Uplink HARQ Feedback Switching for Point-to-Multipoint Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face inefficiencies in handling HARQ ACK/NACK feedback from multiple UEs, leading to high signaling overhead and resource inefficiency, especially in point-to-multipoint (PTM) scenarios, where channel conditions and quality of service (QoS) requirements are not adequately addressed.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that identify user equipment (UE) with worse channel conditions and switch them from point-to-multipoint (PTM) to point-to-point (PTP) communication when PTP efficiency is greater, and optimize aggregated feedback timing to reduce overhead and resource usage, using techniques such as hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement feedback and quality of service (QoS) adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If point-to-multipoint (PTM) communication is used for all user equipment, then resource efficiency is improved through aggregated feedback, but signaling overhead increases and reliability deteriorates for UEs with worse channel conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the user equipment group into two subsets: first subset UEs continue with PTM aggregated feedback, while second subset UEs (those with worse channel conditions) are switched to PTP individual feedback. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing resource efficiency through aggregation for good-channel UEs while ensuring reliability through dedicated feedback for poor-channel UEs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different feedback modes to different local groups of UEs based on their specific channel conditions. Instead of a uniform approach, each UE receives the appropriate feedback mode (PTM or PTP) tailored to its local channel quality, thereby optimizing both resource efficiency and reliability for each specific case.
2Loss of substance
If point-to-multipoint (PTM) communication is used for all user equipment, then signaling overhead is reduced through aggregation, but resource efficiency deteriorates for UEs with worse channel conditions requiring retransmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments UEs into two groups based on channel conditions and feedback success rates. UEs with high feedback success rates use aggregated PTM feedback (reducing overhead), while UEs with low success rates use individual PTP feedback (improving resource efficiency by avoiding repeated retransmissions).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes the feedback mode parameter for different UEs based on their channel conditions and HARQ-ACK feedback success rates. This parameter adaptation allows the system to optimize the balance between signaling overhead and resource efficiency for each UE individually.
3Reliability
If point-to-point (PTP) communication is used for all user equipment, then reliability is improved through individual feedback, but signaling overhead increases and resource efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the UE population into two subsets: UEs with good channel conditions use aggregated PTM feedback (reducing overhead), while UEs with poor channel conditions use individual PTP feedback (ensuring reliability). This selective approach avoids the overhead penalty of universal PTP while maintaining reliability where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different feedback reliability measures to different local groups of UEs based on their channel conditions. Good-channel UEs receive standard aggregated feedback, while poor-channel UEs receive enhanced individual feedback, optimizing the reliability-overhead tradeoff locally for each UE group.
4Productivity
If aggregated feedback timing is optimized for all user equipment uniformly, then resource efficiency is improved, but QoS requirements deteriorate for UEs with worse channel conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments UEs into different QoS groups based on their channel conditions and service requirements. Each segment receives appropriately tuned feedback timing: aggregated timing for UEs where resource efficiency is paramount, and individual timing for UEs requiring stricter QoS guarantees, thereby achieving both efficiency and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different feedback timing configurations to different local groups of UEs based on their specific QoS requirements and channel conditions. This localized optimization ensures that each UE group receives timing parameters suited to its needs, achieving both resource efficiency and QoS adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to identify at least one of a plurality of user equipment based on a pre-determined channel quality. A determination is made that point-to-point efficiency is greater than point-to-multipoint efficiency. At least one identified UE with worse channel condition is switched from point-to-multipoint to point-to-point.