Implicit System Information Indication for 5G Soft Combining
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in 5G wireless communications is ensuring unified behavior for user equipment (UE) when receiving system information (SI) transmitted using either sweeping narrow beams or repetition of wide/omnidirectional beams, especially at high frequencies where analog beamforming restricts directional transmission and reception, leading to complexity in soft-combining multiple transmissions.
Innovation Solution
Introducing an implicit means to indicate the transmission number within multi-transmissions of SI, using additional components in the synchronization signal block, different scrambling, or varying synchronization sequences, allowing UE to soft-combine transmissions irrespective of the transmission mode by keeping SI content consistent and using external indications for transmission-dependent parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If beam sweeping of narrow beams is used to transmit system information, then coverage area is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need to handle different PRACH configurations in different beam directions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the synchronization signal block (SSB) as a copy/indicator that implicitly carries transmission number information. Instead of directly embedding the transmission number in the system information, the SSB sequence or index serves as a reference that allows the UE to infer the transmission number, thereby reducing the complexity of handling different PRACH configurations while maintaining coverage area improvement through beam sweeping
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the SSB acts as a mediator between the gNB's beam transmission and the UE's PRACH configuration selection. The SSB's implicit indication of transmission number serves as the intermediary information that bridges the gap between multiple beam transmissions and the corresponding PRACH resources, simplifying the overall system complexity
2Reliability
If repetition of wide beam transmissions is used to transmit system information, then soft-combining can be performed to improve signal quality, but device complexity increases due to the need to manage multiple transmissions with different parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the copying principle by using the SSB as a replicated indicator across multiple wide beam transmissions. Each transmission contains the same system information but with implicit transmission number indications via SSB variations, allowing the UE to perform soft-combining while using a unified procedure to manage multiple transmissions, thereby reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes in the SSB (such as different SSB indices or sequences) to implicitly indicate transmission numbers across repeated wide beam transmissions. This allows the system to vary transmission parameters for identification purposes while keeping the core system information consistent, enabling soft-combining with simplified UE processing
3Loss of information
If transmission number information is explicitly included in system information, then transmission identification is improved, but loss of information increases due to additional overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the SSB as a copied reference that implicitly carries transmission number information. Instead of adding explicit transmission number fields to the system information, the SSB sequence or index is used as a compact representation that conveys the same identification information with minimal overhead, thereby reducing information loss while maintaining reliable transmission identification
Data Source
AI summary
According to certain embodiments, a method is disclosed for use in a network node. The method comprises transmitting a set of system information transmission. Each transmission within the set comprises system information, and the set of transmissions enable soft combining by configuring a portion of the system information to be the same for each transmission within the set. For each transmission, the method comprises providing an indication of an identifier associated with the respective transmission. The indication is provided other than in the system information.