Reduced Bandwidth UE SSB Reception via Segmented Signal Skipping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Reduced bandwidth User Equipment (UE) in wireless communications networks face performance degradation when receiving Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) with larger bandwidths than their own, due to unsupported subcarrier spacings and guardband requirements, leading to incomplete signal reception.

Innovation Solution

The UE determines which parts of the SSB to skip based on predicted decoding performance, allowing it to receive SSBs with larger bandwidths by adjusting the subcarrier spacing and resource allocation, while the network node prepares adapted SSBs to minimize performance loss by replacing unused parts with skipped sections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If reduced bandwidth UE receives SSB with larger bandwidth, then network resource utilization is improved, but decoding performance degrades

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork resource utilizationVSAvoiddecoding performance

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The SSB is segmented into multiple parts (first part and second part) in the frequency domain. The reduced bandwidth UE receives only the first part that fits within its bandwidth constraint, while the network transmits both parts to ensure full coverage for legacy UEs. This segmentation allows the system to accommodate both reduced bandwidth and full bandwidth UEs simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different parts of the SSB are designed with different quality characteristics. The first part is optimized for reduced bandwidth UEs with guaranteed decoding performance, while the second part provides additional information for legacy UEs. This local differentiation in quality allows each UE type to receive appropriately optimized signals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If reduced bandwidth UE receives full bandwidth SSB, then complete signal reception is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal reception completenessVSAvoidUE bandwidth capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The essential information needed by reduced bandwidth UEs is extracted into the first part of the SSB, which fits within their bandwidth constraints. The remaining information is placed in the second part, which reduced bandwidth UEs can ignore. This extraction allows reduced bandwidth UEs to receive complete necessary information without requiring full bandwidth capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The network performs preliminary action by pre-configuring the SSB structure with designated first and second parts before transmission. This pre-configuration ensures that reduced bandwidth UEs can immediately identify and receive the appropriate first part without requiring complex post-reception processing or bandwidth expansion capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If SSB bandwidth is reduced to match UE bandwidth, then UE reception capability is improved, but network resource utilization decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveUE reception capabilityVSAvoidnetwork resource utilization

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The SSB structure is designed with universal applicability through its two-part configuration. The first part serves both reduced bandwidth UEs and legacy UEs, while the second part specifically serves legacy UEs. This multi-functional design allows a single SSB transmission to simultaneously support multiple UE types with different bandwidth capabilities, maximizing network resource utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Device complexity

If reduced bandwidth UE skips SSB parts, then bandwidth constraint is satisfied, but information loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth constraint complianceVSAvoidSSB information completeness

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20230379757A1User equipment, network node and methods in a wireless communications network

Publication Date: 2023.11.23 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

A method performed by a User Equipment (UE) for handling a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) from a network node in a wireless communications network is provided. The UE operates with a reduced bandwidth. The UE detects an SSB from the network node, and that a bandwidth of the SSB is larger than the bandwidth of the UE. The UE determines which part of the SSB to skip to make the bandwidth of the SSB equal or smaller than the bandwidth of the UE, such that the UE is capable of receiving the SSB. The part of the SSB to be skipped is determined based on a predicted decoding performance of the SSB.