DC Tone Location Reporting in NR Uplink Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, especially in new radio (NR) networks, the direct current (DC) frequency tone causes interference and noise, making it challenging for receivers to efficiently receive phase tracking reference signals (PTRS), and existing methods require complex signaling to report DC locations, which can be computationally intensive and difficult to process within the required time frames.
Innovation Solution
User equipment (UE) reports DC location information based on events like carrier aggregation or bandwidth part reconfiguration, with the base station configuring reference BWPs to reduce the amount of information and allowing the UE to determine and report DC locations for these BWPs, enabling the base station to configure PTRS communications accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE reports DC location information for all configured BWPs and CCs, then the BS can accurately configure PTRS to avoid DC tone interference, but the signaling complexity and computational load increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the DC location reporting by introducing the concept of reference BWPs, which are a subset of all configured BWPs. Instead of reporting DC locations for all BWPs and CCs, the UE reports only for reference BWPs, reducing the signaling overhead while maintaining sufficient accuracy for PTRS configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by requiring the UE to report DC locations only for reference BWPs rather than all configured BWPs. This partial reporting approach provides sufficient information for PTRS configuration while avoiding the excessive complexity of reporting for every possible BWP and CC combination.
2Measurement precision
If the UE determines DC locations for all configured BWPs and CCs, then the PTRS configuration accuracy is maximized, but the processing time and computational resources required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the DC location determination process by focusing only on reference BWPs rather than all configured BWPs. This segmentation reduces the computational burden on the UE while maintaining sufficient precision for accurate PTRS configuration, as the reference BWPs are strategically selected to represent the critical frequency regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action in the processing domain by requiring the UE to determine DC locations only for reference BWPs instead of all configured BWPs and CCs. This partial determination approach reduces processing time and computational resources while providing sufficient precision for PTRS configuration.
3Reliability
If the BS configures PTRS avoiding DC tone locations, then the receiver performance is improved, but the frequency resource allocation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the UE reports its DC location information to the BS, which then uses this feedback to configure PTRS in a way that avoids DC tone interference. This feedback loop enables the BS to adaptively allocate frequency resources, improving receiver performance while managing the complexity of frequency resource allocation through automated decision-making.
Data Source
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AI summary
Wireless communications systems and methods related to signaling of direct current (DC) locations of user equipment devices (UEs) in a new radio (NR) network are provided. A wireless communication device receives, from a base station, at least one of a carrier aggregation (CA) configuration or a bandwidth part (BWP) configuration. The wireless communication device determines a direct current (DC) location based on at least one of the CA configuration or the BWP configuration. The wireless communication device transmits, to the base station, a report based on the determined DC location. The wireless communication device communicates, with the base station, a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) configured based on the report.