Uplink Scheduling Information Management in Carrier Aggregation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current technologies lack a reliable method for providing uplink scheduling information from a user equipment (UE) to multiple eNBs, especially in inter-site carrier aggregation scenarios with high latency and jitter over the X2 interface, which hinders efficient uplink scheduling.

Innovation Solution

The UE individually manages and transmits uplink scheduling information, such as Buffer Status Reports (BSR) and Power Headroom Reports (PHR), to each serving cell, ensuring that both co-sited and non-co-sited cells receive the latest information, with options for transmission on both PCell and SCell, or prioritizing one over the other, to mitigate the impact of high latency and jitter.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If uplink scheduling information is transmitted to multiple eNBs in inter-site carrier aggregation, then reliable uplink scheduling is achieved, but signaling latency and jitter increase due to high latency backhaul links

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuplink scheduling information deliveryVSAvoidsignaling latency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments uplink scheduling information into cell-specific components, where each eNB receives and processes only the scheduling information relevant to its own cell. The UE maintains separate uplink scheduling information for each serving cell, allowing parallel independent processing at each eNB without requiring centralized coordination over the high-latency backhaul link.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each eNB maintains local uplink scheduling information specific to its cell, allowing independent uplink scheduling decisions without waiting for information from other eNBs. This local quality approach enables each eNB to optimize uplink resource allocation for its own cell based on local buffer status and channel conditions, reducing dependency on inter-eNB communication.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of information

If uplink scheduling information is transmitted to all eNBs, then complete information availability is achieved, but network overhead and processing complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation availability at eNBsVSAvoidinformation management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides uplink scheduling information into cell-specific segments, where each eNB receives only the information pertaining to its own cell. This segmentation eliminates the need for each eNB to process and store scheduling information for all cells, reducing information management complexity while ensuring each eNB has complete information for its local scheduling decisions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Area of stationary object

If carrier aggregation is implemented with multiple non-collocated eNBs, then transmission bandwidth is increased, but synchronization and coordination between eNBs become more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission bandwidthVSAvoideNB coordination complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the carrier aggregation system into independent cell-specific scheduling entities, where each eNB autonomously manages uplink scheduling for its own cell. This segmentation reduces coordination complexity by eliminating the need for synchronized uplink scheduling across multiple non-collocated eNBs, while still enabling aggregated transmission bandwidth through parallel uplink transmissions on multiple carriers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2810514B1Signaling of uplink scheduling information in case of carrier aggregation
Publication Date: 2023.04.05 NOKIA SOLUTIONS & NETWORKS OY
  • EP2810514B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2810514B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

An apparatus and a method is provided, by which data is sent to and/or received from a first network control node and at least one second network control node by a carrier aggregation, uplink scheduling information is established and sending of the uplink scheduling information is managed individually for the first network control node and the at least one second network control node.