unit that receives information on a plurality of component carriers configured by the radio base station and feedbacks ACK/NACK information to one of the component carriers in each cell group.