PUCCH Resource Allocation for HARQ Acknowledgment in Multi-Carrier Systems
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems, particularly in LTE and LTE-advanced, the existing methods for transmitting hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgments are inefficient when multiple carriers are used, leading to issues with channel structure compatibility and increased peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), especially when dealing with higher payload ACK/NACK signals.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for transmitting HARQ acknowledgments that utilize different PUCCH resources based on the primary carrier and secondary carriers, allowing for improved detection performance and increased payload capacity by using specific PUCCH formats and resource allocation strategies, such as PUCCH formats 1a/1b, 2, and 3, and dynamic resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple carriers are used to increase data rate, then productivity is improved, but peak-to-average power ratio increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ACK/NACK transmission resources by dividing PUCCH resources into different groups (first group for primary carrier, second group for secondary carriers). This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple carriers more efficiently, reducing the peak power requirements by distributing ACK/NACK transmissions across different resource groups rather than concentrating them on a single carrier.
2Productivity
If multiple carriers are used to increase data rate, then productivity is improved, but channel structure compatibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal PUCCH resource allocation mechanism that works across both single-carrier and multi-carrier configurations. By defining a unified framework where PUCCH resources can be dynamically assigned to either primary or secondary carriers based on configuration, the system maintains backward compatibility with legacy single-carrier channel structures while enabling multi-carrier operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic resource allocation where the PUCCH carrier assignment can change based on system configuration and traffic conditions. The network can dynamically configure which carrier (primary or secondary) carries PUCCH resources, allowing the channel structure to adapt to different operational scenarios while maintaining compatibility with both single-carrier and multi-carrier modes.
3Manufacturing precision
If dynamic resource allocation is used to increase payload capacity, then device complexity increases, but manufacturing precision is improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different PUCCH resource characteristics to different carrier types. First group resources are specifically optimized for primary carrier transmissions, while second group resources are optimized for secondary carrier transmissions. This localized optimization improves detection performance for each specific scenario without requiring the entire system to handle all possible configurations, thereby reducing overall complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and an apparatus for transmitting a reception acknowledgement for hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) of a user equipment (UE). The reception acknowledgement may be an ACK signal or a NACK signal for physical downlink shared channels (PDSCHs). The reception acknowledgement is transmitted on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and the UE selects a resource of the PUCCH based on a number of the received physical downlink control channels. That is, the UE selects a first PUCCH resource for a number of the received PDCCHs being less than a pre-defined number, and the UE selects a second PUCCH resource for a number of the received PDCCHs being equal to or greater than the pre-defined number.