Uplink-Only UE Grouping for Wireless Communication

Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems, particularly in LTE, lack support for user equipment (UE) with uplink (UL) transmission only capabilities, which is essential for efficient communication in proximity-based services and machine-type communication (MTC) scenarios, where reducing UE complexity and battery consumption is crucial.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that enable a second user equipment (UE) to perform UL transmission by waking up for data transmission, searching for a first UE capable of downlink (DL) transmission, acquiring necessary information, and transmitting UL data to the network using that information, thereby reducing UE complexity and power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a UE supports both uplink and downlink transmission capabilities, then communication versatility is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication versatilityVSAvoidUE complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the communication functionality by dividing UEs into two distinct types: full-duplex UEs capable of both uplink and downlink transmission, and uplink-only UEs that transmit data but do not receive data directly from the network. This segmentation allows each UE type to be optimized for its specific function, reducing the complexity of uplink-only UEs while maintaining overall system versatility through the presence of full-duplex UEs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces full-duplex UEs as intermediary nodes that receive downlink data from the network and forward it to uplink-only UEs, and also receive uplink data from uplink-only UEs and forward it to the network. This intermediary mechanism enables uplink-only UEs to participate in bidirectional communication without requiring their own downlink reception capability, thereby reducing their complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a UE supports both uplink and downlink transmission capabilities, then communication versatility is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication versatilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the communication functionality by dividing UEs into two distinct types: full-duplex UEs capable of both uplink and downlink transmission, and uplink-only UEs that transmit data but do not receive data directly from the network. This segmentation allows each UE type to be optimized for its specific function, reducing the complexity of uplink-only UEs while maintaining overall system versatility through the presence of full-duplex UEs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces full-duplex UEs as intermediary nodes that receive downlink data from the network and forward it to uplink-only UEs, and also receive uplink data from uplink-only UEs and forward it to the network. This intermediary mechanism enables uplink-only UEs to participate in bidirectional communication without requiring their own downlink reception capability, thereby reducing their complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If the operating frequency bandwidth of MTC UE is reduced, then cost and battery consumption are reduced, but communication capability is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveRF/baseband complexityVSAvoidcommunication capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by enabling uplink-only UEs with reduced complexity to participate in full-duplex communication scenarios through the intermediary full-duplex UEs. The uplink-only UEs can send data to the network and receive data from the network (via the intermediary) using the same simplified hardware, making the reduced-complexity device universally applicable for MTC scenarios while maintaining bidirectional communication capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10506664B2Method and apparatus for supporting user equipments capable of uplink transmission only via grouping in wireless communication system

Publication Date: 2019.12.10 LG ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

A method and apparatus for performing uplink (UL) transmission in a wireless communication system is provided. A second user equipment (UE) wakes up for transmission of UL data, searches a first UE which is capable of downlink (DL) transmission to the second UE, acquires information for transmission of the UL data, and transmits the UL data to a network by using the acquired information. The second UE may only be capable of UL transmission to the network and may not be capable of DL reception from the network. Alternatively, the second UE may be capable of UL transmission to the network and may be capable of synchronization from the network.