Multi-Carrier HARQ-ACK Feedback Aggregation in DFI Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing communication systems face high overhead and low utilization rate in control signaling due to the reuse of Downlink Feedback Information (DFI) for Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) feedback, particularly in Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA) and NewRadio (NR), necessitating multiple channel acquisitions for control signaling transmission.
Innovation Solution
The method involves acquiring and transmitting Downlink Control Information (DCI) that indicates Downlink Feedback Information (DFI) with control information blocks corresponding to multiple carriers, allowing for multiple HARQ-ACK feedbacks, using RRC configuration and carrier indicator fields to optimize channel access and reduce signaling overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If DFI is reused to carry HARQ-ACK feedback for each carrier separately, then HARQ-ACK feedback can be transmitted, but control signaling overhead increases and channel utilization rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines HARQ-ACK feedback from multiple carriers into a single DFI structure. Instead of transmitting separate DFIs for each carrier, the invention aggregates the feedback information across carriers, thereby reducing control signaling overhead and improving channel utilization while maintaining complete feedback transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The DFI structure is designed to serve multiple carriers simultaneously. The patent enables a single DFI to carry HARQ-ACK feedback for multiple carriers, making the feedback mechanism universal rather than carrier-specific, thus reducing the number of separate signaling transmissions required.
2Loss of information
If DFI is reused to carry HARQ-ACK feedback for each carrier separately, then HARQ-ACK feedback can be transmitted, but channel access opportunities are wasted due to multiple separate transmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate HARQ-ACK feedback transmissions into a single aggregated DFI transmission. By combining the feedback from multiple carriers in one structure, the system reduces the number of separate channel access operations, thereby improving channel utilization rate and eliminating wasted access opportunities.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention enables continuous and efficient channel utilization by transmitting aggregated HARQ-ACK feedback in a single operation rather than multiple separate operations. This approach ensures that channel access opportunities are continuously used for productive purposes without idle waiting or repeated LBT procedures.
3Stability of the object's composition
If DCI format 0A is filled with 0 bits to match DCI format 1A bit number, then DCI alignment is achieved, but control signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the HARQ-ACK feedback function from the traditional DCI format and relocates it to a separate DFI structure. This extraction allows DCI format 0A to maintain its compact size without unnecessary filling, while HARQ-ACK feedback is carried in the dedicated DFI structure, thereby reducing overall control signaling overhead while maintaining format alignment stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by a terminal includes: acquiring target Downlink Control Information (DCI), where the target DCI is used to indicate Downlink Feedback Information (DFI), the DFI includes control information blocks corresponding to N carriers of K terminals and a first indicating field indicating a plurality of carriers with Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request ACKnowledgement (HARQ-ACK) feedback, the control information blocks include HARQ-ACK feedback of the corresponding N carriers and a Carrier Indicator Field (CIF), the CIF indicates an identifier (ID) of a carrier corresponding to the control information blocks, and K and N are integers greater than or equal to 1; determining a number of bits occupied by the control information blocks in the DFI using a CIF size and a HARQ-ACK size; and demodulating the HARQ-ACK feedback of the carrier within the number of bits occupied by the control information blocks.