16-QAM Wireless Resource Allocation for NB-IoT Uplink and Downlink
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication standards for NB-IoT and LTE-MTC do not effectively support 16-QAM for unicast in uplink and downlink, lacking clear methods for time-domain resource assignment and transport block redistribution, which are necessary to increase data capacity without increasing buffer size or resource allocation complexity.
Innovation Solution
Implement time-domain resource assignment rearrangement and transport block redistribution to support 16-QAM, reducing the number of allocated time-domain resources and redistributing transport blocks to maintain signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) consistency between QPSK and 16-QAM, without requiring new buffer sizes or resource types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If 16-QAM is introduced to increase data capacity, then throughput is improved, but resource allocation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes existing QPSK resource allocation tables serve dual purposes by reinterpreting their entries for 16-QAM. The same table structures and indexing mechanisms are reused, but with modified interpretation rules that allow them to support both QPSK and 16-QAM modes without requiring separate allocation tables for each modulation scheme.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies parameters within existing resource allocation tables, specifically adjusting transport block size (TBS) values and resource unit (RU) allocations to account for the higher spectral efficiency of 16-QAM. These parameter adjustments allow the system to achieve 16-QAM throughput using the same table structures, thereby improving data capacity while maintaining resource allocation simplicity.
2Productivity
If buffer size is increased to support 16-QAM, then data capacity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively adjusting buffer size requirements only for specific transport block sizes and resource allocations used with 16-QAM, rather than universally increasing buffer size for all operations. This allows the system to support 16-QAM's higher data capacity needs while maintaining existing buffer constraints for QPSK operations, thereby avoiding unnecessary device complexity increases.
3Reliability
If signal-to-noise ratio gap between QPSK and 16-QAM is reduced, then reliability is improved, but resource allocation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making resource allocation adjustments specific to 16-QAM operations rather than uniformly across all modulation schemes. By targeting only the resource units and transport block sizes used with 16-QAM, the system can optimize SNR consistency for higher-order modulation without affecting QPSK resource allocation, thereby improving reliability while minimizing added complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, a network node, a wireless device, and computer readable storage medium for 16-QAM based communication are disclosed. A method includes: determining a resource allocation for 16-QAM based communication for the wireless device; and indicating, to the wireless device, a TBS and/or a number of allocated time-domain resources that are associated with the determined resource allocation using a TBS index and a time-domain resource index, wherein the TBS index and the time-domain resource index are determined in accordance with a table for allocating transport blocks and/or number of allocated time-domain resources for the 16-QAM based communication.