HARQ-ACK Feedback Priority Mechanism for PUCCH Conflict Resolution

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Solution Overview

Problem

In communication systems, simultaneous transmission of multiple Transmission Reception Points (TRPs) leads to conflicts among Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) resources, resulting in failed HARQ-ACK feedback and low performance due to inability to send multiple PUCCHs simultaneously.

Innovation Solution

A method where a terminal prioritizes and sends HARQ-ACKs from a first PUCCH resource while discarding those from conflicting resources, ensuring only one HARQ-ACK is sent to prevent simultaneous transmission and allow network devices to detect and identify sent HARQ-ACKs, or sends HARQ-ACKs on a second non-conflicting PUCCH resource.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple PUCCH resources are allocated for simultaneous TRP transmission, then transmission reliability is improved, but resource conflict occurs and HARQ-ACK feedback performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission reliabilityVSAvoidHARQ-ACK feedback performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of PUCCH resource allocation by introducing a priority mechanism. When multiple PUCCH resources conflict, the terminal identifies the PUCCH with the earliest ending symbol and allocates it higher priority. This parameter-based prioritization resolves the contradiction by ensuring that critical feedback resources are preserved while managing resource conflicts systematically.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by determining the priority of PUCCH resources in advance based on their ending symbols. The terminal pre-identifies which PUCCH resource should be preserved when conflicts occur, allowing for efficient conflict resolution without real-time complex decision-making, thus maintaining both reliability and feedback performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If multiple PUCCHs are sent simultaneously, then feedback coverage is improved, but detection and identification by network devices becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeedback coverageVSAvoiddetection difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the temporal parameter of PUCCH transmission by ensuring that only one PUCCH is transmitted at any given time through the priority mechanism. By selecting the PUCCH with the earliest ending symbol for transmission and discarding others, the system maintains comprehensive feedback coverage while eliminating simultaneous transmission conflicts that complicate network device detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If all HARQ-ACKs on conflicting PUCCH resources are discarded, then transmission conflicts are resolved, but feedback completeness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconflict resolutionVSAvoidfeedback completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of discarding all HARQ-ACKs on conflicting PUCCH resources, the patent changes the decision parameter by evaluating the ending symbols of conflicting PUCCHs. The terminal preserves the HARQ-ACK on the PUCCH with the earliest ending symbol while discarding others, thus resolving conflicts while minimizing information loss and maintaining feedback completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by treating each conflicting PUCCH resource differently based on its specific characteristics (ending symbol timing). Rather than applying a uniform discard rule to all conflicting resources, the terminal selectively preserves the most critical feedback (earliest ending PUCCH) while discarding others, optimizing both conflict resolution and feedback completeness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3911078B1Method and terminal for sending hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement
Publication Date: 2024.11.27 VIVO MOBILE COMM CO LTD
  • EP3911078B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3911078B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3911078B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and terminal for sending a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement (ACK), said method comprising: if a plurality of physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources carrying a HARQ-ACK conflict, then sending the HARQ-ACK carried on a first PUCCH resource and discarding the HARQ-ACKs carried by the remaining PUCCH resources; the first PUCCH resource is one of said plurality of PUCCH resources.