HARQ Enhancement for Dormancy-Indicating DCI in Carrier Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Power-sensitive devices, such as user equipment (UE), face challenges in maintaining communication over multiple secondary cells due to limited resources, including power, processing, and memory, which hinders prolonged communication and optimal performance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a method and device that receive and acknowledge downlink control information (DCI) messages containing secondary cell dormancy indications (SDI) from a primary cell (PCell), allowing the UE to transition secondary cells between dormant and active modes based on received feedback, optimizing resource usage and communication efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE maintains communication over multiple secondary cells simultaneously, then communication bandwidth and reliability are improved, but power consumption and resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic switching between dormant and active modes for secondary cells based on communication needs. The UE can transition SCells between these states, allowing the system to adapt resource allocation in real-time - maintaining multiple SCells when needed for reliability while conserving power during low-activity periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational state parameter of secondary cells between dormant and active modes. By controlling whether SCells are dormant or active, the system can adjust the number of simultaneously active carriers, thereby balancing communication reliability requirements against power consumption constraints.
2Productivity
If the UE activates multiple secondary cells for carrier aggregation, then communication bandwidth is improved, but processing resources and memory are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial activation of secondary cells - not all SCells are activated simultaneously, but only those needed for current communication requirements. This partial action approach provides sufficient bandwidth while keeping processing resource demands within UE capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the number of active SCells based on current communication needs and UE resource status. This dynamic configuration allows the UE to handle carrier aggregation adaptively, scaling processing requirements to match actual bandwidth needs rather than maintaining maximum capacity continuously.
3Speed
If the UE monitors all secondary cells for downlink control information, then scheduling responsiveness is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different monitoring behaviors to different SCells based on their state. When an SCell is dormant, the UE does not monitor it for DCI, conserving power. When activated, the UE monitors that specific SCell for scheduling information. This local differentiation of monitoring quality allows responsive scheduling only where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The UE periodically activates SCells based on DCI reception from the PCell, rather than continuously monitoring all SCells. This periodic activation pattern maintains scheduling responsiveness when needed while reducing power consumption during intervals when SCells remain dormant.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the disclosure relate to devices and methods for managing carrier aggregation. Downlink control information (DCI), transmitted via a primary cell (PCell), may include one or more secondary cell (SCell) dormancy indication (SDI) value(s) for one or more secondary cells (SCells). That DCI may also schedule a physical downlink shared channel. A scheduled entity may transmit acknowledgment information indicating whether the scheduled entity successfully received the DCI. Where the SDI indicates a switch in behavior relative to one or more SCell(s) and the acknowledgment information indicates that the scheduled entity successfully received that DCI, the one or more SCell(s) transition from dormant to active or vice-versa. Accordingly, the scheduled entity conforms its behavior to provide the appropriate dormancy and non-dormancy behavior when utilizing, in addition to the PCell, one or more SCell(s) for wireless communication in carrier aggregation.