Uplink Control Channel Timing for Accurate Power Headroom Reporting

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communications systems, the alignment of control and data channels across different component carriers complicates the determination of power headroom, leading to inefficiencies in uplink resource allocation and transmission rates due to uncertainties in monitoring control channels for power headroom reporting.

Innovation Solution

The terminal device determines a first uplink data transmission moment and duration, monitoring control channels based on this moment to accurately calculate and report power headroom, while the network device skips sending control channels to synchronize the reporting process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the terminal device continuously monitors control channels to ensure accurate power headroom reporting, then the reliability of PHR is improved, but the power consumption and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower headroom reporting accuracyVSAvoidcontrol channel monitoring complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal device determines the first moment (which is before the first uplink data transmission moment) in advance based on the first duration. This preliminary determination of the monitoring deadline allows the device to stop monitoring control channels at the first moment, avoiding continuous monitoring and reducing power consumption and complexity while ensuring accurate PHR reporting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the terminal device monitors control channels for a longer duration to capture all scheduling opportunities, then the uplink resource allocation efficiency is improved, but the time required for PHR calculation increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuplink resource allocation efficiencyVSAvoidPHR calculation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The first moment is determined in advance as a deadline for control channel monitoring, calculated based on the first uplink data transmission moment and the first duration. This allows the terminal device to perform PHR calculation efficiently by only monitoring control channels until this predetermined moment, rather than continuously monitoring, thus reducing the time loss for PHR calculation while maintaining resource allocation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the network device sends control channels frequently to maintain scheduling flexibility, then the adaptability of uplink scheduling is improved, but the synchronization difficulty with PHR reporting increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuplink scheduling flexibilityVSAvoidsynchronization complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The first duration acts as an intermediary parameter that mediates between the network device's scheduling flexibility and the terminal device's PHR reporting timing. The network device can send control channels freely, but the terminal device uses the first duration to determine when to stop monitoring and perform PHR reporting, thus decoupling the scheduling flexibility from the reporting synchronization complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3823365B1Communication method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2025.12.24 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3823365B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP3823365B1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP3823365B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

This application provides a communication method and an apparatus. The communication method includes: after determining a first uplink data transmission moment and a first duration, determining, by a terminal device, a first moment based on the first uplink data transmission moment and the first duration, and monitoring a control channel based on the first moment. In this way, the terminal device may send a PHR to a network device based on the control channel detected through monitoring at the first moment, so that efficiency of feeding back the PHR by the terminal device can be effectively improved.