PUCCH Resource Selection for Multicast Feedback Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communications, base stations face inefficiencies in retransmitting multicast messages due to the inability to identify which user equipment (UEs) failed to receive the message, leading to suboptimal transmission parameters and increased retransmissions, especially in UE-shared negative acknowledgment (NACK) feedback scenarios.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method where UEs select Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) resources based on downlink control information and group conditions, allowing the base station to identify failing UE groups and adapt transmission parameters for retransmissions, thereby improving multicast message reception success rates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If multiple UEs share the same PUCCH resources for NACK feedback transmissions, then system overhead is reduced, but the base station cannot determine which UE transmitted the feedback

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem overheadVSAvoidfeedback source identification
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The PUCCH resource set is segmented into multiple individual PUCCH resources (first PUCCH resource, second PUCCH resource, etc.), each assigned to specific UE groups. This segmentation allows the base station to identify which UE group transmitted feedback by determining which specific PUCCH resource was used, while still maintaining resource sharing within each group to reduce overall overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different PUCCH resources are assigned to different UE groups based on their specific conditions (e.g., geographic location, channel conditions). This local differentiation enables the base station to identify feedback sources at the group level while maintaining the efficiency of resource sharing, as each group has its own designated resources rather than all UEs competing for the same resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the base station retransmits multicast messages to all UEs when feedback is received, then all potential receivers are covered, but transmission efficiency decreases due to unnecessary retransmissions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulticast message deliveryVSAvoidretransmission efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The base station performs targeted retransmissions by identifying specific UE groups that failed to receive the multicast message based on which PUCCH resource was used for feedback. Instead of retransmitting to all UEs, the base station sends retransmissions only to the identified groups, improving efficiency while maintaining reliability for those who actually need the message.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where UEs transmit NACK feedback on specific PUCCH resources when they fail to receive multicast messages. The base station uses this feedback information to identify which UE groups need retransmission, enabling efficient targeted retransmissions rather than blanket retransmissions to all UEs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If the base station uses a single set of transmission parameters for all multicast transmissions, then implementation is simple, but transmission performance is suboptimal for different UE groups

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission parameter managementVSAvoidmessage reception success
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The base station determines different sets of transmission parameters for different UE groups based on their specific conditions (e.g., channel quality, geographic location). This allows optimization of transmission parameters for each group's specific needs while maintaining manageable complexity through group-based management rather than individual UE customization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Transmission parameters are segmented into different sets corresponding to different UE groups. The base station maintains multiple parameter sets and selects the appropriate set based on which UE group requires retransmission, enabling optimized performance for each group while keeping the system manageable through organized parameter segmentation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4085555B1Resource selection for user equipment (UE)-shared multicast feedback
Publication Date: 2024.02.28 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP4085555B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4085555B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4085555B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This disclosure provides methods, devices, and systems for resource selection supporting user equipment (UE)-shared multicast feedback. In some systems, a UE and a base station may support multicast communications. The base station may configure a set of physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources that the UE may use for multicast feedback messages. The base station may transmit an indication of the set of PUCCH resources to the UE, and the UE may determine to use a PUCCH resource of the set of PUCCH resources based on one or more indications from the base station. The UE may fail to receive a multicast message from the base station and may transmit a UE-shared negative acknowledgment (NACK) feedback message. The base station may re-transmit the multicast message according to a set of transmission parameters that is based on which PUCCH resource was used by one or more UEs for multicast NACK feedback.