Frequency Hopping Pattern Configuration for MTC UE Coverage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Machine-type communication (MTC) user equipment (UE) in wireless communication systems face challenges with reduced coverage due to increased penetration losses in environments like residential buildings, requiring enhanced frequency hopping mechanisms to improve data transmission efficiency and reduce cost and battery consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for configuring a frequency hopping pattern for MTC UE, involving the definition of a frequency hopping subframe group (FH-SFG) for cell common and unicast monitoring, and the use of half-duplex frequency division duplex (FDD) or time division duplex (TDD) to optimize data transmission by configuring repetition and frequency hopping in specific subframes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If MTC UE uses smaller operating frequency bandwidth to reduce cost and battery consumption, then RF/baseband complexity is reduced, but coverage capability deteriorates due to increased penetration losses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements frequency hopping at specific intervals (every 2, 4, 8, or 16 subframes) to periodically switch operating frequencies. This periodic frequency switching allows the MTC UE with reduced bandwidth capability to access multiple frequency resources over time, compensating for the limited instantaneous bandwidth and improving coverage in high-penetration environments without increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces frequency hopping across different frequency domains while maintaining narrow bandwidth in the frequency dimension. By hopping between multiple frequency subbands over time, the system effectively transforms a one-dimensional bandwidth limitation into a multi-dimensional resource access strategy, enabling coverage enhancement without requiring wider instantaneous bandwidth
2Productivity
If frequency hopping is configured frequently to improve coverage, then spectral efficiency improves, but transmission overhead and retuning latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the frequency hopping granularity dynamic and configurable, allowing the system to adapt the hopping interval (2, 4, 8, or 16 subframes) based on channel conditions and service requirements. This dynamic configuration enables optimization between spectral efficiency and retuning latency, allowing longer hopping intervals when latency is critical and shorter intervals when spectral efficiency is prioritized
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the hopping granularity parameter to control the trade-off between spectral efficiency and retuning overhead. By configuring different hopping intervals and granularity levels, the system can adjust the frequency hopping aggressiveness to match service requirements, reducing unnecessary retuning operations while maintaining adequate spectral efficiency
3Reliability
If MTC UE transmits data with repetition to improve reliability in high penetration loss environments, then coverage is enhanced, but transmission delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the repeated transmissions across different frequency subframes and hopping instances. Instead of simple time-domain repetition, the data is transmitted multiple times across frequency-hopped resources, allowing the UE to accumulate signal energy and improve detection reliability while the frequency diversity reduces the impact of any single faded resource
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for transmitting data to a machine type communication user equipment (MTC UE) in a wireless communication system is provided. A base station (BS) configures a frequency hopping in every specific number of subframes which corresponds to a frequency hopping granularity, and transmits data to the MTC UE by using the configured frequency hopping.