Multi-TRP PUCCH Joint Transmission for Blockage-Resilient Uplink Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, particularly in the new radio (NR) system, ensuring robust link connections and balanced service quality at cell edges is challenging due to blocking effects from obstacles like human bodies or vehicles, especially in high-frequency bands, and existing beam-forming technologies for uplink control information (UCI) are inefficient.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method for joint transmission of physical uplink control channels (PUCCH) using spatial division multiplexing (SDM) mode across multi-panel or multi-transmission reception points (TRPs) with beam indication information, enabling coherent and non-coherent joint transmissions (C-JT and NC-JT) to enhance reliability and throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If beam-forming technology is used for uplink control information transmission, then transmission directionality is improved, but transmission reliability deteriorates due to blocking effects from obstacles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transmission into multiple independent beams transmitted from different spatial directions (multi-TRP/multi-panel). Each beam is configured with separate TCI indicators pointing to different reference signals, enabling diversified transmission paths that can bypass obstacles independently, thus maintaining reliability while preserving directional transmission benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces reference signals (CSI-RS or SSB) as intermediaries to establish spatial relationships between the terminal and multiple transmission reception points. These reference signals serve as mediators that enable the terminal to identify and transmit beams toward multiple TRPs/panels, indirectly overcoming blocking effects without requiring direct line-of-sight between all endpoints.
2Reliability
If multi-TRP or multi-panel cooperation is implemented, then transmission reliability is improved by transmitting from multiple angles, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a universal TCI indication mechanism that can point to different reference signals (CSI-RS or SSB) depending on configuration. This multi-functional TCI system can indicate beam directions for single-TRP or multi-TRP/panel transmission uniformly, simplifying the control architecture while enabling complex multi-point cooperation for improved reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary configuration of TCI states and reference signals before actual PUCCH transmission. The base station pre-configures multiple TCI indicators with associated reference signal information, allowing the terminal to quickly select appropriate beams for multi-TRP/panel transmission without real-time complex calculations, thus reducing operational complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Area of stationary object
If dense deployment of access points is performed in high-frequency bands, then network coverage is improved, but signaling overhead and handover delay increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coverage enhancement function with the beam management function by using TCI indicators to simultaneously identify multiple TRPs/panels within the same coverage area. This combination allows the system to maintain dense access point deployment for coverage while using unified beam indication mechanisms to reduce handover signaling overhead and delay.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for processing information is performed by a base station and includes: sending a network signaling to a terminal, in which the network signaling includes beam indication information configured for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource indicated by a PUCCH resource indicator (PRI), the beam indication information includes multiple transmission configuration indications (TCIs), and the beam indication information is used by the terminal to perform joint transmission for PUCCHs based on a spatial division multiplexing (SDM) mode of multi-panel or multi-transmission reception point (TRP).