Puncturing eMBB for URLLC in NR-U Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multiplexing methods in telecommunications networks, particularly in New Radio (NR) Unlicensed (NR-U) networks, are inefficient for combining Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) traffic, leading to suboptimal channel access, resource allocation, and Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback.
Innovation Solution
The method involves determining when to puncture eMBB transmissions for URLLC data, excluding HARQ Negative Acknowledgements from CWS adjustments, defining channel access priority classes for URLLC-only data, and performing post-backoff procedures to optimize channel access and resource allocation in unlicensed spectrum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If URLLC transmissions puncture eMBB transmissions to achieve low latency, then URLLC reliability and speed are improved, but eMBB transmission quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transmission resources by creating separate HARQ feedback mechanisms for punctured and non-punctured transmissions. The network node identifies which transmissions are punctured and routes their HARQ feedback separately, allowing eMBB transmissions to be protected from URLLC puncturing while still enabling low-latency URLLC transmissions when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - the separate HARQ feedback process - that mediates between URLLC and eMBB transmissions. By having the network node identify punctured transmissions and handle their feedback separately, this intermediary layer protects eMBB transmission quality while allowing URLLC to puncture when necessary.
2Device complexity
If HARQ feedback is adjusted based on all transmissions including punctured ones, then channel access control is simplified, but channel access efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the HARQ feedback processing into two distinct paths: one for punctured transmissions and one for non-punctured transmissions. The network node identifies which transmissions are punctured and adjusts the Contention Window Size (CWS) separately for each type, preventing failed punctured transmissions from incorrectly triggering CWS doubling and improving channel access efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of treating all HARQ feedback uniformly, the patent inverts the approach by giving special treatment to punctured transmissions. Rather than applying the standard CWS adjustment rule to all transmissions, the system identifies punctured transmissions and excludes them from triggering CWS doubling, thereby inverting the conventional feedback mechanism to better suit the puncturing scenario.
3Ease of operation
If uniform channel access procedures are used for all traffic types, then system operation is simplified, but resource allocation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating channel access procedures based on traffic type and transmission status. While maintaining a unified LBT framework, the system applies different CWS adjustment rules for punctured versus non-punctured transmissions, and different priority classes for URLLC versus eMBB traffic, optimizing resource allocation efficiency without completely redesigning the channel access procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for multiplexing of different traffic types in a telecommunications network are provided. According to one aspect, a method of operation of a network node comprises: determining that data is available for a Downlink (DL) transmission of a first traffic type to a User Equipment (UE); identifying a DL transmission of a second traffic type to be punctured; transmitting the DL transmission of the first traffic type by puncturing the identified DL transmission of the second traffic type; receiving a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) Negative Acknowledgement (NACK) associated with the punctured DL transmission of the second traffic type; and excluding the HARQ NACK associated with the punctured DL transmission of the second traffic type from a DL Contention Window Size (CWS) adjustment operation of the network node.