Incremental Redundancy Relays for Wireless Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication networks face challenges in improving coverage while maintaining network capacity, as RF repeaters amplify both desired signals and interference, and mesh nodes require extensive coordination, which can be difficult to achieve effectively.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a relay system that receives and processes transmissions using hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) techniques, allowing for the generation and transmission of additional packets with different redundancy information, improving data transmission on both forward and reverse links without the need for extensive coordination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If RF repeaters are used to improve coverage, then link budget is improved, but network capacity is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transmission process by having the relay node decode packets and generate separate additional transmissions with different redundancy information. This segmentation allows the relay to improve coverage for specific users without amplifying all network traffic, thereby maintaining overall network capacity while improving link budget for edge users.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay node acts as an intermediary that receives transmissions from the base station, decodes them, and generates additional transmissions with incremental redundancy. This intermediary function improves coverage for users at the cell edge without requiring the base station to increase overall transmission power, thus preserving network capacity while improving link budget.
2Reliability
If mesh nodes are used to improve coverage, then coverage is improved, but coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The relay node autonomously decodes received packets and generates additional transmissions with different redundancy information without requiring extensive coordination with the base station or other network elements. This self-service approach simplifies coordination complexity while improving coverage, as the relay independently manages its transmission decisions based on decoded packet status.
Solution Approach 2:
The relay node performs preliminary decoding of packets before generating additional transmissions. By pre-decoding packets and determining which users need additional redundancy, the relay simplifies subsequent coordination with the base station and reduces real-time coordination complexity while maintaining improved coverage.
3Reliability
If additional transmissions with redundancy information are sent, then packet decoding reliability is improved, but transmission time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The relay node sends additional transmissions with incremental redundancy only for packets that were not correctly decoded by the user equipment. This partial action approach improves packet decoding reliability for failing transmissions without unnecessarily extending transmission time for packets that were already successfully decoded, thereby optimizing the trade-off between reliability and transmission time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses HARQ feedback mechanisms where the base station and relay node receive acknowledgment information from user equipment about packet decoding status. This feedback enables the relay to send additional transmissions only when needed, improving packet decoding reliability while minimizing unnecessary transmission time extensions.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for relaying transmissions in a wireless communication network are described. In one design, a relay may receive at least one assignment for a packet, which may be sent to the relay or intercepted by the relay. The relay may receive at least one transmission of a packet sent from a transmitter to a receiver. The relay may process the at least one transmission to decode the packet and may generate at least one additional transmission of the packet after correctly decoding the packet. The relay may send the at least one additional transmission of the packet to the receiver. The transmission(s) and the additional transmission(s) may be HARQ transmissions with different redundancy information for the packet. The transmitter may send transmissions until an acknowledgement (ACK) is received from the receiver or the relay. The relay may send additional transmissions until an ACK is received from the receiver.