Pre-Emption Buffer Indication for Slot Receiver Interference

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently handling pre-emption of slot transmissions by mini-slot transmissions, leading to interference and the need for effective indication of pre-empted resources in the soft buffer to maintain performance.

Innovation Solution

A pre-emption indication message is introduced to explicitly signal which part of the soft buffer should be handled separately, including information such as subframe/slot number, time pointer, HARQ process number, carrier indicator, time and frequency domain resources, and redundancy version, to facilitate precise handling of corrupted data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If mini-slot transmission is used to meet stringent latency requirements, then latency is reduced, but interference to slot receivers increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovelatencyVSAvoidinterference to slot receivers
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The network node sends pre-emption indication information to the wireless device before the wireless device processes the pre-empted slot transmission. This allows the wireless device to proactively clear its buffer and avoid using corrupted data for decoding, thereby reducing interference while maintaining low latency for mini-slot transmissions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The pre-emption indication information is segmented into specific fields (e.g., slot indication field, OFDM symbol indication field, carrier indicator field) that separately identify different aspects of the pre-empted resources. This segmentation allows precise identification of affected resources without requiring blanket retransmission, reducing overall interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If dynamic resource allocation is implemented for efficient system resource use, then resource efficiency is improved, but complexity of resource management increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource efficiencyVSAvoidcomplexity of resource management
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pre-emption indication information structure is designed to be universal and multi-functional. It can indicate pre-emption across different carriers, slots, and OFDM symbols using a standardized format with bitfields that can be configured for various scenarios. This universal structure simplifies resource management complexity while maintaining high resource efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The pre-emption indication mechanism is dynamic and adaptable. The network node can selectively activate or deactivate indication fields based on the specific pre-emption scenario, and the indication information can cover different time-frequency granularities. This dynamic approach allows efficient resource allocation without requiring complex fixed-structure management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If pre-emption indication information is sent to wireless devices, then handling of pre-empted data is improved, but signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehandling of pre-empted dataVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The pre-emption indication information provides local quality by specifically identifying only the affected portions of the transmission (specific slots, OFDM symbols, carriers) rather than indicating complete pre-emption. This localized indication improves reliability by providing precise information about what needs to be handled differently, while minimizing signaling overhead by not transmitting unnecessary information about unaffected resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial action by sending pre-emption indication information only when actual pre-emption occurs, rather than continuously. The indication covers only the specific resources that are pre-empted (partial action) rather than all resources. This approach improves data handling reliability while keeping signaling overhead minimal by avoiding excessive transmission of pre-emption information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3684131B1Pre-emption indication message
Publication Date: 2026.05.20 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP3684131B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3684131B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3684131B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

According to certain embodiments, a method is disclosed for use in a wireless device being affected by pre-emption. The method comprises receiving information from a network node and performing one or more operations based on the received information. The information indicates a portion of a buffer that is affected by pre-emption. Examples of operations that can be performed based on the received information include flushing the portion of the buffer affected by pre-emption or separately handling the portion of the buffer affected by pre-emption.