HARQ-ACK Resource Grouping for 5G Uplink Latency Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for transmitting HARQ-ACKs in 5G communication systems are inefficient, particularly for URLLC services, as they require high latency and reliability, and existing protocols restrict the transmission of multiple HARQ-ACKs in a single time unit, leading to delayed feedback and increased latency.
Innovation Solution
The method involves grouping time-frequency resources into N groups, allowing multiple HARQ-ACKs to be transmitted in a single time unit by assigning each HARQ-ACK to a specific group, enabling earlier transmission of HARQ-ACKs that arrive earlier, thereby reducing latency and improving efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple HARQ-ACKs are jointly encoded into one codebook and transmitted on a single uplink channel in one slot, then the uplink channel utilization is improved, but the HARQ-ACK feedback latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the uplink channel resources into multiple groups within a single slot, allowing different HARQ-ACKs to be transmitted on different uplink channels instead of combining them into a single codebook. This segmentation enables parallel transmission of multiple HARQ-ACKs, reducing feedback latency while maintaining efficient channel utilization.
2Device complexity
If only one uplink channel is transmitted in each slot, then the channel configuration is simplified, but the transmission reliability for URLLC services deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic uplink channel configuration where the network can flexibly allocate multiple uplink channels within a slot based on service requirements. This dynamic allocation allows URLLC services to achieve high transmission reliability through multiple parallel channels while maintaining manageable system complexity through standardized configuration procedures.
3Productivity
If HARQ-ACKs are transmitted in a single time unit, then the transmission efficiency is improved, but the latency requirement for URLLC services cannot be met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from time-domain sequential transmission to a combination of time-domain parallel transmission and frequency-domain resource allocation. By utilizing multiple uplink channels within the same slot (time unit) and assigning different frequency resources to different HARQ-ACKs, the system achieves both high transmission efficiency and low latency, satisfying URLLC requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A communications method, apparatus, and device are provided, to reduce a transmission latency when a plurality of HARQ-ACKs are transmitted in one time unit. The method includes: obtaining, by a terminal device, a grouping relationship, where the grouping relationship represents a correspondence between a first parameter and N groups of time-frequency resources, the N groups of time-frequency resources are obtained by grouping time-frequency resources in one time unit, each group of time-frequency resources corresponds to one or more first parameters, and the first parameter is related to DCI, a time-frequency resource in each group of time-frequency resources is used to carry an uplink channel of a HARQ-ACK, and N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; receiving first DCI; determining, in the N groups of time-frequency resources based on the grouping relationship, the ith group of time-frequency resources corresponding to a first parameter related to the first DCI, where i is a positive integer less than or equal to N; and determining a first uplink channel that carries a first HARQ-ACK on a first time-frequency resource in the ith group of time-frequency resources.