Multicarrier Feedback Configuration via Anchor Carrier
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In multiple carrier wireless communication networks, the increased bandwidth introduces complexities in channel quality feedback reporting, particularly for user equipment (UE) that need to report on multiple carriers, leading to overhead and inefficiencies in network operation.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that facilitate multichannel feedback configuration for Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Rank Indicator (RI), and Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI) from a population of user equipment, allowing for efficient reporting across multiple carriers, including legacy single carrier communication, by designating a single uplink (UL) anchor carrier for CQI feedback, which can be shared across multiple downlink (DL) carriers, and using various reporting formats such as independent, concatenated, cycled, or staggered feedback structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple downlink carriers are paired with multiple uplink carriers to expand bandwidth, then bandwidth capacity is improved, but feedback reporting overhead and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates feedback reporting for multiple downlink carriers onto a single uplink carrier (the anchor carrier). Instead of requiring separate feedback channels for each DL-UL carrier pair, the system merges all CQI feedback into one unified reporting mechanism on the anchor carrier, thereby reducing the number of feedback channels and associated complexity while preserving the ability to report on multiple carriers.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor carrier is designed to serve multiple functions: it handles both data transmission and consolidated feedback reporting for multiple downlink carriers. This universal uplink carrier performs the role of what would otherwise require multiple dedicated feedback carriers, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the bandwidth expansion benefits of multiple carriers.
2Ease of operation
If implicit pairing of downlink and uplink carriers is implemented, then carrier association is simplified, but feedback reporting becomes complicated due to multiple pairing possibilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the feedback reporting function from the individual carrier pairing context and centralizes it on the anchor carrier. By separating the feedback reporting function from the specific DL-UL pairing relationships, the system maintains simple implicit carrier association while avoiding the complexity that would arise from managing feedback across multiple pairing configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor carrier acts as an intermediary that receives feedback for multiple downlink carriers without requiring direct feedback channels for each DL-UL pair. This intermediary approach allows the system to maintain simple carrier pairing while routing all feedback through a single mediator, thereby avoiding the complexity of multiple feedback paths.
3Measurement precision
If separate feedback reporting is required for each carrier combination, then accurate channel quality reporting is achieved, but uplink overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines feedback for multiple downlink carriers into a single uplink transmission on the anchor carrier. Instead of requiring separate uplink resources for feedback on each carrier, the system merges all CQI reports into one consolidated feedback message, thereby reducing uplink overhead while maintaining the ability to report channel quality for each individual carrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent reorganizes feedback reporting from a distributed approach (separate feedback channels for each carrier) to a centralized approach (single feedback channel on anchor carrier). This dimensional reorganization consolidates multiple feedback streams into one, reducing the quantity of uplink resources required while preserving measurement precision through structured reporting formats that include carrier-specific information.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
A wireless communication system facilitates multichannel periodic and aperiodic feedback (e.g., Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), Rank indicator (RI), Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI)) from a population of user equipment while facilitating legacy single carrier communication. Paired downlink (DL)/ uplink (UL) or many-to-one mapping communication can be established by common system information or dedicated signaling. In one aspect, a flag sent by system information or by dedicated signaling can indicate which means controls. Feedback can be configured for each carrier independently reported in a concatenated in frequency fashion, reported in a cycle in time fashion, or reported in a staggered in time and frequency fashion. Feedback can be reported jointly as one wide bandwidth. Feedback can be a single report perhaps reported on a data channel for more capacity or by cycled carrier/subband reporting.