HARQ Acknowledgement Bit Allocation in 5G NR

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In 5G NR communications systems, the high probability of downlink scheduling signaling loss leads to inconsistent bit allocation for HARQ acknowledgement information between network devices and terminals, resulting in failed decoding of acknowledgement information.

Innovation Solution

The network device sends downlink scheduling signaling that includes a threshold indicating the total quantity of downlink data, codewords, or code block groups, allowing the terminal to determine the correct number of bits for acknowledgement information, ensuring consistency and successful decoding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If dynamic configuration of HARQ acknowledgement information codebook is implemented in single CC scenario, then adaptability of the system is improved, but reliability of acknowledgement information decoding deteriorates due to high probability of downlink scheduling signaling loss

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedynamic configuration of HARQ acknowledgement information codebookVSAvoiddecoding of HARQ acknowledgement information
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The network device performs preliminary action by indicating the threshold for the quantity of bits used for HARQ acknowledgement information in advance through downlink scheduling signaling. This allows the terminal to pre-determine the correct codebook size before feedback, ensuring both adaptability to dynamic scheduling and reliable decoding even if some signaling is lost, as the terminal can infer the correct configuration from the indicated threshold.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Device complexity

If a single piece of downlink scheduling signaling is used to instruct HARQ acknowledgement feedback, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of information transmission deteriorates due to high loss probability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedownlink scheduling signaling structureVSAvoidreception of downlink scheduling signaling
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The network device includes the threshold indication for HARQ acknowledgement bit quantity in the downlink scheduling signaling in advance. This preliminary inclusion ensures that even with a single piece of signaling, the terminal receives all necessary information to correctly determine the codebook size, maintaining reliability without increasing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the terminal determines HARQ acknowledgement bit quantity based on detected downlink scheduling information, then adaptability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates when scheduling signaling is lost or skipped

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveterminal's ability to determine acknowledgement bit quantityVSAvoiddetermination of HARQ acknowledgement bit quantity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The network device provides the threshold for HARQ acknowledgement bit quantity in advance through downlink scheduling signaling. This preliminary indication allows the terminal to accurately determine the correct codebook size based on the indicated threshold, rather than attempting to infer it from potentially lost or incomplete scheduling information, thus maintaining both adaptability and measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3605910B1Method and apparatus for sending acknowledge information
Publication Date: 2023.10.11 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3605910B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3605910B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3605910B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Embodiments of this application provide an acknowledgement information sending method and apparatus. When the acknowledgement information sending method provided in the embodiments of this application is applied, a network device determines and sends downlink scheduling signaling, where the downlink scheduling signaling is used to schedule first downlink data to a terminal, A is a positive integer, the first downlink data is downlink data corresponding to acknowledgement information fed back on a same uplink control channel, and the downlink scheduling signaling is used to determine a first threshold, a second threshold, or a third threshold. The terminal receives the downlink scheduling signaling sent by the network device, determines, based on the first threshold, the second threshold, or the third threshold, the acknowledgement information corresponding to the first downlink data, and sends the acknowledgement information corresponding to the first downlink data to the network device on the same uplink control channel. In the embodiments of this application, a quantity of bits of the acknowledgement information determined by the terminal can keep consistent with a quantity of bits of acknowledgement information determined by the network device.