Uplink Data Transmission Reliability in URLLC via PUCCH Separation

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In 5G wireless communications, the simultaneous transmission of uplink control information (UCI) and uplink data on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) compromises the reliability of uplink data transmission, especially in ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) scenarios, due to resource occupancy and increased encoding rates.

Innovation Solution

The method involves determining specific conditions, such as payload size and transport block size, to decide whether to carry UCI on the PUSCH or not, ensuring that uplink data is transmitted without UCI piggybacking, thereby maintaining transmission reliability. This is achieved by sending downlink control information (DCI) that meets certain criteria, allowing the terminal device to determine if UCI should be sent on the PUSCH or not, and potentially sending it on a truncated resource of the PUCCH.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If UCI is piggybacked on PUSCH to reduce PAPR and IMD, then power ratio and distortion are improved, but uplink data transmission reliability deteriorates due to reduced available resources and increased encoding rate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepeak to average power ratioVSAvoiduplink data transmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic resource allocation where the system adaptively decides whether to piggyback UCI on PUSCH based on real-time conditions. When uplink data reliability requirements are high (e.g., URLLC scenarios), the system dynamically switches to separate PUCCH transmission for UCI, avoiding resource conflicts. This dynamic switching mechanism resolves the contradiction by allowing PAPR optimization through piggybacking when conditions permit, while ensuring reliability through separate transmission when required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of information

If UCI payload size is large relative to uplink data TBS, then control information is transmitted, but uplink data transmission reliability severely deteriorates due to excessive resource occupation by UCI

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveUCI transmissionVSAvoiduplink data transmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces parameter-based decision criteria involving the ratio of UCI payload size to uplink data TBS. When this ratio exceeds a threshold indicating that UCI would occupy excessive resources, the system changes the transmission parameter from piggybacking to separate PUCCH transmission. This parameter-driven approach ensures that UCI transmission is maintained while preventing it from severely impacting uplink data reliability in scenarios with large UCI payloads.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of information

If UCI is carried on PUSCH to ensure control information transmission, then UCI delivery is guaranteed, but encoding rate of uplink data increases reducing transmission reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveUCI deliveryVSAvoiduplink data transmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic transmission mode selection mechanism that switches between UCI piggybacking on PUSCH and separate UCI transmission on PUCCH based on real-time assessment of uplink data reliability requirements. When high reliability is required, the system dynamically selects separate PUCCH transmission, ensuring UCI delivery while maintaining dedicated resources for uplink data, thus preventing encoding rate increase and reliability degradation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3734889B1Uplink information transmission method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2023.10.04 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3734889B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3734889B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3734889B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

An uplink information transmission method and apparatus are disclosed, to resolve a prior-art problem that a high requirement on transmission reliability of URLLC uplink data cannot be met when UCI is piggybackeded on a PUSCH. The uplink information transmission method includes: receiving, by a terminal device, downlink control information DCI sent by a network device, and determining, based on the DCI, a transmission resource of a physical uplink shared channel PUSCH scheduled by using the DCI, where the transmission resource of the PUSCH overlaps a transmission resource of a physical uplink control channel PUCCH in time domain, and the PUCCH is used to carry to-be-transmitted uplink control information UCI; and when a first condition is met, sending, by the terminal device, uplink data on the PUSCH, and skipping sending the UCI on the PUSCH. This avoids a case in which transmission reliability of the uplink data is reduced because the UCI is carried on the PUSCH.