NR-Light Resource Allocation Using DCI and Separate BWPs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication technologies face challenges in designing a communication solution for NR-light terminal devices that are compatible with existing protocols while minimizing bandwidth usage and reducing overheads.

Innovation Solution

A communication method that utilizes downlink control information (DCI) to indicate time and frequency domain resources for NR-light terminal devices, allowing them to receive system information with low overheads and ensuring forward compatibility by using separate bandwidth parts (BWPs) for different types of terminal devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If NR-light terminal devices use the same bandwidth as existing terminal devices, then protocol compatibility is improved, but bandwidth resource occupation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotocol compatibilityVSAvoidbandwidth resource occupation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the total bandwidth into multiple bandwidth parts (BWPs), with a first BWP allocated to NR-light terminal devices and a second BWP to existing terminal devices. This segmentation allows each device type to operate on appropriate bandwidth resources, achieving protocol compatibility for NR-light devices while limiting their bandwidth consumption to only what they need.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If NR-light terminal devices share the same frequency resources as existing terminal devices, then resource utilization is improved, but collision probability in random access increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidcollision probability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments frequency resources by creating separate BWPs for different device types. NR-light terminal devices perform random access and communicate on the first BWP, while existing terminal devices use the second BWP. This frequency division isolates the two device types, maintaining good resource utilization within each BWP while eliminating inter-device-type collisions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Area of stationary object

If all terminal devices receive paging on the same resources, then paging coverage is improved, but unnecessary paging overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepaging coverageVSAvoidpaging overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides paging resources into separate domains corresponding to different BWPs. The network device sends paging information to NR-light terminal devices on resources associated with the first BWP, and to existing terminal devices on resources associated with the second BWP. This segmentation ensures each device type receives necessary paging coverage while avoiding unnecessary paging overhead for devices that don't need to be paged on specific BWP resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Manufacturing precision

If DCI indicates frequency resources for both NR-light and existing terminal devices separately, then resource allocation precision is improved, but control information overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation precisionVSAvoidcontrol information overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making the BWP indicator field in DCI dynamic and context-dependent. When the DCI is intended for an NR-light terminal device, the BWP indicator points to the first BWP; when intended for an existing terminal device, it points to the second BWP. This allows precise resource allocation for each device type using the same DCI structure, without requiring separate DCI formats or significantly increasing overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4072186B1NR-light terminal device communication methods and apparatus
Publication Date: 2025.11.26 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4072186B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4072186B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(c)
  • EP4072186B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This application provides a communication method. The method includes: A network device sends downlink control information to a first terminal device. The downlink control information includes: time domain resource information, where the time domain resource information is used to determine a time domain resource, and the time domain resource is a time domain resource on which a first data channel is located; and frequency domain resource information, where the frequency domain resource information is used to determine frequency domain resources, the frequency domain resources are a frequency domain resource on which the first data channel is located and a frequency domain resource on which a second data channel is located. The second data channel is located on a time domain resource different from the time domain resource on which the first data channel is located. The first terminal device receives, on the determined time domain resource and frequency domain resource, a signal that is located on the first data channel and that is from the network device. The first data channel is used by the first terminal device to communicate with the network device. The second data channel is used by a second terminal device to communicate with the network device.