Uplink Control Channel Resource Allocation in 5G-NR

The patent segments the uplink timeslot into distinct regions: a first uplink control channel region and a second uplink control channel region. The first region is configured for control channels with long duration, while the second region is configured for control channels with short duration. This spatial segmentation in the time-frequency domain allows different control channel types to coexist without interfering with each other, thereby maintaining transmission flexibility while minimizing resource fragmentation in the remaining uplink data resources.

The patent resolves the conflict by introducing a new dimension for resource differentiation - the control channel region dimension. Instead of trying to arrange overlapping frequency resources in the time domain, the patent creates distinct time-frequency regions for long and short duration control channels. This dimensional separation allows frequency resources to be utilized efficiently while avoiding complex time-domain arrangement conflicts, as each control channel type has its designated region where it operates independently.

The patent applies local quality by configuring different regions with different characteristics suitable for their specific control channel types. The first uplink control channel region is optimized for long duration channels with specific reference signal configurations, while the second region is optimized for short duration channels. This localized optimization within distinct regions simplifies interference management compared to uniform MU-MIMO across the entire band, as each region can be independently managed with appropriate reference signal orthogonality schemes tailored to its specific requirements.