TDD Link Direction Configuration Timing Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

In the context of TD-LTE communication systems, updating link direction configurations on a short cycle leads to increased processing load and frequent link direction collisions, resulting in lowered throughput due to the need for continuous determination and modification of ACK/NACK and uplink grant timings.

Innovation Solution

A communication control system that configures link direction configurations for each frame, independently setting the timing of control signaling in a second link direction opposite to the first link direction, allowing for dynamic adjustment without requiring continuous collision judgment, thereby reducing processing load.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If link direction configuration is updated on a short cycle, then adaptability of the communication system is improved, but link direction collisions occur frequently causing throughput to decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability of link direction configurationVSAvoidcommunication throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the link direction configuration into two independent parts: (1) the data transmission link direction configuration updated on a short cycle, and (2) the control signaling link direction configuration updated on a long cycle. This segmentation allows the data configuration to adapt quickly to traffic changes while the control signaling configuration remains stable, avoiding collisions between different configurations and preventing throughput degradation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary configuration of control signaling timing based on the long-cycle link direction configuration before the short-cycle data configuration is applied. By establishing the control signaling timing in advance using the stable long-cycle configuration, the system ensures that control signals are always transmitted on reliable subframes, preventing collisions even when the data configuration changes frequently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Speed

If link direction configuration is updated on a short cycle, then responsiveness to traffic changes is improved, but processing load increases due to continuous collision determination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponsiveness to traffic changesVSAvoidprocessing load
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the control signaling timing configuration from the short-cycle data configuration updates. By separating the control signaling timing determination from the frequent data configuration changes, the system eliminates the need for continuous collision determination and modification during each short-cycle update, significantly reducing processing load while maintaining responsiveness through the independent long-cycle control configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If ACK/NACK and uplink grant timing are dynamically modified to avoid collisions, then throughput is maintained, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication throughputVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of dynamically modifying ACK/NACK and uplink grant timing to avoid collisions (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the problem by configuring control signaling timing independently on a long cycle to prevent collisions from occurring in the first place. This inversion eliminates the need for dynamic modifications and complex collision determination logic, reducing processing complexity while maintaining throughput.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP2892291B1Communication control apparatus, communication control method, terminal apparatus, program and communication control system
Publication Date: 2021.01.06 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP2892291B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2892291B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B
  • EP2892291B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Provided is a communication control device that controls radio communication conducted by a terminal device according to a time-division duplex (TDD) scheme on a radio communication network, the communication control device including a configuration section that configures, for each frame that includes a plurality of subframes, a link direction configuration expressing a link direction per subframe for the radio communication. The configuration section configures a timing of control signaling in a second link direction which is associated with data transmission in a first link direction in the radio communication, and which is opposite to the first link direction, independently of the configured link direction configuration.