Narrowband IoT Carrier Placement in NR Physical Resource Blocks
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing technologies do not effectively address the deployment of Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) carriers within New Radio (NR) carriers, leading to potential interference and spectrum wastage due to mismatched numerology and channel rasters, and lack of clear methods for static configuration of sub-PRB resources for uplink or downlink.
Innovation Solution
Configuring the NB-IoT carrier within a radio carrier with guard bands between adjacent physical resource blocks, allowing for partial allocation of resources to user equipment, and optimizing the placement of the NB-IoT carrier within the NR PRB grid to ensure coexistence and minimize interference, while dynamically assigning or pre-defining the size of the partial portion of the physical resource blocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If NB-IoT carrier is deployed within NR carrier without guard bands, then spectrum utilization is improved, but interference between carriers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The physical resource block is segmented into multiple parts: NB-IoT carrier resources, guard bands, and remaining resources for other users. This segmentation allows NB-IoT to coexist with NR carriers while maintaining spectral efficiency by precisely defining resource boundaries and minimizing guard band overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
Guard bands are applied locally only where NB-IoT carrier is deployed within NR carrier, rather than across the entire spectrum. This localized approach minimizes the impact on overall spectrum utilization while providing necessary interference protection at specific carrier boundaries.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If guard bands are added between NB-IoT carrier and adjacent physical resource blocks, then interference is reduced, but spectrum wastage increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of allocating entire physical resource blocks to NB-IoT, the invention applies partial action by allocating only the necessary portion for NB-IoT carrier, with the remaining partial resources allocated to other users. This reduces guard band requirements and minimizes spectrum wastage while maintaining interference protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention dynamically adjusts the size and position of guard bands based on the specific deployment scenario, NB-IoT carrier bandwidth, and available NR resources. This parameter optimization ensures minimum necessary guard bands are used, reducing spectrum wastage while maintaining adequate interference protection.
3Reliability
If entire physical resource blocks are allocated to NB-IoT carrier, then NB-IoT coverage is improved, but resources for other users are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Physical resource blocks are segmented into NB-IoT allocated resources and remaining resources for other users. This allows NB-IoT to obtain sufficient resources for reliable coverage while enabling simultaneous resource allocation to other users, improving overall system productivity and resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The same physical resource block structure serves multiple functions: supporting NB-IoT carrier deployment, providing guard bands for interference protection, and allocating remaining resources to other users. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between NB-IoT coverage and overall system resource availability.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2~3
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AI summary
A method comprising configuring a narrowband internet of things carrier relative to one or more physical resource blocks of a radio carrier, the one or more physical resource blocks having a bandwidth that is greater than a bandwidth of the narrowband internet of things carrier; and configuring the narrowband internet of things carrier relative to the one or more physical resource blocks such that there is a first guard band between the narrowband internet of things carrier and a first adjacent physical resource block, and a second guard band between the narrowband internet of things carrier and a second adjacent physical resource block.