Single-Slot PUCCH Repetition with Frequency Hopping for URLLC

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication technologies, such as NR and LTE, face challenges in meeting the reliability and latency requirements of ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) due to limitations in physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) transmission, particularly in frequency hopping systems.

Innovation Solution

Implementing PUCCH repetition within a single slot and utilizing flexible frequency hopping and common mother code encoding to enhance reliability and latency performance, allowing for soft-combining at the base station.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If PUCCH transmission uses traditional single transmission per slot, then device complexity is low, but reliability and latency performance do not meet URLLC requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovePUCCH transmission reliabilityVSAvoidPUCCH transmission complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the PUCCH transmission into multiple repetitions within a single slot, where each repetition is transmitted in different time resources. This segmentation allows the base station to receive multiple copies of the same control information, enabling soft-combining to improve reliability while maintaining manageable complexity through structured repetition patterns

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements periodic repetition of PUCCH transmissions within a slot, where the same control information is transmitted multiple times at different time positions. This periodic action increases the probability of successful reception and enables soft-combining techniques at the base station to enhance reliability without requiring complex modulation or encoding changes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Reliability

If frequency hopping is implemented for PUCCH transmission, then frequency diversity is improved, but latency increases due to multiple hops

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefrequency diversityVSAvoidtransmission latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the frequency hopping process into multiple discrete hops within a single slot, where each hop transitions to a different frequency resource. By limiting the number of hops and organizing them in a structured manner, the patent achieves frequency diversity for improved reliability while controlling the total time spent on hopping to meet URLLC latency requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs frequency hopping transitions in advance within the slot, preparing the frequency resources before the actual PUCCH transmission begins. This preliminary action allows the system to pre-establish frequency diversity benefits while minimizing the impact on overall transmission latency by overlapping preparation and transmission operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If multiple PUCCH repetitions are transmitted in multiple slots, then reliability is improved, but latency increases due to extended transmission time

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovePUCCH transmission reliabilityVSAvoidtransmission duration
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from transmitting repetitions across multiple time slots to transmitting repetitions within a single slot by utilizing different time resources and frequency hops. This dimensional change from inter-slot to intra-slot repetition significantly reduces transmission duration while maintaining the reliability benefits of multiple repetitions through soft-combining

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP4254849B1Physical uplink control channel repetition
Publication Date: 2025.09.17 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP4254849B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4254849B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4254849B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a base station may transmit, in connection with an ultra-reliable low latency communication service, a configuration message to configure transmission of a physical uplink control channel for the ultra-reliable low latency communication service. In some aspects, a user equipment may receive the configuration message. In some aspects, the user equipment may transmit, in a single slot, a plurality of repetitions of the physical uplink control channel based at least in part on receiving the configuration message. In some aspects, the base station may receive the plurality of repetitions. Numerous other aspects are provided.