User Terminal Control Resource Set Allocation for 5G

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Future radio communication systems, such as LTE Rel. 14, 15, and 5G, face challenges in appropriately communicating control channels due to different configurations from legacy LTE systems, particularly in supporting flexible numerologies and dynamic frame configurations, which can lead to inadequate communication performance.

Innovation Solution

A user terminal and radio communication method that dynamically configure control resource sets with varying monitoring periodicities, allowing the number of downlink control channel candidates to be allocated optimally across these sets, ensuring it does not exceed the terminal's capability, thereby enabling effective communication even with different control channel configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the user terminal monitors all downlink control channel candidates in all control resource sets, then the control channel communication reliability is improved, but the power consumption increases and operation failures occur due to excessive blind decoding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol channel communication reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides control resource sets into multiple groups and segments the monitoring task by selecting specific control resource sets based on monitoring indications received from the base station. This segmentation allows the terminal to monitor only a subset of control resource sets at each monitoring occasion, reducing power consumption while maintaining reliable control channel communication through selective monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the user terminal monitors all downlink control channel candidates in all control resource sets, then the control channel communication reliability is improved, but operation failures occur due to excessive blind decoding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol channel communication reliabilityVSAvoidprocessing capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the control resource sets into multiple groups and implements selective monitoring based on monitoring indications. By processing only a subset of control resource sets at each monitoring occasion rather than all sets simultaneously, the terminal avoids operation failures due to excessive blind decoding while maintaining control channel communication reliability through the segmented monitoring approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If the control resource set configuration follows legacy LTE systems, then the system compatibility is improved, but the adaptability to future radio communication systems with different numerologies and dynamic frame configurations deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to future radio communication systemsVSAvoidcontrol channel configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic control resource set configurations that can adapt to future radio communication systems with different numerologies and frame structures. The control resource sets are configured with flexible parameters including monitoring periodicities and associations with downlink and uplink channels, allowing the system to dynamically adjust to different numerologies and dynamic frame configurations while managing complexity through standardized configuration mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Adaptability or versatility

If multiple control resource sets with different monitoring periodicities are configured, then the scheduling flexibility is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescheduling flexibilityVSAvoidmonitoring configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments control resource sets into multiple groups with different monitoring periodicities (e.g., first group with first periodicity, second group with second periodicity). This segmentation enables flexible scheduling by allowing different monitoring behaviors for different control resource sets while managing device complexity through organized group management and standardized monitoring procedures for each group.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements periodic monitoring of control resource sets with different monitoring periodicities. The terminal monitors control resource sets in the first group at a first monitoring periodicity and control resource sets in the second group at a second monitoring periodicity. This periodic action approach provides scheduling flexibility by allowing different update rates for different control resource sets while managing complexity through systematic periodic monitoring patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP3661282B1User terminal and radio communication method
Publication Date: 2023.06.07 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP3661282B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3661282B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3661282B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

To appropriately communicate a control channel even when communication is performed by applying a different control channel configuration from those of legacy LTE systems, one aspect of the user terminal includes: a reception section that receives a downlink control channel transmitted by each of a plurality of control resource sets; and a control section that controls monitoring of a downlink control channel candidate, and the control section performs control to allocate a number of downlink control channel candidates to each control resource set such that the number of downlink control channel candidates does not exceed a predetermined value per combination of the control resource sets in a predetermined time unit.