Group Common Control Channel for Uplink Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In LTE networks, the limited availability of resources for control channel signaling becomes a bottleneck when scheduling multiple user equipment (UE) for uplink transmission, as conventional methods require individual scheduling and resource allocation, limiting the number of UEs that can be served simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
The method involves grouping UEs into groups, assigning a group identifier, encoding a control channel with this identifier, and transmitting it to the group, allowing a single control channel to be delivered to multiple UEs, thereby reducing the number of separate transmissions required and enabling simultaneous scheduling of multiple UEs during one sub-frame.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If individual control channels are transmitted to each UE for uplink scheduling, then each UE receives dedicated scheduling information, but the number of UEs that can be served simultaneously is limited due to control channel resource constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual control channels into a single group common control channel that serves multiple UEs simultaneously. By grouping UEs and transmitting a unified control channel containing scheduling information for the entire group, the system increases the number of UEs that can be served within the same control channel resources, directly resolving the contradiction between productivity and resource consumption.
2Productivity
If multiple individual control channels are transmitted to schedule multiple UEs, then each UE gets dedicated scheduling, but the complexity of control channel management increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual control channel transmissions into a single group common control channel transmission. This merging approach reduces the number of separate control channels that need to be managed, transmitted, and processed, thereby reducing control channel management complexity while maintaining the ability to schedule multiple UEs simultaneously through group-based scheduling.
3Productivity
If control channel resources are allocated to individual UEs, then each UE receives sufficient scheduling information, but resource utilization efficiency decreases when many UEs are scheduled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges individual control channel allocations into a consolidated group common control channel that serves multiple UEs. This approach improves resource utilization efficiency by transmitting a single control channel that carries scheduling information for multiple UEs, thereby reducing the total control channel signaling resources consumed compared to transmitting separate control channels to each UE individually.
Data Source
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AI summary
A cellular telecommunications system and method of scheduling a group of user equipments is provided. The system includes a macro cell with a macro base station and multiple associated low power nodes (LPN's). The macro base station and the LPN's share the same cell ID. The system and method provide for scheduling a group of UE's by grouping a plurality of the UE's together, assigning a group identifier to the group, notifying the group and encoding a control channel with the group identifier. A single control channel is delivered to each UE in the group of UE's. The UE's of the group of UE's may be processed by different LPN's. The transmitted control channel may be included in a DCI (downlink control information) and delivers uplink scheduling grants to the UE's. Based on the transmitted control channel, the UE's are scheduled for uplink transmission.