HARQ-ACK Payload Reduction for Priority-Based UCI Multiplexing

The HARQ-ACK payload is segmented by priority levels (first priority and second priority). The payload reduction is applied selectively to the second priority HARQ-ACK bits while preserving the first priority HARQ-ACK bits. This segmentation allows differential treatment of acknowledgment information based on urgency, improving resource utilization without compromising critical feedback reliability.

Different quality levels are applied to different parts of the HARQ-ACK payload based on priority. First priority HARQ-ACK bits maintain full payload and encoding quality, while second priority bits undergo payload reduction. This local quality differentiation ensures that critical acknowledgments receive full protection while less critical ones consume fewer resources, resolving the contradiction between reliability and resource efficiency.

The payload reduction mechanism is dynamically applied based on priority classification. The system adaptively determines which HARQ-ACK bits to reduce based on their priority level, applying payload reduction only to second priority bits while preserving first priority bits. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize resource utilization without permanently losing critical information, as the reduction is context-dependent rather than uniform.

The payload size parameter is changed selectively for second priority HARQ-ACK bits through compression or bundling operations. By modifying the payload parameter only for lower priority information while maintaining full payload for high priority bits, the system achieves better resource utilization without sacrificing essential acknowledgment data, thus resolving the information completeness concern.