PUCCH Format Bundling for Carrier Aggregation Control Information
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently transmitting uplink control information on backward compatible physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) formats, particularly with carrier aggregation, where the limited capacity of PUCCH formats restricts the simultaneous reporting of channel quality indicators (CQI/PMI/RI) and hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgments (HARQ-ACK) bits, leading to potential channel estimation issues and increased retransmissions.
Innovation Solution
The method involves bundling HARQ-ACK bits to fit within the PUCCH capacity by applying full, partial, spatial, and cross-component carrier bundling techniques, using backward compatible PUCCH formats such as Format 2/2a/2b, and joint coding to simultaneously transmit CQI/PMI/RI and HARQ-ACK bits, ensuring compatibility with Release-8, Release-9, and Release-10 user equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If backward compatible PUCCH formats are used to maintain compatibility with older equipment, then compatibility is improved, but the capacity to transmit control information is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines CQI/PMI/RI bits and HARQ-ACK bits into a single PUCCH transmission by multiplexing them together. This merging allows both types of control information to be transmitted simultaneously on the same channel resources, effectively increasing the total information capacity without requiring separate channels for each type of feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The PUCCH format is designed to serve multiple functions by simultaneously carrying both CQI/PMI/RI information and HARQ-ACK information. This universal approach allows a single channel format to handle diverse control information types, maximizing the utilization of available capacity while maintaining backward compatibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If PUCCH capacity is limited to maintain backward compatibility, then compatibility is preserved, but channel estimation accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By merging CQI/PMI/RI and HARQ-ACK transmissions into a unified PUCCH format, the patent ensures that channel estimation can be performed using combined signals. This approach maintains estimation accuracy by preserving the structural integrity of the PUCCH format while accommodating multiple information types through systematic multiplexing.
3Device complexity
If control information is not transmitted efficiently, then simplicity is maintained, but retransmissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple control information types into a single efficient transmission cycle. By combining CQI/PMI/RI and HARQ-ACK bits in a unified PUCCH format, the system achieves higher transmission efficiency without significantly increasing complexity, as the merging process leverages existing channel structures and coding techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for reporting uplink control information (UCI) on a user equipment (UE) is described. A number of bits for a channel quality indicator and/or a precoding matrix index and/or a rank indication (CQI/PMI/RI) is obtained. A number of component carriers with hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) reporting is also obtained. A total number of HARQ-ACK bits is further obtained. A number of HARQ-ACK bits that can be carried on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) is determined. Bundling is performed on the total number of HARQ-ACK bits to be reported to fit the total number of HARQ-ACK bits to be reported into the number of HARQ-ACK bits that can be carried on the PUCH. A backward compatible PUCCH format is used to simultaneously carry the CQI/PMI/RI bits and the HARQ-ACK bits.