Relay UE Concurrent Signaling Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

In LTE D2D communication systems, relay user equipment (UE) faces performance losses due to concurrent processes in uplink subframes, leading to conflicts between D2D and cellular communications, which affect access and backhaul link performance.

Innovation Solution

Implementing novel techniques for resource alignment and prioritization, including physical and higher layer signaling to coordinate transmission timelines, prevent D2D and cellular communications from occurring in overlapping subframes, and introduce additional signaling mechanisms to manage different traffic types, ensuring that relay UE performs D2D communications using only uplink subframes and receives D2D data from remote UE in uplink subframes, while cellular data is transmitted and received in dedicated downlink subframes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If relay UE performs concurrent D2D and cellular communications in uplink subframes, then resource utilization is improved, but communication performance deteriorates due to conflicts and interference

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidcommunication performance
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the communication resources by separating D2D and cellular transmissions into different subframes. The eNodeB configures specific uplink subframes for D2D communications and other uplink subframes for cellular communications, preventing concurrent transmissions that cause interference. This temporal segmentation resolves the contradiction by maintaining resource utilization while avoiding performance degradation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic resource allocation where the eNodeB can flexibly assign different subframes for D2D and cellular communications based on current network conditions, traffic demands, and interference levels. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adaptively optimize resource utilization while maintaining communication performance under varying operational scenarios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If additional signaling mechanisms are introduced to manage traffic types, then communication reliability is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice continuityVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses existing LTE signaling mechanisms (RRC connection reconfiguration, uplink grants, sidelink grants) to serve multiple functions - both cellular resource allocation and D2D resource coordination. By making these existing signaling protocols multi-functional, the system achieves reliable service continuity management without introducing entirely new complex signaling frameworks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The eNodeB acts as an intermediary that coordinates between D2D and cellular communications. It receives traffic type indications from the relay UE and responds with appropriate subframe configurations through standard signaling channels. This intermediary approach centralizes the complexity management at the network side while keeping UE implementations relatively simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3295758B1Reduction of concurrent signaling in a relay user equipment (UE)
Publication Date: 2021.04.14 APPLE INC
  • EP3295758B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3295758B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3295758B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

Technology for an eNodeB operable to resolve predefined types of concurrent communications at a relay user equipment (UE) is disclosed. The eNodeB can identify the relay UE that is configured to relay proximity services (ProSe) traffic between the eNodeB and a remote UE. The relay UE can be in-coverage of the eNodeB and the remote UE can be in-coverage or out-of-coverage of the eNodeB. The eNodeB can communicate control signaling to at least one of the relay UE and the remote UE to resolve predefined types of communications performed at the relay UE or the remote UE to defined subframes. The control signaling can provide concurrency avoidance at the relay UE for predefined types of concurrent communications between the relay UE and at least one of the eNodeB and the remote UE.