HARQ-ACK PUCCH Resource Mapping for Carrier Aggregation Reliability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently transmitting HARQ-ACK signals with transmission diversity, particularly in TDD systems, due to issues such as overlapping HARQ-ACK states, reduced system throughput, and the need for improved resource utilization and multiplexing methods, especially when carrier aggregation is involved.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of Orthogonal Resource Transmission Diversity (ORTD) and iterative mapping rules for HARQ-ACK signal transmission, utilizing multiple UE transmitter antennas and optimizing PUCCH resources to minimize state overlap and enhance reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If HARQ-ACK signals are transmitted using conventional resource mapping in TDD and FDD systems with carrier aggregation, then system complexity is reduced, but overlapping HARQ-ACK states occur leading to reduced reliability and increased retransmissions

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveHARQ-ACK signal transmission reliabilityVSAvoidresource mapping complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the control channel resources by associating different HARQ-ACK states with distinct control channel resources based on the DCI format reception. Each DCI format reception is mapped to specific control channel resources, creating segmented resource allocation that prevents overlapping states while maintaining manageable system complexity through structured segmentation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If multiple control channel resources are utilized for HARQ-ACK transmission, then resource utilization improves, but the complexity of resource management and detection increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidcontrol channel resource detection difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the base station detects control channel resources and determines HARQ-ACK information based on energy detection results. The UE transmits HARQ-ACK signals on predicted control channel resources, and the base station provides feedback by detecting which resources contain valid HARQ-ACK signals, enabling efficient resource utilization while managing detection complexity through iterative feedback-based resource identification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Quantity of substance

If HARQ-ACK states are mapped to the same control channel resource, then resource overhead is reduced, but detection accuracy and system throughput decrease due to overlapping states

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol channel resource overheadVSAvoidHARQ-ACK detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent resolves the contradiction by introducing an additional dimension of differentiation through DCI format-based resource association. Instead of mapping multiple states to the same resource (reducing overhead), the system uses the DCI format reception as an additional dimension to assign different control channel resources to different HARQ-ACK states, thereby maintaining detection accuracy while managing resource overhead through dimensional expansion rather than resource multiplication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3499772B1Transmission diversity and multiplexing for HARQ-ACK signals in communication systems
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3499772B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3499772B1 patent drawingFigure 2r2
  • EP3499772B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method and apparatus are described for a hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement, HARQ-ACK, signal in a communication system, the method comprising: identifying transmission modes of a first cell and a second cell in frequency division duplex, FDD; receiving one or more transport blocks by at least one of a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, transmission on the first cell or a PDSCH transmission on the second cell ; determining a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, resource; and transmitting the HARQ-ACK signal for the one or more transport blocks on the PUCCH resource, wherein the PUCCH resource is selected from a plurality of PUCCH resources, the plurality of PUCCH resources are associated with the transmission modes of the first cell and the second cell, and wherein at least one of the plurality of PUCCH resources for at least one of the PDSCH transmissions is determined based on at least one of physical downlink control channels, PDCCHs, corresponding to the at least one of the PDSCH transmissions respectively, and wherein the HARQ-ACK signal transmitted on the selected PUCCH resource denotes at least one of acknowledgement, ACK, negative acknowledgement, NACK, or discontinuous transmission, DTX, response for each of the one or more transport blocks.