Multi-User Uplink Latency Reduction via Frequency Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High data rate wireless networks experience increased latency and power consumption due to multi-user downlinks and single-user uplinks, which is unsuitable for time-sensitive applications like VoIP and streamed video, and affects the quality of communication in wireless networks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a managing wireless communication device with multiple receive antennas to enable multi-user uplinks, allowing simultaneous receipt of data from multiple devices on the same frequency subcarriers, and using channel estimates to separate the data, thereby reducing latency and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If single-user uplinks are used in wireless networks, then device complexity is reduced, but latency increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the uplink transmission process by assigning different frequency subcarriers to different wireless communication devices. The managing device receives multiple signals simultaneously on different subcarriers and separates them using channel estimates, effectively dividing the communication channel into multiple independent paths that can be processed in parallel, thereby reducing latency without requiring complex time-division multiplexing at each device
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from time-domain sequential access (single-user uplink) to frequency-domain parallel access (multi-user uplink). By utilizing the frequency dimension of the wireless channel, multiple devices can transmit simultaneously on different subcarriers, converting a time-sequential process into a frequency-parallel process, which reduces latency while keeping device complexity manageable
2Productivity
If multi-user downlinks are used to serve multiple devices, then productivity increases, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple uplink transmissions from different wireless communication devices into a single reception process at the managing device. By combining the reception of multiple signals on different frequency subcarriers into one simultaneous receiving operation, the system achieves multi-user uplink capacity while avoiding the need for each device to perform complex separate processing, thereby reducing individual device power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The managing wireless communication device is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple uplink transmissions simultaneously. It can receive, process, and separate signals from multiple devices using the same hardware resources (receivers, processors) across different frequency subcarriers, achieving high uplink capacity without requiring each client device to have dedicated processing resources, thus reducing overall power consumption
3Reliability
If single-user uplinks are implemented, then device complexity is minimized, but the quality of service for time-sensitive applications deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the frequency spectrum into multiple subcarriers and assigns specific subcarriers to specific wireless communication devices. This segmentation allows time-sensitive applications to be assigned dedicated frequency resources with guaranteed bandwidth, ensuring reliable quality of service without requiring each device to implement complex resource management algorithms
Solution Approach 2:
The managing device performs preliminary channel estimation for each wireless communication device before the actual data transmission. By pre-characterizing the channel conditions and allocating frequency subcarriers based on channel quality, the system ensures optimal performance for time-sensitive applications while keeping device complexity low, as devices simply transmit on assigned frequencies without needing to perform complex channel analysis
Data Source
AI summary
Wireless communication devices and methods for coordinated channel access with reduced latency in a wireless network are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.