Proactive Uplink Resource Allocation for Wireless Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current uplink transmission resource allocation methods in cellular networks incur delays and high energy consumption, particularly for machine-type communication devices, which strain control plane capacity and are inefficient for both energy-deprived and mission-critical applications.
Innovation Solution
Implementing proactive resource allocation by the radio access node, which synchronizes with the transmission phase of periodic data traffic, reducing latency and energy usage through unsolicited uplink grants and adaptive scheduling based on packet arrival patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional uplink resource allocation methods are used, then devices can transmit data, but access delay increases and energy consumption rises
Solution Approach 1:
The network proactively allocates uplink resources to the wireless device before the device requests them. The radio access node transmits unsolicited uplink grants in advance, allowing the device to transmit data immediately when data becomes available, thereby reducing access delay and avoiding the energy-consuming process of sending scheduling requests and waiting for grants.
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless device transmits data using proactively allocated resources without needing to request resources or engage in signaling exchanges with the network. This self-service approach eliminates the energy-consuming scheduling request transmission and grant waiting processes, allowing the device to autonomously utilize pre-allocated resources for immediate data transmission.
2Loss of energy
If conventional resource allocation with scheduling requests is used, then resources are allocated on-demand, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the scheduling request signaling step from the conventional resource allocation process. By proactively allocating resources without requiring the device to send scheduling requests, the network removes this unnecessary signaling overhead, reducing both the information exchange burden and the energy consumption associated with transmitting and processing scheduling requests.
3Productivity
If proactive resource allocation is implemented, then access delay is reduced, but resource allocation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The radio access node transmits unsolicited uplink grants periodically to the wireless device at configured time intervals. This periodic proactive allocation simplifies the scheduling complexity by following a regular pattern rather than requiring complex real-time decisions, while still achieving reduced access delay and improved transmission efficiency compared to on-demand allocation.
Data Source
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Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
Some embodiments disclose a method (60) for proactive allocation of uplink transmission resources to a wireless device, wherein the wireless device transmits periodic uplink data traffic. The method is performed in a radio access node (20) in a wireless communication system. The method comprises estimating (602) a transmission phase for the periodic uplink data traffic by, for two or more transmission periods, adjusting the timing of an uplink transmission resource allocation for the wireless device in a subsequent transmission period depending on whether an uplink transmission resource allocated in a previous transmission period was used by the wireless device or not. The method further comprises proactively allocating (604) uplink transmission resources to the wireless device, such that the timing of the proactively allocated resources matches the estimated transmission phase.