Unsuccessful HARQ Termination Detection via Process Identifiers

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication networks, incorrect detection of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) acknowledgments (ACKs) leads to reduced reliability, increased latency, and degraded communication quality between transmitting and receiving devices.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for identifying unsuccessful HARQ process terminations by a user equipment (UE) or network node, involving the detection of NACK to ACK errors and reporting such errors before a timer expires, allowing for timely initiation of ARQ processes and reducing latency and signaling overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the receiving device waits for timer expiration to detect HARQ process failures, then the detection mechanism is simpler, but latency increases and communication reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidlatency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The receiving device performs preliminary detection of HARQ process failures by monitoring whether a new transport block is received with the same HARQ process identifier before the timer expires. This early detection mechanism allows the system to identify failures proactively rather than reactively waiting for timer expiration, thereby reducing latency while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The receiving device provides feedback to the transmitting device by sending a status indication (such as a NACK) when a HARQ process failure is detected. This feedback mechanism enables the transmitting device to initiate ARQ processes earlier, improving communication reliability while reducing the time lost to unnecessary retransmissions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Speed

If the receiving device continuously monitors HARQ process status, then detection speed increases, but device complexity and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection speedVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The receiving device applies local quality by monitoring only the specific HARQ process identifier associated with the current transport block rather than continuously analyzing all possible HARQ processes. This targeted monitoring approach enables fast detection of failures in the current process while minimizing processing complexity by focusing resources only on relevant parameters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the monitoring parameter from timer-based detection to HARQ process identifier-based detection. By tracking whether the HARQ process identifier changes between consecutive transport blocks, the receiving device achieves fast failure detection without complex continuous monitoring, balancing speed and complexity effectively.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If the transmitting device retransmits upon detecting NACK to ACK errors, then communication reliability improves, but signaling overhead and latency increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The receiving device performs preliminary detection of NACK to ACK errors by checking whether the HARQ process identifier remains the same when a new transport block is received. This early detection allows the system to initiate corrective ARQ processes before unnecessary retransmissions occur, improving reliability while minimizing signaling overhead by avoiding redundant NACK messages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system converts the potentially harmful NACK to ACK error into a beneficial detection opportunity. By monitoring HARQ process identifier consistency, the receiving device can identify when a NACK was incorrectly interpreted as an ACK and use this information to trigger appropriate corrective actions, transforming the error into a reliability improvement mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS20250323759A1Identifying unsuccessful terminations of hybrid automatic repeat request processes

Publication Date: 2025.10.16 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. Some aspects more specifically relate to a user equipment (UE) detecting an unsuccessful termination of a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process (for example, due to a negative acknowledgement (NACK) to acknowledgement (ACK) error) associated with a transport block, and reporting the unsuccessful termination of the HARQ process associated with the transport block to a network node. For example, the UE may detect and report instances where a transport block associated with a HARQ process identifier is not decoded and the UE receives another transport block associated with the same HARQ process identifier. Additionally, the UE may detect and report instances where a transport block associated with a HARQ identifier is associated with a new data indicator value that is different from an expected value.