Uplink Carrier Aggregation QoS-Based Traffic Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The limited availability of licensed radio frequency spectrum for carrier aggregation in LTE wireless networks poses challenges in accommodating the exponential growth of data traffic, particularly due to the unpredictability of interference in unlicensed radio frequency bands used for uplink transmission, which can affect throughput, delay, and latency.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication device is configured to associate an unlicensed radio frequency band permission level with each radio bearer based on its quality of service requirements, allowing sensitive data to be transmitted over licensed bands while less critical data can use unlicensed bands, and multiplexing uplink traffic across available component carriers to optimize throughput while maintaining quality of service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If unlicensed radio frequency bands are used for uplink transmission to increase available spectrum, then uplink throughput capacity is improved, but quality of service reliability deteriorates due to unpredictable interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments uplink traffic into different categories based on quality of service requirements. Sensitive traffic (e.g., voice, real-time applications) is separated from non-sensitive traffic (e.g., best-effort data). This segmentation allows sensitive traffic to be transmitted only on licensed component carriers while non-sensitive traffic can utilize unlicensed component carriers, thereby maintaining QoS reliability while increasing overall throughput capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different transmission qualities to different traffic types. Sensitive traffic receives high-quality treatment with guaranteed QoS parameters (delay, jitter, packet loss) transmitted only on licensed carriers. Non-sensitive traffic receives standard best-effort treatment on unlicensed carriers. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by ensuring reliability where needed while maximizing productivity where acceptable.
2Reliability
If licensed radio frequency spectrum is exclusively used for uplink transmission to ensure quality of service, then quality of service reliability is maintained, but available bandwidth for carrier aggregation is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the uplink transmission resources into licensed and unlicensed component carriers. Licensed carriers are allocated for QoS-sensitive traffic while unlicensed carriers are allocated for QoS-insensitive traffic. This segmentation enables the system to utilize both licensed and unlicensed spectrum resources, thereby increasing available bandwidth without compromising quality of service reliability for sensitive applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (the eNodeB scheduler and QoS classification system) that mediates between licensed and unlicensed carriers. This intermediary intelligently routes traffic based on QoS requirements, ensuring that licensed carriers maintain reliability while unlicensed carriers expand bandwidth capacity. The intermediary resolves the contradiction by optimally allocating resources based on real-time traffic conditions.
3Productivity
If unlicensed radio frequency bands are used for carrier aggregation to accommodate data traffic growth, then data capacity is increased, but interference from competing uses degrades transmission performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments data traffic into QoS-sensitive and QoS-insensitive categories. By doing so, it isolates sensitive traffic from the harmful interference environment of unlicensed bands, transmitting it only on protected licensed carriers. Non-sensitive traffic absorbs the interference impact on unlicensed carriers, thereby maintaining overall data capacity while protecting critical transmissions from interference degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts QoS-sensitive traffic from the unlicensed band environment and relocates it to licensed carriers. This extraction removes sensitive traffic from the harmful interference context, allowing unlicensed bands to be fully utilized for data capacity expansion without compromising the performance of critical applications.
4Productivity
If carrier aggregation uses multiple component carriers to increase radio frequency bandwidth, then uplink throughput is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the carrier aggregation functionality into distinct QoS handling paths. The device maintains separate transmission paths for licensed and unlicensed carriers, with simplified logic for determining which path to use based on QoS class indicators. This segmentation reduces device complexity compared to managing all carriers uniformly, as the decision-making process becomes rule-based rather than requiring complex real-time optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for using an unlicensed radio frequency band component carrier for uplink transmission are disclosed. A wireless communication device receives a carrier aggregation configuration, which can include at least one licensed radio frequency band component carrier and at least one unlicensed radio frequency band component carrier. The wireless communication device establishes a set of radio bearers and associates an unlicensed radio frequency band permission level with each of the radio bearers. The wireless communication device multiplexes uplink traffic for the radio bearers on the at least one licensed radio frequency band component carrier and the at least one unlicensed radio frequency band component carrier based at least in part on the unlicensed radio frequency band permission levels associated with the radio bearers.