Sub-band PDCCH Hopping for Reduced Capability UEs
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Solution Overview
Problem
User equipment (UE) with reduced bandwidth capabilities face challenges in receiving Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) transmissions efficiently, as existing technologies struggle to design PDCCH to schedule system information transmission effectively and multiplex resources between reduced capability UEs and legacy UEs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a frequency hopping approach for CORESET transmissions, where the processor circuitry in UE determines sub-band locations based on information from PDCCH transmissions, allowing for efficient resource allocation across a set of sub-bands within the system bandwidth, enabling effective communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If PDCCH is designed to schedule system information transmission for reduced capability UEs, then system information transmission efficiency is improved, but resource multiplexing between reduced capability UEs and legacy UEs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the frequency spectrum into multiple sub-bands and assigns different CORESET configurations to different sub-bands. Reduced capability UEs monitor PDCCH in specific sub-bands while legacy UEs monitor in other sub-bands, enabling simultaneous resource allocation without interference and resolving the contradiction between transmission efficiency and resource multiplexing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by configuring different control resource set parameters (such as frequency offset, bandwidth, and monitoring occasions) for different sub-bands. This allows optimized PDCCH scheduling for reduced capability UEs in designated sub-bands while maintaining legacy UE compatibility in other sub-bands, achieving both efficient transmission and resource multiplexing.
2Productivity
If frequency hopping is implemented across system bandwidth, then resource efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the frequency hopping range into multiple sub-bands with predetermined hopping patterns. Reduced capability UEs only need to track frequency hops within their assigned sub-bands rather than across the entire system bandwidth, significantly reducing processing complexity while maintaining resource efficiency benefits of frequency hopping.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the hopping pattern parameters (such as hopping frequency, bandwidth, and timing) based on UE capability indicators. Reduced capability UEs receive simplified hopping parameters with smaller frequency offsets and reduced monitoring requirements, lowering device complexity while preserving resource efficiency through controlled frequency diversity.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach for wireless communications to support reduced capability New Radio (NR) with larger available control resource sets (CORESET) bandwidths. Examples include a frequency-hopping CORESET with a predefined hopping pattern configured by higher layers, such as RRC signaling or MAC Control Element (CE) on a per CORESET per UE or purely per UE basis. Frequency hopping patterns for CORESET transmissions include the use of PRBs for CORESETs that are mirrored with respect to the central frequency of active bandwidth part (BWP), and the use of a random parameter to step through the frequency pattern. The sub-band location of the physical downlink shared channel that is scheduled by the physical downlink control channel may be indicated using the DCI format, or may be based on a last slot for PDCCH transmission.