Scheduling Request Bundling for Background Wireless UEs
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication networks, especially LTE networks, user equipment (UE) running background applications face inefficiencies due to frequent connection and disconnection signaling overhead, with only a small number of scheduling request (SR) allocation slots being used, leading to suboptimal resource utilization.
Innovation Solution
The method involves configuring SR allocations for background applications into common resource blocks with longer periodicity, allowing UEs to exclusively use assigned SR allocations, thereby reducing the need for random access channels and optimizing resource usage by bundling SRs for background UEs, which can tolerate longer delays between allocations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If UEs run background applications with frequent connection and disconnection, then data transmission is possible, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network pre-configures SR allocations for background applications before the UE needs to transmit data. This allows the UE to remain in connected state with pre-allocated resources, avoiding frequent connection establishment signaling overhead while maintaining the ability to transmit data when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
SR allocations are configured with longer periodicity specifically for background applications. This periodic structure allows the UE to maintain connected state with predetermined transmission opportunities at extended intervals, reducing the frequency of signaling events compared to on-demand connection establishment.
2Reliability
If SR allocations are assigned to UEs for background applications, then UEs can remain in connected state, but resource utilization decreases because only a small number of SR allocation slots are used
Solution Approach 1:
SR allocations for multiple background applications are merged into common resource blocks. This consolidation allows multiple UEs to share the same resource pool, improving overall resource utilization while each UE maintains its connected state with guaranteed access to predetermined resources when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Common resource blocks are designed to serve multiple background applications from different UEs universally. These resource blocks function as shared pools that any configured UE can access according to its SR allocation, making the resources multi-functional and significantly improving utilization efficiency compared to dedicated allocations.
3Productivity
If SR allocations use standard periodicity, then resource allocation is frequent, but resource waste occurs because background applications use only a small number of slots
Solution Approach 1:
The periodicity parameter of SR allocations is specifically changed to longer intervals for background applications compared to standard periodicity. This parameter adjustment matches the actual usage patterns of background applications, allocating resources at frequencies that prevent waste while ensuring availability when data transmission is needed.
Data Source
AI summary
In embodiments, a user equipment (UE) may transmit, to an evolved Node B (eNB), a background indicator that the UE is in a background mode running one or more background applications and no active applications. The eNB may receive background indicators from a plurality of UEs, and may bundle the background-mode UEs into one scheduling request (SR) allocation block. The individual UEs may be assigned different resource elements within the block on which to transmit an SR indicator (e.g., if the UE has data to send to the eNB). The eNB may lengthen the period between SR allocations for the background-mode UEs compared with active-mode UEs. In some embodiments, the UE may exclusively use the assigned SR allocation instead of a random access channel to notify the eNB that the UE has data to send.