Uplink Control Channel Resource Selection for Overlapping Allocations

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Solution Overview

Problem

In future radio communication systems, the overlap of uplink control channel resources for transmitting uplink control information can lead to collisions, affecting throughput and communication quality.

Innovation Solution

A user terminal determines the appropriate uplink control channel for transmission based on a selection criterion when multiple uplink control channel resources overlap in the time domain, ensuring proper transmission of uplink control information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple uplink control channel resources are allocated for transmitting uplink control information, then the reliability of control information transmission is improved, but resource collisions occur when allocations overlap in the time domain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of control information transmissionVSAvoidresource collision

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The base station performs preliminary determination of the uplink control channel resource before transmission. When multiple PUCCH resources are allocated for HARQ-ACK transmission, the base station proactively identifies and resolves potential time-domain overlaps by selecting a single resource, preventing collisions before they occur

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The base station acts as an intermediary that manages resource allocation conflicts. It receives multiple PUCCH resource allocations, mediates the conflict by determining a single non-overlapping resource, and assigns it to the user terminal for transmission

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If uplink control channel resources are determined based on higher layer signaling and DCI field values, then the adaptability of resource allocation is improved, but transmission control complexity increases when resources overlap

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability of resource allocationVSAvoidtransmission control complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of allowing the user terminal to independently resolve resource conflicts (which would increase terminal complexity), the invention inverts the control approach by having the base station determine the final uplink control channel resource, simplifying terminal operations while maintaining allocation flexibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11647484B2User terminal and radio communication method

Publication Date: 2023.05.09 NTT DOCOMO INC

AI summary

To appropriately transmit uplink control information even when allocations of uplink control channels used for transmission of the uplink control information overlap each other, a user terminal according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a transmitting section that transmits transmission confirmation signals for downlink shared channels by using uplink control channel resources, and a control section that determines an uplink control channel to be applied to transmission of a plurality of the transmission confirmation signals, based on a certain selection criterion, when the uplink control channel resources for the plurality of the transmission confirmation signals overlap each other in a time domain.