PUCCH Collision Handling for Mini-Slot and Slot Pre-Emption
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in next-generation wireless communication systems like 5G and NR is the efficient multiplexing of Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC) services, where collisions occur between mini-slot and slot-based Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmissions, leading to potential decoding issues due to preemption or puncturing events without proper indication to user equipment (UE).
Innovation Solution
Mechanisms are developed to handle PUCCH collisions by defining priority rules, dropping, delaying, or puncturing PUCCH transmissions, and employing joint UCI transmission to ensure alignment between the gNB and UE for proper decoding, along with efficient signaling of pre-emption and puncturing events using common or UE-specific search spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mini-slot and slot-based PUCCH transmissions are multiplexed to support both eMBB and URLLC services, then service multiplexing efficiency is improved, but collision occurs between transmissions of different types leading to decoding issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the PUCCH transmission timeline into different priority levels by introducing a first PUCCH for mini-slot-based URLLC feedback and a second PUCCH for slot-based eMBB feedback. This segmentation allows independent handling of different service types and resolves collision issues by processing them in distinct time intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by establishing priority rules in advance where mini-slot-based PUCCH transmissions are designated as higher priority than slot-based transmissions. This pre-established priority framework enables the UE to proactively resolve potential collisions before they occur, ensuring reliable decoding for URLLC services while maintaining eMBB service quality.
2Reliability
If priority rules are implemented to handle PUCCH collisions by dropping or delaying transmissions, then decoding reliability is improved, but processing complexity at the UE increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the UE receives indication information from the network about priority rules and collision handling procedures. This feedback enables the UE to automatically adjust its transmission behavior without complex local decision-making, reducing processing complexity while maintaining high decoding reliability through network-coordinated priority management.
3Reliability
If joint UCI transmission is used to ensure alignment between gNB and UE, then decoding reliability is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple control information elements into a unified joint UCI transmission structure. By combining priority indication information, collision resolution parameters, and alignment signals into a single transmitted unit, the system achieves reliable gNB-UE alignment while minimizing the total signaling overhead compared to transmitting each parameter separately.
Data Source
AI summary
Described is an apparatus of a base station. The base station transmits, to a user equipment (UE), a configuration transmission carrying an indicator of a pre-emption condition. The base station transmits, to the UE, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission carrying a pre-emption indication in accordance with the pre-emption condition, wherein a puncturing instance occurs prior to a slot carrying the pre-emption indication, the pre-emption indication providing an offset between the slot and the puncturing instance, and wherein the pre-emption indication includes an antenna port index.