Unicast Traffic Channel Assignment for Multicast Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless communication systems face inefficiencies in managing unicast traffic channels for multicast sessions, leading to increased overhead and delay, which can degrade system performance due to limited MAC ID availability and excessive traffic on reverse link channels.
Innovation Solution
The access network determines whether to assign a unicast traffic channel to an access terminal for providing feedback, configuring a traffic channel assignment message with a multicast session identifier, and sends it to the terminal, allowing for efficient MAC ID management by incrementing a counter and adjusting MAC ID assignments based on thresholds to optimize channel usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If unicast traffic channels are assigned to all access terminals in multicast sessions, then feedback quality is improved, but MAC ID availability is depleted and overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating feedback mechanisms based on terminal roles and channel conditions. Selected access terminals (such as those with better channel conditions or specific roles in the multicast group) are assigned unicast traffic channels for high-quality feedback, while other terminals use multicast feedback channels. This selective approach ensures that critical feedback is received with high reliability while conserving MAC ID resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by assigning unicast traffic channels to only a subset of access terminals rather than all terminals. The network dynamically selects which terminals receive unicast channels based on factors such as channel quality, terminal capability, and feedback importance. This partial assignment provides sufficient feedback quality for system operation while avoiding the resource exhaustion that would result from universal unicast channel assignment.
2Reliability
If unicast traffic channels are assigned to access terminals for multicast feedback, then system performance is improved, but overhead and delay increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-configuring unicast traffic channel assignments for access terminals before multicast feedback transmission is needed. The network establishes these assignments in advance based on predicted feedback requirements, terminal capabilities, and channel conditions. This pre-configuration eliminates the need for dynamic channel allocation during feedback transmission, thereby reducing overhead and delay while maintaining system performance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If MAC ID assignments are increased to support more multicast groups, then multicast group support is improved, but channel resource efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by enabling unicast traffic channels to serve multiple functions simultaneously. A single unicast traffic channel assigned to an access terminal can carry feedback for multiple multicast sessions, control signaling for both unicast and multicast operations, and support multiple terminal roles. This multi-functionality allows the system to support a larger number of multicast groups without proportionally increasing MAC ID assignments, thereby maintaining channel resource efficiency while improving multicast group support capability.
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, an access terminal sends a multicast session registration request to an access network. The access network determines whether to assign a unicast traffic channel (e.g., media access control (MAC) identifier (ID)) to the access terminal, for the access terminal to provide feedback (e.g., channel quality indicators (CQIs) associated with the multicast session, based on a number of access terminals that have been assigned unicast traffic channels for the multicast session and/or for applications other than the multicast session. The access network configures a traffic channel assignment message to include an identifier for the multicast session, and to further include an assignment of the unicast traffic channel if the determining step determines to assign the unicast traffic channel to the access terminal. The access network sends the traffic channel assignment message to the access terminal including at least the multicast session identifier.