Multi-PDCCH Scheduling for Reduced 5G NR Multi-Cell Overhead
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Legacy 5G NR systems face inefficiencies in multi-cell scheduling due to high signaling overhead and lack of support for joint scheduling of multiple PDSCHs or PUSCHs across multiple cells, leading to unnecessary repetition of scheduling parameters and increased control signaling.
Innovation Solution
Implement multi-cell scheduling using a single DCI format that includes cell-common and cell-specific parameters, allowing joint scheduling of multiple cells with reduced signaling overhead by associating PDCCHs/DCIs based on format sizes, RNTIs, and monitoring parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate DCI formats are used for scheduling each cell individually, then scheduling flexibility and cell-specific control are improved, but signaling overhead and control channel complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The DCI format is segmented into two parts: a first part containing cell-common parameters applicable to multiple cells, and a second part containing cell-specific parameters. This segmentation allows the common parameters to be reused across multiple cells while only transmitting cell-specific differences, thereby reducing overall signaling overhead while maintaining scheduling flexibility for each cell.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple PDCCHs are transmitted for multi-cell scheduling, then scheduling capability across multiple cells is improved, but control channel resources and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cell scheduling information is merged into a single DCI format transmitted via one PDCCH. The DCI includes both cell-common parameters (applicable to multiple cells) and cell-specific parameters (for individual cells), allowing the UE to derive scheduling information for multiple cells from a single control message, thereby reducing control channel processing complexity while maintaining multi-cell scheduling capability.
3Reliability
If cell-specific parameters are repeated for each cell scheduling, then accurate cell-specific control is improved, but signaling efficiency and resource utilization deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The DCI format applies local quality by including cell-specific parameters only where needed for each individual cell, while sharing cell-common parameters across multiple cells. This approach ensures accurate cell-specific control for parameters that differ between cells while avoiding unnecessary repetition of identical parameters, thereby improving signaling efficiency without compromising control accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses for scheduling via multiple physical downlink control channels (PDCCHs). A method for a user equipment (UE) includes receiving a first PDCCH that provides a first downlink control information (DCI) format and a second PDCCH that provides a second DCI format. The method further includes determining: first parameters for reception of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), or for transmission of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), based on values of fields of the first DCI format; and second parameters for reception of the PDSCH, or for transmission of the PUSCH, based on values of fields of the second DCI format. The second parameters are different than the first parameters. The method further includes receiving the PDSCH, or transmitting the PUSCH, based on the first parameters and the second parameters.