UE HARQ Capability Signaling for Multi-Carrier Uplink Coverage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Increasing the maximum number of Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) processes in user equipment leads to increased complexity, which is constrained by hardware size and memory requirements, limiting the coverage of uplink communication in mobile communication standards.
Innovation Solution
User equipment generates capability information based on band combination (BC) information and maximum HARQ processes, allowing the base station to allocate HARQ processes per carrier component (CC), thereby optimizing HARQ operations without increasing hardware complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the maximum number of HARQ processes is increased to increase uplink coverage, then communication coverage is improved, but user equipment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the HARQ process management by introducing a separate indicator field in the DCI message that specifically identifies the HARQ process number. This allows the HARQ functionality to be divided into distinct control and data components, enabling the system to support more HARQ processes without proportionally increasing overall UE complexity, as the segmentation allows for more efficient resource utilization and processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism by using a dedicated indicator field in the DCI (Downlink Control Information) to represent HARQ process numbers. This intermediary field acts as a mediator between the scheduler and the HARQ processes, allowing the system to manage a larger number of HARQ processes through efficient signaling rather than requiring proportional increases in hardware resources, thus improving coverage while controlling complexity.
2Reliability
If the maximum number of HARQ processes is increased beyond 16, then uplink coverage is enhanced, but hardware size and memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter representation by introducing a configurable indicator field width (e.g., 4 bits) that can represent up to 16 HARQ process numbers through efficient encoding. This parameter change allows the system to support a larger number of HARQ processes by utilizing the indicator field in combination with other existing fields in the DCI structure, thereby increasing uplink coverage support without requiring proportional increases in memory resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the indicator field multi-functional by using it to represent HARQ process numbers while potentially serving other purposes in different contexts or configurations. This universal approach allows the same field to support multiple HARQ processes across different uplink channels and scenarios, enhancing coverage capability without requiring dedicated memory resources for each individual HARQ process.
Data Source
AI summary
An operating method of a user equipment for performing wireless communication with a base station includes receiving, from the base station, band combination (BC) information including at least one frequency band and at least one carrier component (CC) corresponding to the at least one frequency band, generating capability information, based on the BC information and maximum numbers of Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) processes supported by the user equipment for the at least one CC, transmitting, to the base station, the capability information, receiving, from the base station, an allocated number of HARQ processes allocated to the user equipment for each CC of the at least one CC, based on the capability information, and performing a HARQ operation, based on the allocated number of HARQ processes.