Extended PUCCH Format for Carrier Aggregation Payload

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently transmitting uplink control information, particularly in carrier aggregation scenarios where existing PUCCH formats are insufficient to handle increased payload demands, such as multiple ACK/NACK signals and channel quality indicators, leading to the need for enhanced methods to manage and transmit control information effectively.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves an extended PUCCH format utilizing DFT-s OFDM transmission scheme, which includes channel coding, DFT precoding, and time spreading with orthogonal codes, allowing for efficient transmission of increased payload by embedding SR information within ACK/NACK bits, bundling ACK/NACK signals, and using phase modulation to indicate SR transmission events, thereby optimizing resource allocation and interference randomization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If existing PUCCH formats are used for carrier aggregation, then device complexity is reduced, but the payload capacity is insufficient to handle multiple ACK/NACK signals and channel quality indicators

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepayload capacityVSAvoidtransmission scheme complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple control information elements (ACK/NACK signals, SR, CQI) into a single unified PUCCH transmission format. This combining approach allows the system to handle increased payload capacity by consolidating multiple control signals that would otherwise require separate transmission resources, thereby resolving the contradiction between payload capacity and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The extended PUCCH format is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it can carry ACK/NACK signals, scheduling requests (SR), and channel quality indicators (CQI) within a single transmission structure. This multi-functionality allows the same transmission mechanism to handle diverse control information types, increasing payload capacity without proportionally increasing device complexity.

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

2Reliability

If multiple ACK/NACK signals are transmitted separately, then reliability is improved, but resource allocation efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol information transmission reliabilityVSAvoidresource allocation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple ACK/NACK signals are merged into a single PUCCH transmission format rather than being sent separately. This combining maintains reliability through proper signal encoding and multiplexing while significantly improving resource allocation efficiency by reducing the number of separate transmissions required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes code domain multiplexing and spatial domain resources to differentiate multiple ACK/NACK signals within a single time-frequency resource. By transitioning from separate time-frequency resources to code-spatial differentiation, the system maintains reliability through distinct signal identification while improving resource efficiency.

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

3Reliability

If interference randomization is increased through extended processing, then system reliability is improved, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterference randomization effectivenessVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs parameter changes in the form of cyclic shifts and orthogonal cover codes to achieve interference randomization. By varying these parameters across different users and time instances, the system enhances interference randomization effectiveness while keeping the processing complexity manageable through standardized mathematical operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3399688B1Method and apparatus for transmitting uplink control information in a wireless communication system
Publication Date: 2019.12.25 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3399688B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3399688B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3399688B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for transmitting uplink control information (UCI) by user equipment in a wireless communication. The user equipment performs channel coding on information bits of the UCI to generate encoding information bits; performs modulation on the thus generated encoding information bits to generate complex modulation symbols; spreads the complex modulation symbols block-wise to a plurality of single carrier-frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) symbols based on an orthogonal sequence; and transmits the spread complex modulation symbols to a base station.