UMTS Transport Block Decoding Power Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
In UMTS networks, the current decoding methods for transport blocks in wireless communication devices require unnecessary time and energy due to the brute-force approach, where each code block is decoded multiple times, even if some blocks contain errors, leading to inefficient power consumption and prolonged decoding times.
Innovation Solution
A method where the receiving device generates a reliability metric for each code block during decoding, allowing it to determine whether to decode subsequent blocks and adjust the number of decoding iterations based on the reliability metric, thereby skipping unnecessary decoding of incorrectly received code blocks and reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the receiving device decodes each code block multiple times using brute-force approach to ensure correct reception, then the reliability of transport block decoding is improved, but the power consumption and decoding time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing a CRC check on the transport block after the first decoding attempt of all code blocks, before committing to multiple full iterations. This early validation prevents unnecessary repeated decoding of incorrectly received blocks, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining decoding reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using the CRC check result to control subsequent decoding iterations. If the CRC passes after the first attempt, the device stops further decoding; if it fails, the device knows to retry. This feedback mechanism eliminates wasteful blind iterations and optimizes power usage based on actual reception quality.
2Reliability
If the receiving device decodes each code block multiple times using brute-force approach, then the reliability of transport block decoding is improved, but the decoding time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a preliminary CRC check after the first decoding attempt before proceeding to multiple iterations. This preliminary validation quickly identifies successfully decoded transport blocks, preventing time-wasting repeated decoding and significantly reducing overall decoding time while preserving reliability through conditional retries.
Solution Approach 2:
The CRC check provides immediate feedback on decoding success, allowing the system to terminate the decoding process early when successful. This feedback-driven early termination eliminates unnecessary waiting time for repeated decoding of correctly received blocks, optimizing the time-efficiency tradeoff.
3Reliability
If the receiving device performs brute-force decoding on all code blocks regardless of individual block quality, then complete transport block verification is ensured, but unnecessary energy is consumed on incorrectly received blocks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs a preliminary CRC verification after the first decoding attempt of all code blocks. This preliminary check identifies transport blocks that have been correctly received, allowing the system to skip energy-intensive repeated decoding of these blocks while maintaining complete verification through conditional retries on failed blocks.
Solution Approach 2:
The CRC check result provides feedback that guides energy allocation: passing CRC results trigger immediate termination of further decoding for that transport block, while failing CRC results prompt targeted retries. This feedback mechanism ensures complete verification is maintained only where necessary, eliminating energy waste on correctly received blocks.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure describes methods and apparatuses for improved transport block decoding in devices capable of wireless communication, which may include user equipment and network entities. For example, the present disclosure presents methods and apparatuses for decoding a code block from a plurality of code blocks corresponding to a transport block, obtaining a reliability indicator that identifies a reliability of the decoding of the code block, comparing the reliability indicator to a reliability threshold, and determining whether to decode a subsequent code block from the plurality of code blocks based on the comparing. Furthermore, these methods and apparatuses may include determining not to decode at least one subsequent code block of the transport block where the comparing indicates that the reliability indicator is less than the reliability threshold. As such, device power is not unnecessarily consumed by decoding likely superfluous code blocks.