Multi-Cell DCI Scheduling With Shared TDRA Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Legacy 5G NR systems lack efficient multi-cell scheduling mechanisms that result in high signaling overhead and repetitive control signaling when scheduling multiple cells, particularly in scenarios with a large number of co-scheduled cells, leading to inefficiencies in resource allocation and increased CRC field repetitions.
Innovation Solution
Implement multi-cell scheduling using a single DCI format that includes cell-common and cell-specific scheduling parameters, with mechanisms such as concatenated DCI formats, multi-cell mapping, and configured offset parameters to reduce signaling overhead while maintaining scheduling flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If separate DCI formats are used for each cell scheduling, then scheduling flexibility is maintained, but signaling overhead increases and resource allocation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cell scheduling operations into a single DCI format that can schedule multiple cells simultaneously. This merging approach reduces the number of separate DCI messages needed, thereby reducing signaling overhead while maintaining the ability to schedule multiple cells efficiently
Solution Approach 2:
The DCI format is designed with multi-functionality to handle both single-cell and multi-cell scheduling scenarios. By making the DCI format universal, the system can adapt to different scheduling needs without requiring separate specialized formats, thus reducing overall signaling overhead while preserving scheduling flexibility
2Adaptability or versatility
If DCI format size is increased to include all scheduling parameters, then scheduling flexibility is improved, but control channel resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the scheduling parameters into cell-common parameters and cell-specific parameters. Cell-common parameters that are identical across multiple cells are included once in the DCI format, while cell-specific parameters are included only when necessary. This segmentation reduces the overall DCI format size while maintaining scheduling flexibility for individual cells
Solution Approach 2:
The DCI format includes only the necessary scheduling parameters for the current scheduling scenario rather than all possible parameters. By using partial action, the format size is reduced while still providing sufficient flexibility for the specific scheduling needs, avoiding the overhead of including unnecessary parameters
3Loss of information
If multiple DCI formats are transmitted for multi-cell scheduling, then complete scheduling information is provided, but control signaling repetitions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple cell scheduling information into a single DCI format that contains both cell-common and cell-specific parameters. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple separate DCI transmissions, thereby reducing control signaling repetitions while maintaining complete scheduling information for all scheduled cells
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatuses and methods for DCI fields for multi-cell scheduling. A method includes receiving first information for a set of cells and identifying first time-domain resource allocation (TDRA) tables having a one-to-one mapping with cells in the set of cells. The method further includes receiving second information for a second TDRA table for reception of physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs) on cells in the set of cells and receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) that provides a downlink control information (DCI) format that includes a TDRA field that indicates a first row of the second TDRA table. The method further includes determining first time resources for the receptions of the first PDSCHs on the first cells based on first entries, respectively, of the first row of the second TDRA table and receiving the first PDSCHs on the first cells in the first time resources, respectively.