Resource Coordination for Half Duplex IAB Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communications systems, particularly those using New Radio (NR) technologies, the coordination of resources for half-duplex communications is complex due to constraints such as simultaneous transmission and reception limitations, especially in millimeter wave (mmW) spectrum deployments with integrated access and backhaul networks, where resource allocation must consider topological redundancy and alternate communication paths.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves dividing time-frequency resources into node sets, allowing ANs to freely schedule transmissions within their assigned resources and configuring flexible resources for uplink, downlink, or both, while determining direction tables based on parent and child node configurations to manage communication directions, especially in scenarios where resources are not exclusively assigned to a node set.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If resources are exclusively assigned to node sets, then resource allocation simplicity is improved, but resource utilization flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments resources into two categories: dedicated resources assigned to specific node sets and flexible resources that can be dynamically allocated. This segmentation allows dedicated resources to maintain simple allocation while flexible resources provide adaptability for half-duplex constraints and varying traffic demands.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic resource allocation for flexible resources, where the network can adjust resource assignment based on real-time conditions such as half-duplex constraints, traffic patterns, and node set configurations. This dynamic approach resolves the contradiction by allowing resources to transition between dedicated and flexible states as needed.
2Reliability
If half-duplex constraints are enforced, then communication reliability is improved, but resource allocation complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring dedicated resources for specific node sets and pre-establishing direction tables that encode half-duplex constraints. This advance preparation reduces real-time allocation complexity while maintaining reliability, as the system has predetermined configurations to fall back on during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces direction tables as an intermediary mechanism that mediates between half-duplex constraints and resource allocation. These tables encode the complex half-duplex rules in a structured format that simplifies the allocation process, allowing the system to enforce reliability constraints without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Productivity
If flexible resources are configured for multiple directions, then resource utilization efficiency is improved, but scheduling complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the scheduling approach dynamic by allowing the network to select between different scheduling modes for flexible resources based on conditions. When traffic patterns are predictable, simpler scheduling is used; when adaptability is needed, more complex dynamic scheduling is applied, optimizing the trade-off between efficiency and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes scheduling parameters such as time slots, frequency resources, and spatial configurations for flexible resources based on detected conditions. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system achieves high resource utilization while managing scheduling complexity through structured parameter optimization rather than unstructured complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described that provide for resource allocation in an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) network. A relay node in an IAB network may be assigned a first resource partition that is different from a second resource partition for the child and parent nodes. Based on a resource configuration (e.g., for a slot) of the second resource partition, the relay node may opportunistically utilize the second resource partition for communications. For instance, the relay node may determine a direction table based on the resource configurations of the child and parent nodes, which may be used to perform uplink or downlink communications in one or more symbols of the second resource partition. The relay node may also identify flexible symbols as free or non-free when determining the direction table.