HARQ-ACK Multiplexing Control for Stable Uplink Bit Signaling

The patent segments the HARQ-ACK information into multiple priority levels (first priority and second priority), allowing different codebooks to be handled separately. This segmentation enables the system to maintain multiple codebooks for increased capacity while protecting high-priority transmissions from being overwhelmed by low-priority ones, thus resolving the contradiction between transmission capacity and reliability.

The patent introduces feedback mechanisms where the terminal determines the bit number of second HARQ-ACK based on DCI received from the network device. The network device can indicate whether second HARQ-ACK exists, its bit number, or whether it should be multiplexed with first HARQ-ACK. This feedback loop ensures both terminal and network device have consistent understanding of the transmitted bit number, resolving the stability issue while maintaining multi-codebook capacity.

The patent designs indication fields in DCI that serve multiple functions: indicating whether second HARQ-ACK exists, indicating its bit number, and indicating whether multiplexing should occur. By making these indication fields multi-functional, the patent achieves precise control over HARQ-ACK transmission consistency without proportionally increasing DCI complexity, as a single field structure handles multiple determination tasks.