HARQ Receiver Selective FEC Block Processing

Solution Overview

Problem

In broadband wireless communication systems, the physical layer cannot determine the location and number of erroneous Media Access Control (MAC) Packet Data Units (PDUs) within a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) burst, leading to inefficient error correction and increased processing time and power consumption due to the need to process the entire HARQ burst.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that utilize the MAC layer to error-check each MAC PDU, generate HARQ combination control information, and selectively combine and process only the erroneous FEC blocks from retransmitted bursts, providing this information to the physical layer for efficient HARQ processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the physical layer processes the entire HARQ burst for error correction, then all erroneous MAC PDUs can be corrected, but processing time and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror correction capabilityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the HARQ burst processing into two levels: the MAC layer segments the burst into individual MAC PDUs and identifies erroneous ones using CRC checks, while the physical layer only processes the identified erroneous segments. This segmentation allows error correction to be applied selectively rather than to the entire burst, reducing processing time while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by having the physical layer process only the erroneous MAC PDUs identified by the MAC layer, rather than processing the entire HARQ burst. The MAC layer performs preliminary error identification, and the physical layer focuses computational resources only on correcting the identified errors, avoiding excessive processing of already correct data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Reliability

If the physical layer processes the entire HARQ burst, then complete error correction is achieved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveerror correction capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the HARQ burst processing into two levels: the MAC layer segments the burst into individual MAC PDUs and identifies erroneous ones using CRC checks, while the physical layer only processes the identified erroneous segments. This segmentation allows error correction to be applied selectively rather than to the entire burst, reducing processing time while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by having the physical layer process only the erroneous MAC PDUs identified by the MAC layer, rather than processing the entire HARQ burst. The MAC layer performs preliminary error identification, and the physical layer focuses computational resources only on correcting the identified errors, avoiding excessive processing of already correct data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Ease of operation

If the physical layer cannot identify erroneous MAC PDU locations, then the entire burst must be processed, but this reduces processing efficiency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoiderror location information

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces the MAC layer as an intermediary between the received HARQ burst and the physical layer processing. The MAC layer performs error identification using CRC checks on each MAC PDU and provides location information to the physical layer. This intermediary function enables the physical layer to process only erroneous segments without losing error location information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the MAC layer perform error identification and location detection before the physical layer processes the data. The MAC layer checks CRC codes for each MAC PDU in advance, identifies erroneous ones, and prepares location information that guides the physical layer's selective processing, improving overall efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8205128B2Apparatus and method for hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) in wireless communication system

Publication Date: 2012.06.19 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

An apparatus and a method for Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) in a wireless communication system are provided. A receiver includes a Media Access Control (MAC) layer part for error-checking each MAC Packet Data Units (PDUs) extracted from a physical layer burst, and generating HARQ combination control information according to a result of the error check; a receiving part for receiving a retransmit burst; and a combiner for selecting one or more Forward Error Correction (FEC) blocks from the retransmit burst according to the HARQ combination control information, and HARQ-combining the selected one or more FEC blocks.