Uplink DMRS Bundling with Frequency Hopping for Phase Continuity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in maintaining phase continuity and efficient channel estimation for uplink transmissions, particularly in scenarios with varying transmission time intervals and frequency resources, leading to reduced communication quality and increased overhead.

Innovation Solution

Implementing demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling and frequency hopping techniques to maintain phase continuity across multiple transmission time intervals, allowing for joint channel estimation and improved communication quality by configuring bundle intervals based on TTI patterns and frequency resources.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If frequency hopping is applied across bundle intervals, then channel estimation accuracy is improved, but phase continuity is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel estimation accuracyVSAvoidphase continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the transmission into multiple bundle intervals, where each interval maintains internal phase continuity for accurate channel estimation, while allowing frequency hopping between intervals to improve overall channel demodulation accuracy

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the frequency parameter between bundle intervals through frequency hopping, while maintaining phase continuity within each interval by adjusting the DMRS configuration and bundling parameters

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If DMRS bundling is applied across multiple TTIs, then channel demodulation accuracy is improved, but overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel demodulation accuracyVSAvoidcommunication overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple DMRS instances across consecutive TTIs into a single bundled DMRS structure, allowing joint channel estimation that improves accuracy while reducing the total number of reference signals needed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The bundled DMRS structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides channel estimation for multiple TTIs, maintains phase continuity information, and reduces overhead by eliminating redundant reference signals

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If multiple repetitions are transmitted for uplink channel, then communication reliability is improved, but latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidtransmission latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent maintains continuous transmission of multiple repetitions without interruption, using DMRS bundling to preserve phase continuity across repetitions, which enables faster channel estimation and reduces processing delays

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentEP4285525B1Demodulation reference signal bundling and frequency hopping
Publication Date: 2026.04.22 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP4285525B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4285525B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4285525B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communication are described to support phase continuity in uplink transmissions within a bundle interval. In a first example, a user equipment (UE) may determine bundle intervals for an uplink channel transmission based on a transmission time interval (TTI) format pattern and a bundle size. Bundle intervals may start on a next available uplink TTI after an end of a preceding bundle interval, such that each bundle interval may include at least one uplink TTI. In a second example, the UE may use frequency resources for repetitions of the uplink channel transmission within a bundle interval based on an index of the bundle interval. In a third example, the UE may not bundle some repetitions of the uplink channel transmission in a same bundle interval, and may use different frequency resources for the repetitions, based on one or more phase continuity rules.