Uplink Channel Multiplexing for Overlapping eMBB and URLLC Timelines

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing uplink channel multiplexing mechanisms in Release 15 (R15) and Release 16 (R16) fail to adequately address the processing timeline issues for intra-UE multiplexing of eMBB and URLLC services, leading to unsatisfied latency and reliability requirements for URLLC HARQ-ACK, resulting in errors and reduced system spectral efficiency.

Innovation Solution

The method involves determining separate processing timelines for different services, removing PUCCH resources that do not satisfy the timelines, and coding different uplink services separately to ensure compliance with latency and reliability requirements, thereby avoiding errors and improving system spectral efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single processing timeline is used for multiplexing eMBB and URLLC services, then the multiplexing mechanism is simple, but the latency and reliability requirements of URLLC services cannot be satisfied

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemultiplexing mechanism complexityVSAvoidURLLC service latency and reliability requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the processing timeline into service-specific timelines: one for eMBB services and another for URLLC services. This allows each service type to have its own processing requirements met independently, resolving the contradiction between simple multiplexing and URLLC performance requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different processing timeline characteristics to different service types: eMBB services use a relaxed timeline while URLLC services use a strict timeline. This local differentiation ensures that URLLC latency and reliability requirements are satisfied without unnecessarily constraining eMBB services.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the R15 processing timeline rule is applied to intra-UE multiplexing, then the multiplexing process is straightforward, but errors occur due to unsatisfied processing timelines

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemultiplexing process simplicityVSAvoidprocessing timeline satisfaction
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the processing timeline determination into separate segments for eMBB and URLLC services, allowing each to follow its own timeline rules. This prevents the errors that occur when a single R15 rule is applied to both service types.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the processing timeline parameters based on service type: URLLC services are assigned stricter timeline parameters while eMBB services use more relaxed parameters. This parameter differentiation eliminates the errors caused by applying inappropriate single-service rules to multi-service scenarios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Productivity

If eMBB HARQ-ACK is multiplexed with URLLC HARQ-ACK according to R15 rules, then resource utilization improves, but URLLC latency requirements are violated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilization efficiencyVSAvoidURLLC HARQ-ACK latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the HARQ-ACK multiplexing process into separate handling for eMBB and URLLC services. URLLC HARQ-ACK is processed according to its own strict timeline, preventing the time loss that occurs when forced to wait for eMBB processing completion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary determination of service-specific processing timelines before multiplexing occurs. This allows the system to identify and prioritize URLLC processing requirements in advance, ensuring URLLC latency requirements are met before resource allocation finalization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4132169B1Uplink channel multiplexing method and device, and terminal
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 CHINA MOBILE COMM GRP CO LTD
  • EP4132169B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4132169B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4132169B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Embodiments of the present application provide an uplink channel multiplexing method and device, and a terminal. The method comprises: when a terminal needs to transmit a plurality of overlapping physical uplink control channels (PUCCHs) and/or physical uplink shared channels (PUSCHs) on the same time slot or sub slot, if one of the PUCCH transmissions or PUSCH transmissions corresponds to the format of downlink control information (DCI) detected by the terminal, the terminal expects that a start symbol S0 of the earliest PUCCH or PUSCH in the overlapping PUCCHs and/or PUSCHs satisfies a first condition. The solution of the present application can avoid the case of an error and the case that a base station cannot control a terminal, satisfies latency and reliability requirements of a URLLC service, and improves system spectral efficiency.