Uplink Control Channel Frequency Hopping for Signal Quality

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Solution Overview

Problem

Future radio communication systems face challenges in maintaining communication quality due to the support of uplink control channels with different formats than existing systems, which can lead to improper transmission of uplink control information and reference signals.

Innovation Solution

A user terminal allocates uplink control information and reference signals to different frequency resources and controls the allocation by making the frequency resources for the reference signals hop between different time fields or resource blocks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If future radio communication systems support uplink control channels of different formats (short PUCCH, long PUCCH), then the system becomes more adaptable to various communication requirements, but the transmission of uplink control information and reference signals becomes more complex and may deteriorate communication quality

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupport for different uplink control channel formatsVSAvoidtransmission quality of uplink control information

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies frequency hopping to dynamically change the frequency resources allocated for uplink reference signals across different time fields or resource blocks. This dynamic resource allocation allows the system to adapt to varying channel conditions while maintaining reliable transmission quality, resolving the contradiction between supporting diverse control channel formats and ensuring transmission reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the frequency domain parameters of reference signals by allocating them to different frequency resources that hop between time fields and resource blocks. This parameter variation enables the system to support multiple uplink control channel formats (short and long PUCCH) while maintaining consistent transmission quality through adaptive resource selection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If frequency resources for uplink reference signals are allocated statically, then the allocation is simple and easy to manage, but the channel estimation accuracy deteriorates under varying channel conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of resource allocationVSAvoidchannel estimation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic frequency hopping for uplink reference signals, where the frequency resources change across different time fields or resource blocks. This dynamic approach improves channel estimation accuracy by capturing channel variations, while maintaining operational simplicity through standardized hopping patterns and allocation rules

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If uplink control information and reference signals are allocated to the same frequency resources, then the resource utilization is efficient, but the demodulation accuracy deteriorates due to interference

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoiddemodulation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the frequency resources by allocating uplink control information and uplink reference signals to different frequency resources within the uplink control channel allocation field. This segmentation eliminates interference between data and reference signals, ensuring accurate demodulation while maintaining efficient resource utilization through frequency-division multiplexing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality differentiation by assigning different frequency resource characteristics to uplink control information and reference signals. The reference signals are allocated to specific frequency resources that hop between resource blocks, providing localized quality assurance for channel estimation while preserving overall resource efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10999025B2User terminal and radio communication method

Publication Date: 2021.05.04 NTT DOCOMO INC

AI summary

The present invention is designed to reduce the degradation of communication quality even when future radio communication systems support UL control channels of different formats than existing systems. A transmission section that allocates uplink control information and an uplink reference signal to different frequency resources in an uplink control channel allocation field, and transmits the uplink control information and the uplink reference signal, and a control section that controls the allocation of the uplink control information and the uplink reference signal are provided, and the control section makes the frequency resources where the uplink reference signal is allocated hop between different time fields and/or between different resource blocks.