PUCCH Occasion Patterns for Uplink Carrier Switching
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently managing uplink control channel opportunities during carrier switching in active carrier aggregation, as PUCCH opportunities are typically configured on a single carrier, limiting simultaneous PUCCH transmissions across multiple carriers.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves configuring PUCCH opportunities on multiple carriers used for active carrier aggregation, with a UE determining a pattern of uplink control channel occasions for each carrier based on a carrier switching pattern, allowing simultaneous PUCCH transmissions across different carriers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If PUCCH opportunities are configured on a single carrier, then device complexity is reduced, but uplink control transmission efficiency deteriorates during carrier switching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the PUCCH configuration into separate patterns for each carrier in the carrier aggregation setup. Each carrier has its own PUCCH occasion pattern, allowing the UE to determine which carrier to use for PUCCH transmission based on the current active carrier set. This segmentation enables efficient uplink control transmission across multiple carriers while maintaining manageable configuration complexity through structured pattern definition.
2Adaptability or versatility
If PUCCH opportunities are configured on multiple carriers, then uplink control transmission flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic PUCCH occasion patterns on each carrier, where PUCCH opportunities occur at regular intervals according to predefined patterns. This periodic structure provides adaptability for carrier switching while controlling complexity through predictable, repeating patterns rather than arbitrary configurations. The UE can efficiently determine PUCCH opportunities by following these periodic patterns across different carriers.
3Productivity
If carrier switching is enabled in active CA, then spectral efficiency is improved, but PUCCH transmission reliability deteriorates due to limited PUCCH opportunities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes multiple carriers universally capable of carrying PUCCH transmissions by configuring PUCCH occasions on each carrier in the carrier aggregation set. This multi-functionality ensures that regardless of which carriers are currently active, there is always at least one carrier available for reliable PUCCH transmission. The UE can select from multiple carriers with PUCCH opportunities, maintaining transmission reliability while enabling flexible carrier switching for improved spectral efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described. A user equipment (UE) may receive an indication of an uplink transmission configuration for the UE associated with an active carrier aggregation (CA) of at least two carriers in a plurality of carriers, wherein carrier switching among the plurality of carriers is enabled for the active carrier aggregation according to a carrier switching pattern. The UE may select, based at least in part on a pattern of uplink control channel occasions associated with the carrier switching pattern, an uplink control channel occasion on a carrier of the plurality of carriers, wherein the pattern of uplink control channel occasions defines at least one uplink control channel occasion on at least one carrier of the plurality of carriers for each uplink symbol associated with the active CA. The UE may perform an uplink control transmission on the uplink control channel occasion.