Media Access Control via Dual-Value Channel Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The combination of Listen Before Talk (LBT) and coverage enhancement (CE) techniques in cellular networks, particularly in unlicensed bands, leads to increased likelihood of collisions and latency due to repeated transmissions and limited channel occupancy time, resulting in higher energy consumption and reduced system efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method that monitors two channel sensing requirements - relative occupancy and signal quality - before initiating data transmission, ensuring that both conditions are met before accessing the wireless channel, thereby reducing collisions and optimizing transmission attempts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If coverage enhancement techniques with large repetition counts are used, then coverage and link budget are improved, but the likelihood of collisions increases and latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary channel assessments (monitoring relative channel occupancy and signal quality) before initiating transmissions with large repetition counts. This preliminary action identifies suitable transmission windows where collisions are less likely, allowing the system to proceed with coverage enhancement transmissions only when conditions are favorable, thereby reducing latency while maintaining coverage benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts transmission parameters based on real-time channel conditions. By continuously monitoring relative channel occupancy and signal quality, the system adapts its transmission strategy - initiating transmissions when conditions are good and postponing when conditions are poor - thus optimizing the balance between coverage reliability and transmission latency
2Reliability
If multiple transmission events are performed to transmit large count of repetitions, then coverage enhancement is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary channel assessments before initiating transmissions with large repetition counts. This preliminary action identifies suitable transmission windows where successful transmission is more likely, reducing the need for multiple retransmission events and thereby lowering energy consumption while maintaining coverage enhancement benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback from channel monitoring (relative channel occupancy and signal quality measurements) to make informed transmission decisions. This feedback mechanism allows the system to avoid initiating transmissions when channel conditions suggest high collision probability, thus reducing energy waste from failed transmissions and retransmissions
3Reliability
If Listen Before Talk techniques are applied, then channel access coordination is improved, but transmission latency increases due to back-off requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary channel assessments (monitoring relative channel occupancy and signal quality) before initiating LBT procedures. This preliminary action identifies favorable channel conditions in advance, allowing the system to proceed with transmissions more confidently and reducing the likelihood of back-off requirements, thus maintaining channel access coordination while reducing latency
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method comprising monitoring a first value indicative of at least one of a relative occupancy of a wireless channel, and a signal quality of a signal received from a remote communication device (10) via the wireless channel. Furthermore, the method comprises monitoring a second value indicative of a signal level (301) on the wireless channel, and, based on the first value and the second value, selectively initiating a data transmission via the wireless channel.