Reference Signal Timing for URLLC Interruptions

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge in wireless communication systems is the degradation of reception performance for lower priority transmissions due to the interruption caused by higher priority transmissions, particularly in ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), leading to a loss of phase coherence in channel estimates.

Innovation Solution

Configuring additional reference signals after the higher priority transmission to facilitate accurate channel estimation and decoding of remaining lower priority data by re-estimating the channel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If a higher priority transmission interrupts an ongoing lower priority transmission to meet URLLC timing constraints, then the latency and reliability of URLLC are improved, but the reception performance and decoding accuracy of the lower priority transmission deteriorate due to loss of phase coherence in channel estimates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovelatencyVSAvoidreception performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transmits a reference signal before the lower priority data transmission begins, allowing the receiver to pre-establish channel estimates. This preliminary reference signal enables the receiver to compensate for phase changes caused by subsequent higher priority interruptions, maintaining decoding accuracy without requiring additional reference signals after the interruption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an additional reference signal as an intermediary element between the interrupted lower priority transmission segments. This reference signal serves as a mediator that allows the receiver to re-estimate the channel phase after the higher priority transmission, bridging the gap caused by the interruption and enabling accurate decoding of the remaining lower priority data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If additional reference signals are transmitted after a higher priority transmission to maintain channel estimation accuracy, then the decoding reliability of lower priority data is improved, but the system complexity and resource overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecoding accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transmits a reference signal before the lower priority data transmission begins, allowing the receiver to pre-establish channel estimates. This preliminary reference signal enables the receiver to compensate for phase changes caused by subsequent higher priority interruptions, maintaining decoding accuracy without requiring additional reference signals after the interruption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent modifies the timing and positioning parameters of reference signals within the transmission frame structure. By strategically placing reference signals at specific positions (before data transmission and potentially after higher priority interruptions), the system optimizes channel estimation accuracy while minimizing the number of reference signals required, thus balancing reliability with system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3673603B1Reference signal design supporting ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) interruption
Publication Date: 2025.09.17 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3673603B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3673603B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3673603B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Wireless communications systems and methods related to configuring reference signals to support an interruption of a high-priority transmission to a low-priority transmission are provided. A base station (BS) transmits, to a user equipment (UE), a configuration for determining whether to communicate a first reference signal after a communication of first data is interrupted by a communication of second data having a higher priority than the first data. The BS communicates, with the UE, the first data in a transmission time interval (TTI). The BS communicates, with the UE, the second data in the TTI before the communicating the first data has completed. The BS communicates, with the UE based on the configuration, a first reference signal in the TTI after communicating the second data.