GC-PDCCH Slot Format Indication for Downlink Signal Reception

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems, such as 3GPP LTE/LTE-A, face challenges in efficiently and accurately receiving downlink signals by User Equipment (UE) due to potential uplink/downlink collisions or ambiguities in resource configuration.

Innovation Solution

The method involves providing User Equipment (UE) with Slot Format-related Information (SFI) through a group common-physical downlink control channel (GC-PDCCH), allowing the UE to distinguish and operate on downlink/uplink channels without collisions by prioritizing GC-PDCCH and UE-specific DCI, and using semi-static configurations to explicitly or implicitly allocate resources.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If Slot Format-related Information (SFI) is separately indicated for CSI-RS by GC-PDCCH, then downlink signal reception accuracy is improved, but uplink/downlink collision or ambiguity in resource configuration may occur

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedownlink signal reception accuracyVSAvoidresource configuration reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic slot format indication through GC-PDCCH, allowing the network to flexibly configure downlink resources for CSI-RS based on real-time traffic conditions and interference levels. The slot format can be dynamically adjusted between different configurations (e.g., format 0, 1, 2) to optimize downlink signal reception while avoiding uplink collisions through real-time adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a slot format indicator (SFI) field in GC-PDCCH as an intermediary mechanism that carries slot format information to UEs. This intermediary structure enables the network to indirectly control resource allocation and timing without direct resource assignment, thereby improving downlink signal reception accuracy while maintaining resource configuration reliability through standardized interpretation rules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If GC-PDCCH and UE-specific DCI are prioritized to distinguish downlink/uplink channels, then resource configuration clarity is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource configuration clarityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the control information into two distinct parts: GC-PDCCH carrying slot format indication for group-common resource allocation, and UE-specific DCI for individual user scheduling. This segmentation allows UEs to separately process group-common slot format information and individual scheduling commands, improving resource configuration clarity while managing system complexity through divided control functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different information characteristics to different control channels: GC-PDCCH provides slot format information with group-level applicability, while UE-specific DCI provides scheduling information tailored to individual UEs. This local quality differentiation ensures that each control channel carries optimally suited information, improving overall resource configuration clarity without requiring uniform complex processing across all control messages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3471478B1Method for transmitting or receiving signal in wireless communication system and apparatus therefor
Publication Date: 2023.05.03 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP3471478B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3471478B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~3
  • EP3471478B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A method for receiving, by a terminal, a downlink signal in a wireless communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a step of receiving setting for a CSI-RS resource; and a step of receiving slot format related information (SFI) over a GC-PDCCH, wherein the terminal receives a CSI-RS on the CSI-RS resource or deactivates the reception of the CSI-RS according to the received SFI over the GC-PDCCH, the SFI indicates whether each of a plurality of resources constituting a slot is a downlink (D) resource, an uplink (U) resource, or a third resource for which D/U is not determined, and the terminal can deactivate the reception of the CSI-RS which has been scheduled on the CSI-RS resource, if the SFI of the GC-PDCCH sets either the U resource or the third resource on the CSI-RS resource.