Narrow Bandwidth Part Hopping Pattern for RedCap Interference

Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently managing narrow bandwidth parts (NBWPs) for user equipment (UEs), particularly in reducing narrowband interference and achieving frequency diversity, especially for RedCap devices with lower maximum BWP sizes, which require power-saving and reduced complexity.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method for UE and base station to configure and manage NBWP hopping patterns, allowing UEs to hop frequency within a larger BWP or carrier system bandwidth, thereby mitigating narrowband interference and providing frequency diversity gains without increasing BWP size, while maintaining transparency for procedures like HARQ and scheduling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If narrow bandwidth parts (NBWPs) are used for RedCap devices, then power consumption and device complexity are reduced, but narrowband interference increases and frequency diversity is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidnarrowband interference

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic frequency hopping for NBWPs, where the frequency location of NBWPs changes over time according to a hopping pattern. This dynamic approach allows RedCap devices to maintain narrow bandwidth operation (saving power) while periodically moving to different frequency locations to avoid persistent narrowband interference and achieve frequency diversity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs periodic frequency hopping where NBWPs transition between different frequency locations at regular intervals defined by hopping patterns. This periodic action enables RedCap devices to systematically explore different frequency resources, thereby mitigating narrowband interference through time-averaging and achieving frequency diversity without requiring continuous wide bandwidth operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Device complexity

If narrow bandwidth parts (NBWPs) are used for RedCap devices, then device complexity is reduced, but frequency diversity is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice complexityVSAvoidfrequency diversity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic frequency hopping for NBWPs, where the frequency location of NBWPs changes over time according to a hopping pattern. This dynamic approach allows RedCap devices to maintain narrow bandwidth operation (saving power) while periodically moving to different frequency locations to avoid persistent narrowband interference and achieve frequency diversity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs periodic frequency hopping where NBWPs transition between different frequency locations at regular intervals defined by hopping patterns. This periodic action enables RedCap devices to systematically explore different frequency resources, thereby mitigating narrowband interference through time-averaging and achieving frequency diversity without requiring continuous wide bandwidth operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If frequency hopping is implemented for NBWPs, then narrowband interference is reduced and frequency diversity is achieved, but scheduling complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenarrowband interferenceVSAvoidscheduling complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the NBWP hopping pattern configuration to be universally applicable across multiple UEs and scenarios. The base station configures hopping patterns that can be reused by different RedCap devices, and the same configuration mechanisms are used for both hopping pattern definition and activation. This multi-functionality reduces scheduling complexity by avoiding the need for separate complex control procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent controls scheduling complexity by carefully managing the parameters of hopping patterns (such as hopping duration, frequency offset, and pattern index). These parameters are configured through existing RRC signaling mechanisms, and the network can adjust them to balance interference mitigation performance with scheduling complexity. The use of standardized parameter sets and configuration options helps keep the system manageable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11942983B2Narrow bandwidth part hopping pattern

Publication Date: 2024.03.26 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for managing a bandwidth of a user equipment (UE). The UE has a narrower bandwidth part (NBWP) that follows a NBWP hopping pattern and allows the UE to hop frequency over time within a larger bandwidth. The UE receives a configuration of one or more NBWP hopping patterns for one or more configured NBWPs, each configured NBWP having a bandwidth less than or equal to a maximum configurable bandwidth of a bandwidth part. The UE determines an active NBWP hopping pattern for an active NBWP of the one or more configured NBWPs. The UE communicates on frequency domain resources for a frequency domain hop indicated by the active NBWP hopping pattern applied to the active NBWP. The UE may receive an indication of whether to switch the active NBWP hopping pattern.