Time-Domain Resource Allocation for Coverage-Limited OFDM Uplinks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing resource allocation methods in communication networks, particularly in 5G and future standards like 6G, are inflexible and inadequate for handling coverage shortage scenarios, leading to diminished performance and coverage due to limited transmission power distribution across larger bandwidths.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the grouping of OFDM symbols into symbol groups and slots into virtual slots, combined with Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) information, allows for flexible and configurable resource allocation, overcoming legacy limitations by using abstracted units for enhanced transmission success.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If UE transmits on larger bandwidth to accommodate larger TBS, then more data can be transmitted, but transmission power is distributed over larger bandwidth resulting in lower received SNR and diminished coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transmission process into multiple slots (TBoMS - Transport Block over Multiple Slots) rather than transmitting the entire TBS in one slot. This allows the UE to concentrate its limited power on fewer resource blocks per slot while spreading the transmission across multiple time slots, thereby maintaining higher power spectral density and improving received SNR for each transmission instance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic resource allocation where the network can configure the UE to use different numbers of slots for transmitting the same TBS based on channel conditions and power availability. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize between transmission speed and reliability by adjusting the time-bandwidth tradeoff in real-time.
2Reliability
If repetition of transmission is used to recover energy lost in distributing power over larger bandwidth, then coverage is improved, but resource allocation flexibility is reduced due to fixed slot-based repetition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal resource allocation framework that subsumes both repetition and TBoMS as special cases. The network can configure the UE to use the same resource allocation pattern for multiple slots with different purposes - either repeating the same TB for coverage enhancement or transmitting different TBs for increased throughput. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate mechanisms and provides seamless transition between coverage and capacity modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic switching between repetition and TBoMS modes through flexible RRC configuration. The network can adapt the resource allocation to change from fixed repetition patterns when coverage is the priority to more variable TBS-based allocations when capacity is needed, all within a unified framework that maintains compatibility with existing slot-based structures.
3Ease of manufacture
If slot-based resource allocation is used for TBoMS and repetition, then implementation is simplified, but functionality is restricted and achievable network performance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the resource allocation from two dimensions (frequency and time slots) to three dimensions by introducing the concept of multiple resource blocks across multiple slots with flexible mapping. The network can allocate RBs in a more granular and flexible manner across the time-frequency grid, allowing for optimized resource utilization that goes beyond fixed slot-based allocations while maintaining implementation feasibility through extended RRC configuration parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus and systems for resource allocation are disclosed.