Scheduling Indication Method Reducing DCI Overhead in 5G PDCCH

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Solution Overview

Problem

In multiple transport block (TB) scheduling scenarios, the increased downlink control information (DCI) overhead due to process scheduling indications degrades the performance of physical downlink control channels (PDCCH) by increasing their size significantly.

Innovation Solution

A scheduling indication method that schedules multiple shared channels through a single physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), using scheduling information to indicate processes, including process identification and new data indication (NDI) information, to reduce DCI overhead by compressing modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and resource allocation domains.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple transport blocks are scheduled with process scheduling indications, then scheduling flexibility is improved, but DCI overhead increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescheduling flexibilityVSAvoidDCI overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the DCI structure by separating process scheduling indications from transport block scheduling indications. Only transport block scheduling indications are included in the DCI, while process scheduling is handled through higher layer signaling or implicit methods, thereby reducing DCI overhead while maintaining scheduling flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts and removes the process scheduling indication fields from the DCI structure. By taking out these redundant indication bits, the DCI size is significantly reduced while the scheduling flexibility is preserved through alternative mechanisms such as RRC configuration or implicit process assignment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Measurement precision

If process scheduling indications are included for each shared channel, then scheduling precision is improved, but PDCCH performance degrades

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescheduling precisionVSAvoidPDCCH performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the scheduling indications for multiple shared channels (PUSCH and PDSCH) into a single unified DCI structure. By combining the indications and using a single PDCCH to schedule both uplink and downlink shared channels, the patent reduces the total number of PDCCH transmissions required while maintaining precise scheduling control

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a universal scheduling indication mechanism that can indicate multiple transport blocks across different shared channels using a common set of indication fields. The DCI structure is designed to be multi-functional, handling both uplink and downlink scheduling with the same indication bits, thereby improving PDCCH efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12075436B2Scheduling indication method and apparatus, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2024.08.27 ZTE CORP

AI summary

Provided are a scheduling indication method, a scheduling indication apparatus and a storage medium. The scheduling indication method includes: scheduling multiple shared channels through a single physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), where scheduling information is carried in the single PDCCH and is used to indicate scheduling for a process corresponding to each of the multiple shared channels, and the multiple shared channels include a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) and/or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).