Terminal Channel Access via Base Station Occupancy in Unlicensed Bands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems face challenges in efficiently performing channel access procedures for uplink transmission in unlicensed bands, particularly in determining when to perform channel sensing operations to secure channel occupancy times.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a method where a terminal receives downlink control information (DCI) from a base station, which includes a channel access parameter indicating whether the channel occupancy time is initiated by the base station or the terminal. Based on this parameter and a preset time gap, the terminal decides whether to perform a channel sensing operation before initiating uplink transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the terminal performs channel sensing operation before every uplink transmission to secure channel occupancy time, then the reliability of channel access is improved, but the time consumption and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The base station performs channel sensing operation in advance before the terminal needs to transmit. The base station secures the channel occupancy time beforehand and informs the terminal through DCI, allowing the terminal to skip the channel sensing operation and directly perform uplink transmission within the pre-secured channel occupancy time.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station acts as an intermediary that performs the channel sensing operation on behalf of the terminal. By using the base station's channel occupancy time information transmitted via DCI, the terminal can determine whether channel sensing is needed, thereby reducing redundant sensing operations while maintaining reliable channel access.
2Ease of operation
If the terminal always performs channel sensing operation to ensure proper channel access, then the channel access procedure is simplified, but the transmission efficiency decreases due to unnecessary sensing operations
Solution Approach 1:
The channel access procedure becomes dynamic rather than static. The terminal adjusts its behavior based on real-time information from DCI about the base station's channel occupancy time. When the base station has secured channel occupancy time, the terminal skips sensing operations; when not, the terminal performs sensing. This dynamic adaptation optimizes both simplicity and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station provides feedback information to the terminal through DCI regarding the channel occupancy time status. This feedback mechanism allows the terminal to intelligently decide whether to perform channel sensing, eliminating unnecessary operations while maintaining proper channel access procedures, thus improving transmission efficiency.
3Productivity
If the terminal performs channel sensing operation based on time gap calculation, then the transmission efficiency is improved, but the complexity of determining channel access conditions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the channel occupancy time information from the base station and transmits it to the terminal via DCI. This extracted information directly tells the terminal whether channel sensing is needed, eliminating the need for the terminal to perform complex time gap calculations and channel access determinations on its own, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining high transmission efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An operation method of a terminal in a communication system may comprise: receiving downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling uplink transmission from a base station; identifying a communication node initiating a channel occupancy time associated with the uplink transmission based on a channel access parameter included in the DCI; and performing the uplink transmission scheduled by the DCI within the channel occupancy time initiated by the communication node, wherein the communication node is the terminal or the base station.