Radio Block Indicator for Power Saving in Extended Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Receiving devices in wireless communication networks face power consumption issues due to monitoring repeated radio blocks, as they currently have to monitor all repetitions even if the first block is sufficient for decoding, leading to unnecessary energy expenditure.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an indicator in the transmitted radio blocks by the transmitting device to inform the receiving device if a block is one of multiple repetitions, allowing the receiving device to stop monitoring once the original block is decoded, thereby reducing monitoring time and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If receiving devices monitor all repeated radio blocks to ensure reliable decoding in extended coverage areas, then decoding reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential information (original radio block) from the repeated transmissions and enables the receiving device to stop monitoring after successfully decoding it. The indicator field in each repeated block allows the device to identify when it has received the original block and terminate further monitoring, thus extracting only the necessary monitoring duration while maintaining decoding reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmitting device performs preliminary action by including an indicator field in each repeated radio block that signals whether it is the original block. This allows the receiving device to make an informed decision in advance about whether to continue monitoring subsequent blocks, preventing unnecessary power consumption while ensuring reliable reception.
2Reliability
If receiving devices monitor all repeated radio blocks to handle potential transmission errors, then communication reliability is improved, but monitoring time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential information (original radio block) from the repeated transmissions and enables the receiving device to stop monitoring after successfully decoding it. The indicator field in each repeated block allows the device to identify when it has received the original block and terminate further monitoring, thus extracting only the necessary monitoring duration while maintaining decoding reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by having the receiving device monitor only enough repeated blocks to ensure reliable decoding (stopping after the first successful decode), rather than monitoring all repeated blocks. This partial monitoring approach reduces time loss while maintaining sufficient communication reliability through the indicator mechanism.
3Area of stationary object
If transmitting devices send repeated radio blocks to extend coverage area, then coverage range is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coverage enhancement function into two parts: the transmitting device handles the repeated transmissions with indicator fields, while the receiving device handles the monitoring termination logic. This segmentation allows coverage extension without requiring complex coordination between devices, as each device has a clearly defined simplified function.
Solution Approach 2:
The indicator field acts as an intermediary mechanism between the transmitting and receiving devices. It carries the necessary information about whether a block is original or repeated without requiring complex signaling protocols or device modifications, thus enabling coverage extension while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
Data Source
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AI summary
A technique is described herein for saving power (e.g., battery power) at a receiving device (e.g., wireless device) by having a transmitting device (e.g., wireless access node) add an indicator to repeated radio blocks, where the indicator can be used by the receiving device (e.g., wireless device) to stop monitoring one or more of the repeated radio blocks.