System Information Transmission Across Radio Frames

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Solution Overview

Problem

In NB-IoT and eMTC systems, there is a challenge in transmitting system information due to insufficient or excess available radio subframes, leading to incomplete transmission of system information blocks, as the number of required radio subframes often does not match the available resources.

Innovation Solution

The method involves selecting an available radio subframe in a specified radio frame to continue transmitting system information, even if there are not enough subframes in the initial radio frame, ensuring complete transmission by using available subframes across multiple radio frames until the information is fully transmitted.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If system information is transmitted using a fixed number of radio subframes in each radio frame, then the transmission structure is simple and easy to manage, but the system information cannot be completely transmitted when the required subframes exceed available resources

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of transmission managementVSAvoidcompleteness of system information transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the radio subframe allocation flexible rather than fixed. The base station dynamically determines the number of radio subframes needed based on the size of system information and adjusts the transmission across multiple radio frames accordingly. This allows the system to adapt to varying information sizes while ensuring complete transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from a single-dimension approach (fixed subframes within one radio frame) to a multi-dimensional approach by extending transmission across multiple radio frames. This adds the time dimension of multiple frames, allowing the system to accommodate larger information sizes by utilizing subframes across several frames rather than being constrained to a single frame.

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

2Reliability

If system information is transmitted repeatedly in available radio subframes to enhance reception quality, then the reception reliability is improved, but the resource utilization becomes inefficient when available subframes are not an integer multiple of required subframes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality of system information receptionVSAvoidinefficiency of radio resource utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the transmission parameters (number of subframes, number of radio frames) based on the actual size of system information. Instead of using a fixed repetition pattern, the system calculates the exact number of subframes needed and distributes them across appropriate number of radio frames, optimizing both reception quality and resource efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The base station performs self-service by autonomously determining the optimal transmission configuration based on the system information size. It calculates required subframes, selects appropriate radio frames, and adjusts transmission parameters without external intervention, ensuring efficient resource utilization while maintaining reception reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Quantity of substance

If more radio subframes are allocated to transmit larger system information blocks, then the information capacity is sufficient, but the number of available subframes in a single radio frame becomes insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecapacity of system information transmissionVSAvoidavailable radio subframe resources in one radio frame
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-planning the transmission across multiple radio frames. The base station determines in advance how many radio frames are needed based on the system information size, and pre-arranges the subframe allocation across these frames. This ensures that sufficient capacity is available while efficiently utilizing the limited subframe resources in each individual frame.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3457781B1System information transmitting and receiving methods and devices
Publication Date: 2023.03.08 ZTE CORP
  • EP3457781B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3457781B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP3457781B1 patent drawingFigure 6~8

AI summary

The disclosed techniques provide a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving system information, base station, and terminal. The method of transmitting system information comprises: configuring, by a base station, a radio frame for transmitting system information in a system information window with a system information repetition pattern; and, starting, by the base station, to transmit the system information in an available radio subframe of the radio frame indicated by the system information repetition pattern, wherein if there are not enough available radio subframes for transmitting the SI one or more times in the radio frame indicated by the system information repetition pattern, the system information is repeatedly transmitted one or more times in an available radio subframe in a specified radio frame. With this technical solution, the problem in related techniques that the system information cannot be transmitted using the prior art as the number of radio subframes that system information needs to occupy increases is solved, such that regardless of a size of the system information, a suitable number of radio subframes can be selected and thereby network resources are reasonably used.