HARQ Process Segmentation for Multi-TRP Scheduling

Solution Overview

Problem

Current HARQ process designs face challenges in handling Multi-DCI Multi-TRP operations, particularly in scheduling and processing downlink transmissions from multiple transmission reception points (TRPs), which can lead to performance degradation and increased implementation complexity for wireless devices.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves configuring downlink HARQ transmissions with mapping relationships between HARQ processes and TRPs, allowing for efficient scheduling and decoding of downlink control information, and optionally configuring data retransmissions accordingly, to support Multi-DCI Multi-TRP operations effectively.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If HARQ processes from different TRPs are scheduled by the same HARQ process indicator, then resource utilization is improved, but implementation complexity increases and performance degrades

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidimplementation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the HARQ process space by introducing a TRP indicator that divides HARQ processes into separate groups for different TRPs. This segmentation allows independent management of HARQ processes per TRP, reducing interference and complexity while maintaining efficient resource utilization through coordinated scheduling across multiple TRPs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a TRP indicator as an intermediary element that mediates between multiple TRPs and the HARQ process indicator. This intermediary enables the system to schedule HARQ processes from different TRPs using the same HARQ process indicator while maintaining clear identification of the source TRP, thus improving resource utilization without increasing implementation complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If HARQ processes from different TRPs are scheduled by the same HARQ process indicator, then scheduling efficiency is improved, but performance degrades

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescheduling efficiencyVSAvoidperformance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the HARQ process space by introducing a TRP indicator that divides HARQ processes into separate groups for different TRPs. This segmentation allows independent management of HARQ processes per TRP, reducing interference and complexity while maintaining efficient resource utilization through coordinated scheduling across multiple TRPs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a TRP indicator as an intermediary element that mediates between multiple TRPs and the HARQ process indicator. This intermediary enables the system to schedule HARQ processes from different TRPs using the same HARQ process indicator while maintaining clear identification of the source TRP, thus improving resource utilization without increasing implementation complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If downlink transmissions from multiple TRPs are scheduled, then coverage and reliability are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoverage and reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the control information by introducing separate TRP indicators for each scheduled TRP. This segmentation allows the wireless device to independently identify and process transmissions from different TRPs, reducing the complexity of managing multiple downlink transmissions while improving coverage and reliability through coordinated multi-TRP operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces TRP indicators as intermediary elements that facilitate the scheduling of downlink transmissions from multiple TRPs. These indicators enable the wireless device to clearly identify the source TRP for each transmission, simplifying the processing of multi-TRP schedules while enhancing coverage and reliability through diverse transmission paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12137451B2HARQ process handling for Multi-DCI Multi-TRP operation

Publication Date: 2024.11.05 APPLE INC

AI summary

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for providing downlink control for multi-TRP transmission. A network-side device may provide a downlink control information transmission to a wireless device scheduling downlink transmission to the wireless device from multiple transmission reception points. The downlink transmission may relate to Hybrid automatic repeat request process and/or system information transmission. And the downlink control information may include information about scheduling of HARQ processes from different TRPs, and/or information about scheduling of SI transmission from different TRPs. The wireless device may receive the downlink transmissions from the plurality of transmission reception points in accordance with the downlink control information.