PUCCH Resource Segmentation for URLLC Latency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless telecommunications systems face challenges in efficiently supporting diverse devices with varying data traffic profiles, particularly in achieving low latency and high reliability for Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) services, which are critical for applications like factory automation and autonomous vehicles.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves modifying acknowledgment signalling handling in wireless telecommunications networks by using different PUCCH resources for positive (ACK) and negative (NACK) HARQ feedback, allowing for earlier transmission of NACKs to reduce latency and maintaining efficient multiplexing of ACKs, thereby optimizing radio resource utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If different PUCCH resources are used for ACK and NACK transmissions, then latency for retransmissions is reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelatency for retransmissionsVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the acknowledgment signaling resources by creating separate PUCCH resources for ACK and NACK transmissions. This segmentation allows NACK signals to be transmitted independently and earlier than ACK signals, reducing the latency for retransmission requests without requiring complete redesign of the acknowledgment mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary action by allocating specific PUCCH resources for NACK transmissions in advance, allowing the terminal device to immediately transmit NACK signals when decoding fails, without waiting for the standard ACK timing. This preliminary resource allocation reduces the time loss for retransmission initiation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If earlier NACK transmission is enabled, then productivity is improved, but radio resource utilization efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveproductivityVSAvoidradio resource utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different temporal and frequency characteristics to ACK and NACK PUCCH resources. NACK resources are configured to transmit earlier and potentially on different physical resources than ACK resources, optimizing the local transmission characteristics for each signal type to balance productivity improvement with resource efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4104343B1Telecommunications apparatus and methods
Publication Date: 2024.09.18 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP4104343B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4104343B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4104343B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A method of operating a terminal device in a wireless telecommunications system, the method comprising: attempting to decode a transmission of data to the terminal device; determining whether or not the data was successfully decoded; and transmitting acknowledgement signalling indicating whether or not the data was successfully decoded on radio resources that are determined by taking account of whether or not the data was successfully decoded.