UE Scheduling via Geographic Clustering to Reduce Feedback Overhead

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional scheduling methods for user equipments in communication systems face high complexity and long scheduling delays, especially in large-scale antenna array systems, leading to reduced validity of channel information and actual throughput.

Innovation Solution

The method involves setting geographic cells and dividing them into user clusters, where only a part of user equipments need to feed back geographic position information and channel information at specific intervals, allowing for selective scheduling based on channel information and prioritization, reducing the frequency of channel information feedback and simplifying the pairing scheduling mechanism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional pairing scheduling obtains channel information of all UEs in connected state, then scheduling accuracy is improved, but scheduling complexity increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescheduling accuracyVSAvoidscheduling complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the set of all connected UEs into multiple candidate sets based on geographic location and channel conditions. Instead of processing all UEs simultaneously, the base station divides them into manageable groups (first candidate set, second candidate set, etc.), each processed in different TTIs. This segmentation reduces the computational complexity of pairing scheduling while maintaining scheduling accuracy through selective channel information acquisition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If conventional pairing scheduling processes all connected UEs, then scheduling completeness is improved, but scheduling delay increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescheduling completenessVSAvoidscheduling delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary classification of UEs into different candidate sets based on geographic location and channel conditions before the actual pairing scheduling. This preliminary action allows the base station to pre-identify which UEs are most likely to benefit from MU-MIMO scheduling, reducing the time needed for actual pairing decisions while ensuring that the most suitable candidates are not missed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements periodic channel information acquisition for different candidate sets in alternating TTIs. The first candidate set is processed in odd TTIs, the second candidate set in even TTIs, and so on. This periodic action ensures that all UEs are eventually scheduled while distributing the processing load over time, reducing instantaneous scheduling delay.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Reliability

If channel information feedback frequency is increased, then channel information validity is improved, but feedback overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel information validityVSAvoidfeedback overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different channel information feedback requirements to different geographic regions and UE groups. UEs in the first geographic region (first candidate set) provide channel information in odd TTIs, while UEs in the second geographic region (second candidate set) provide channel information in even TTIs. This local differentiation reduces overall feedback overhead while ensuring that each UE group provides timely channel information relevant to its location and conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2947943B1Scheduling method and scheduling apparatus for user equipment in communications system
Publication Date: 2019.05.22 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP2947943B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2947943B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP2947943B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Provided are a scheduling method and a scheduling apparatus for a user equipment (UE) in a communications system. The method comprises: (100) a serving base station obtaining geographic position information about UEs in a connected state, and determining, at each transmission time interval (TTI), a UE needing to perform geographic position information feedback, so as to update a geographic position; (102) obtaining, at a (k+1)th TTI, channel information about a first part of UEs in the UEs in the connected state, wherein the channel information which is about the first part of the UEs and needs to be obtained at the (k+1)th TTI is determined according to the channel information which is about a second part of UEs and obtained in a kth TTI and according to geographic position information about the second part of the UEs, k being a positive integer; and (104) selecting, according to the channel information about the first part of the UEs, a UE the scheduling is performed on from the first part of the UEs. By using the present invention, the amount of channel information fed back can be reduced, a matching scheduling mechanism can be simplified, and the problem of the scheduling delay occurred due to a complicated scheduling mechanism can be solved, and further, the effectiveness of channel information and the accuracy of actual throughput can be ensured.