Prioritizing Uplink Over Sidelink During Small Data Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems, particularly in next-generation 5G NR networks, face challenges in managing conflicts between sidelink data transmission and uplink small data transmission, leading to inefficiencies and increased power consumption due to the need for frequent RRC state transitions for small data packets.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for a user equipment (UE) to prioritize uplink transmissions over sidelink transmissions during conflicts by determining priority based on received thresholds and transmission types, allowing for efficient small data transmission in the RRC Inactive state without requiring constant RRC connection resumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the UE frequently transitions RRC state for small data packets, then data transmission capability is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the small data transmission function from the RRC Connected state, allowing it to operate independently in the RRC Inactive state. This separation enables the UE to handle small data packets without requiring full connection establishment, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining transmission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes SDT configurations and resource allocations in advance while the UE is in RRC Connected state. These pre-configured resources remain valid when the UE transitions to RRC Inactive state, allowing immediate small data transmission without requiring connection resumption, thus reducing both power consumption and signaling overhead.
2Reliability
If the UE maintains RRC Connected state for small data transmission, then transmission reliability is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the small data transmission function from the RRC Connected state, allowing it to operate independently in the RRC Inactive state. This separation eliminates the need for frequent RRC connection establishment and release signaling, thereby reducing signaling overhead while maintaining transmission reliability through pre-configured resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes SDT configurations, resource allocations, and priority settings in advance while the UE is in RRC Connected state. These pre-configured elements remain valid in RRC Inactive state, enabling immediate small data transmission without requiring connection resumption signaling, thus reducing overall signaling overhead.
3Productivity
If the UE prioritizes uplink transmission over sidelink transmission during conflicts, then network communication efficiency is improved, but sidelink transmission reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces configurable priority parameters and thresholds that allow the network to dynamically adjust the relative priority of UL and SL transmissions. By modifying these parameters, the network can optimize for either network communication efficiency or sidelink reliability depending on current conditions, resolving the contradiction through flexible parameter adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic priority adjustment mechanisms where the relative priority between UL and SL transmissions can change based on network conditions, QoS requirements, and configured thresholds. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different scenarios, ensuring both network efficiency and sidelink reliability are maintained when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by a user equipment (UE) includes initiating a Small Data Transmission (SDT) procedure for transmitting a first set of data packets to a base station (BS) via an uplink (UL) transmission, determining, while the UE is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Inactive state, whether to prioritize the UL transmission over a sidelink (SL) transmission when there is a conflict between the UL transmission and the SL transmission during the SDT procedure, where the SL transmission is for transmitting a second set of data packets to another UE.