Scheduling Multiple PDSCHs via Single DCI
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless cellular communication systems, user equipment (UE) with limited bandwidth or power capabilities may miss downlink data opportunities due to the inability to monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) at every slot, resulting in inefficient data transmission.
Innovation Solution
A base station schedules multiple downlink data channel resource assignments via a single control element (DCI), allowing for non-contiguous and non-consecutive timeslot resources, with the option to include an index to a table or list of offsets for determining additional resources, and uses a new data indicator (NDI) field to differentiate between new and re-transmitted data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a UE monitors for PDCCH at every slot, then the UE can receive downlink data opportunities, but the UE requires high bandwidth capabilities and power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monitoring task by dividing it into two parts: the UE monitors PDCCH only at specific discontinuous slots (reducing power consumption), while the base station uses a single DCI to schedule multiple PDSCH transmissions across different slots (ensuring data delivery). This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing the UE to conserve energy while still receiving data opportunities through multi-slot scheduling.
2Productivity
If a UE monitors for PDCCH at every slot, then the UE can receive downlink data opportunities, but the UE requires high bandwidth capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring burden is segmented such that the UE only needs to monitor at selected slots rather than every slot, reducing instantaneous bandwidth requirements. The base station compensates by scheduling multiple transmissions across different slots using a single DCI, ensuring data delivery without requiring the UE to have high continuous bandwidth capability.
3Productivity
If a DCI schedules only one PDSCH resource assignment, then the control element structure remains simple, but the UE misses data opportunities when unable to monitor at each slot
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple PDSCH resource assignments into a single DCI message. Instead of sending separate DCIs for each PDSCH, the base station combines scheduling information for multiple downlink transmissions (across different slots) into one control element, improving data transmission efficiency while managing control overhead through efficient resource indication fields.
Solution Approach 2:
The DCI structure is enhanced to serve multiple functions: it not only schedules a single PDSCH but can also schedule multiple PDSCH transmissions across different slots using the same control element. This multi-functionality allows the DCI to adapt to both single-slot and multi-slot scheduling scenarios, improving efficiency without requiring completely separate control mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A base station can implement a method for scheduling downlink transmissions to a user equipment (UE). The method may be performed by processing hardware and includes transmitting to the UE a control element that includes information related to a first time resource for receiving a first downlink data unit associated with a media access control layer from the base station and a second time resource for receiving a second downlink data unit associated with the media access control layer from the base station (1102). The first time resource and the second time resource are non-consecutive and have different respective timeslot offsets within one or more frames, the information including an index into a table stored at the UE, the table specifying a plurality of candidate timeslot offsets for the first time resource (1104). In addition, the method includes transmitting to the UE the first downlink data unit over the first time resource and the second downlink data unit over the second resource (1106).