Multicast BLER Packet Encoding With Uneven Granularity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current multicast channel block error rate (BLER) reporting in wireless communication systems faces challenges in accurately representing packet numbers, leading to unreliable network evaluations due to insufficient bit encoding, especially for small BLER values, and excessive signaling overhead for larger values.

Innovation Solution

A method for encoding packet numbers using an uneven resolution with fine granularity for small values and coarse granularity for large values, employing configurable or implicit thresholds and granularities, allowing flexible representation and efficient signaling, including options for explicit signaling via high-layer signaling or derivation from other configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If 11 bits are used for packet number encoding, then the signaling overhead is reduced, but the maximum value is limited to 2048 which is insufficient for determining reliability of small BLER values

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignaling overheadVSAvoidpacket number representation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The packet number encoding is segmented into two parts: a first part with fine granularity (1 bit) for small packet numbers (0-1023) and a second part with coarse granularity for larger values. This segmentation allows 11 bits to efficiently represent both small and large packet numbers, resolving the contradiction between limited bit length and representation accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the packet number range are encoded with different granularities. Small packet numbers (0-1023) use fine granularity (1 bit per 1024 packets) while larger values use coarse granularity. This local quality approach optimizes the use of 11 bits to provide sufficient precision where needed while accepting coarser representation for less critical ranges.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If 13 bits are used for packet number encoding, then the maximum value increases to 8192 providing better accuracy, but the signaling overhead increases to 3 octal digits

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepacket number representation accuracyVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The encoding scheme dynamically adjusts the granularity based on the packet number value. For values 0-1023, fine granularity (1 bit) is used, while for larger values, coarse granularity is applied. This dynamic approach achieves the accuracy benefits of 13-bit encoding for small values while maintaining the compact 11-bit total length, avoiding the 3-octal-digit overhead of uniform 13-bit encoding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If floating representation with 8-bit mantissa and 3-bit exponent is used, then the maximum number increases to 32640, but many overlapping states exist with this representation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverepresentation rangeVSAvoidencoding uniqueness
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the encoding parameters from a floating-point format (8-bit mantissa, 3-bit exponent) to a segmented integer format (11 bits total with 1-bit fine granularity for values 0-1023). This parameter change eliminates overlapping states while maintaining sufficient representation range for BLER reporting, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3216129B1Packet number representation for multicast channel block error rate reporting
Publication Date: 2020.04.01 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP3216129B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3216129B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Various communication systems may benefit from appropriate representations of communication parameters and information. For example, certain wireless communication systems may benefit from packet number representation for multicast channel block error rate reporting. A method can include determining a number of packets corresponding to a block error rate of a multicast channel. The method can also include encoding the number of packets using an encoding format that includes a plurality of granularities and at least one threshold. The method can further include transmitting the number of packets in a report.