PSFCH Transmission Occasions for COT Continuity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in maintaining continuous physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) transmissions due to listen-before-talk (LBT) failures and channel occupancy time (COT) discontinuation, which can lead to missed transmission opportunities and require re-initiation of COT.

Innovation Solution

The method involves obtaining PSFCH information indicating a plurality of PSFCH transmission occasions and transmitting sidelink communications. It includes receiving HARQ feedback from a responding UE in accordance with the PSFCH information, which indicates the occasions for transmitting HARQ feedback, thereby maintaining COT and reducing the likelihood of discontinuation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure is implemented for channel access, then channel collision is reduced, but transmission opportunities are lost due to LBT failures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechannel access reliabilityVSAvoidtransmission efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring multiple PSFCH transmission occasions and pre-reserving channel occupancy time (COT) before actual HARQ feedback transmission. This allows the responding UE to have multiple pre-arranged opportunities to transmit feedback without needing to perform LBT at each occasion, thereby maintaining productivity even when initial transmissions fail

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent ensures continuity of useful action by maintaining COT across multiple PSFCH transmission occasions. The responding UE transmits HARQ feedback at the first available occasion within the maintained COT, and the initiating UE continues to hold the COT, allowing seamless continuation of communication without breaking the useful action chain, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Stability of the object's composition

If channel occupancy time (COT) is maintained across multiple PSFCH transmission occasions, then continuous communication is achieved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication continuityVSAvoidCOT management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The COT is segmented into multiple PSFCH transmission occasions, allowing the communication to be divided into discrete, manageable units. Each occasion represents a segmented opportunity for feedback transmission, making the overall COT management more tractable while maintaining continuity across the segments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements partial action by requiring HARQ feedback transmission at only the first successful PSFCH occasion within the maintained COT, rather than requiring transmissions at all occasions. This reduces the operational complexity while still achieving the goal of continuous communication and maintaining COT

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If HARQ feedback is transmitted at every PSFCH transmission occasion, then reliability is improved, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeedback delivery reliabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by requiring HARQ feedback transmission at only the first successful PSFCH transmission occasion within the maintained COT, rather than at every occasion. This ensures reliable feedback delivery (improving reliability) while avoiding redundant transmissions that would consume additional energy (reducing energy loss)

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses self-service mechanisms where the initiating UE monitors for HARQ feedback at multiple PSFCH occasions and can determine communication success without requiring actual transmissions at all occasions. The feedback mechanism serves itself by allowing the initiating UE to infer successful reception when feedback is received at any occasion within the COT, reducing overall energy consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS20250039865A1Physical sidelink feedback channel transmissions

Publication Date: 2025.01.30 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. Some aspects more specifically relate to sidelink communications and physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH) transmissions. A channel occupancy time (COT) initiating user equipment (UE) may obtain PSFCH information that indicates a plurality of PSFCH transmission occasions. The COT initiating UE may transmit a sidelink communication to a responding UE. In some aspects, the COT initiating UE may receive, from the responding UE, hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback in each PSFCH transmission occasion of the plurality of PSFCH transmission occasions. In some other aspects, the COT initiating UE may receive, from the responding UE, HARQ feedback in at least the first PSFCH transmission occasion of the plurality of PSFCH transmission occasions.