Grant Processing for Grant-Free Uplink Repetitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently processing grants for grant-free uplink repetitions, leading to potential collisions and inefficiencies in resource allocation and data transmission.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for a user equipment (UE) to determine whether a received grant overlaps with a repetition window of a grant-free uplink communication, allowing the UE to process the grant accordingly by interpreting it as an acknowledgment (ACK) or negative acknowledgment (NACK) based on the overlap, thereby managing uplink resources effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a grant is transmitted during an ongoing grant-free uplink transmission, then the grant can be used for scheduling a retransmission or new transmission, but it may collide with the ongoing grant-free transmission causing resource allocation conflicts
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts grant processing behavior based on timing conditions. When a grant timing overlaps with a repetition window, the UE interprets it as early termination (ACK); when it does not overlap, the UE processes it as a scheduling grant. This dynamic interpretation resolves the contradiction by adapting the same grant mechanism to different operational contexts.
2Reliability
If the UE continues grant-free uplink repetitions for the full K repetitions, then the transmission is completed reliably, but the latency increases and resources are wasted if early termination is possible
Solution Approach 1:
The network provides feedback through grant transmissions during the repetition window. When the network successfully decodes the uplink transmission, it sends a grant with timing that overlaps the repetition window, which the UE interprets as an ACK signal for early termination. This feedback mechanism enables reliable early termination while minimizing latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary decoding at the network side during the repetition window. If decoding succeeds before all K repetitions are transmitted, the network can send an early termination grant, allowing the UE to stop transmissions提前. This preliminary action prevents unnecessary transmissions and reduces latency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the UE interprets every grant as a scheduling grant, then resource allocation is flexible, but it may misinterpret acknowledgment grants causing protocol errors
Solution Approach 1:
The UE applies different interpretation rules based on the local condition of timing overlap with the repetition window. Grants with timing overlapping the repetition window are interpreted as ACK/NACK signals, while grants without overlap are interpreted as scheduling grants. This localized quality differentiation ensures accurate protocol interpretation while maintaining flexibility.
Data Source
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Figure 3A
AI summary
Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a user equipment (UE) may receive a grant that identifies a set of uplink resources. The UE may determine whether a timing of the grant overlaps with a repetition window of a grant-free uplink communication configured on the UE. The UE may process the grant based at least in part on whether the timing of the grant overlaps with the repetition window of the grant-free uplink communication. Numerous other aspects are provided.