Priority Channel Multiplexing for PUCCH–PUSCH Conflicts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication technologies face challenges in efficiently resolving conflicts between uplink channels of different priorities, leading to impaired performance of low-priority services when high-priority channels are prioritized for transmission, particularly in scenarios involving Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) and Physical Uplink Control Channels (PUCCH) with varying transmission priorities.

Innovation Solution

A multiplexing scheme is proposed to resolve conflicts by selecting or creating new PUCCH resources for transmitting multiplexed information, converting priority indicators, and mapping UCI to PUSCH resources, ensuring high-priority services are not delayed and low-priority services are minimally affected.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high-priority uplink channels are prioritized for transmission, then high-priority service reliability is improved, but low-priority service performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehigh-priority service transmission reliabilityVSAvoidlow-priority service transmission efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple uplink channels (PUCCH and PUSCH) of different priorities into a single transmission resource. When a high-priority PUCCH and low-priority PUSCH overlap in time, the system combines their information and transmits them together on the PUSCH resource, ensuring both high-priority control information and low-priority data are delivered without complete exclusion of either service

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The PUSCH resource is given multi-functionality to carry both its original low-priority data payload and multiplexed high-priority uplink control information (UCI) from conflicting PUCCH resources. This allows a single resource to serve multiple functions and priority levels simultaneously, resolving the conflict without completely sacrificing either service type

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

2Productivity

If multiple uplink channels with different priorities share the same time resources, then resource utilization is improved, but channel conflict and transmission reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuplink resource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidchannel transmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different handling rules to different parts of the transmission based on priority. High-priority UCI information is multiplexed with specific prioritization rules that ensure its reliability, while low-priority data on PUSCH follows different rules. The system locally adapts the transmission strategy to the priority level of each information type within the same resource

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes transmission parameters (such as resource allocation, power distribution, and multiplexing schemes) based on the priority of the information being transmitted. When high-priority channels are detected, parameters are adjusted to favor their reliable transmission while minimizing impact on low-priority services, dynamically adapting to maintain overall reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of time

If low-priority services are completely dropped to prioritize high-priority channels, then high-priority service delay is reduced, but low-priority service loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehigh-priority service transmission delayVSAvoidlow-priority service data loss
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the potential harm of resource conflict into benefit by using the overlapping time resources of high-priority PUCCH and low-priority PUSCH as an opportunity for multiplexing. Instead of treating the overlap as a problem requiring one service to yield, the system exploits this overlap to achieve efficient resource utilization through combined transmission, turning the conflict into a beneficial multiplexing opportunity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentEP4101221B1Multiple priority channel multiplexing
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 ZTE CORP
  • EP4101221B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4101221B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4101221B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Techniques are described to address scenarios involving physical uplink channel conflicts. For example, a method includes performing a combined transmission of a first information multiplexed with a second information on a first physical channel resource selected from the first physical channel resource and a second physical channel resource, where the first physical channel resource and the second physical channel resource have different transmission priorities, where the first physical channel resource is configured to have a last symbol that is earlier in time compared to a last symbol configured for the second physical channel resource, and where the combined transmission is performed in response to the first physical channel resource being configured to include the first information that conflicts within a time period with the second physical channel resource being configured to include the second information.