Validity Period Mechanism for Wireless Control Channel Resource Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for extending coverage in wireless telecommunications systems, such as repeated transmissions, increase the demand for transmission resources, particularly for control messages, which can lead to resource shortages and processing overload in terminal devices, especially for machine-type communication devices in coverage-limited areas.

Innovation Solution

Introducing a validity period for control messages that indicates allocated transmission resources, allowing multiple data channel messages to be scheduled using a single control message, reducing the need for repeated control channel transmissions and optimizing resource allocation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If repeated transmissions are used to extend coverage, then coverage extension is improved, but transmission resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoverage extensionVSAvoidtransmission resources

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The base station performs preliminary scheduling of multiple data channel transmissions using a single control channel transmission. The control message includes validity period information that pre-authorizes the terminal device to receive multiple data channel messages without requiring separate control messages for each transmission, thus extending coverage while conserving transmission resources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A single control channel message serves multiple functions by scheduling multiple data channel transmissions over a validity period. The control message not only allocates resources for the current transmission but also pre-authorizes future transmissions within the validity period, making the control channel more versatile and reducing overall resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Manufacturing precision

If repeated control channel transmissions are sent to schedule each data channel message, then resource allocation accuracy is improved, but control channel resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocation accuracyVSAvoidcontrol channel resources

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple control channel transmissions that would normally be sent to schedule individual data channel messages are merged into a single control channel transmission. This consolidated control message includes validity period information that covers multiple data channel transmissions, maintaining resource allocation accuracy while significantly reducing control channel resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The control channel performs preliminary scheduling for multiple data channel transmissions in advance. By including validity period information in the initial control message, the system pre-establishes resource allocations for multiple transmissions, eliminating the need for subsequent control channel transmissions and maintaining allocation accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple control messages are transmitted to schedule multiple data channel messages, then resource allocation flexibility is improved, but processing overhead in terminal devices increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocation flexibilityVSAvoidprocessing overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The validity period information is extracted from what would otherwise be multiple separate control messages and consolidated into a single control channel transmission. This extraction allows the terminal device to process one control message instead of multiple messages, reducing processing overhead while maintaining the flexibility needed for resource allocation within the validity period.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The control channel message preliminarily establishes resource allocations for multiple data channel transmissions by including validity period information. This preliminary action allows the terminal device to anticipate and prepare for multiple transmissions without needing to process multiple separate control messages, thereby reducing processing overhead while maintaining allocation flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10271320B2Telecommunications apparatus and methods

Publication Date: 2019.04.23 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

A wireless telecommunication system that comprises a base station and a terminal device communicating over a radio interface. The radio interface supports a downlink control channel for conveying control messages from the base station to the terminal device and a downlink data channel (e.g. a physical downlink shared channel) for conveying higher-layer messages from the base station to the terminal device. The control messages convey information on resource allocations for the higher-layer messages on the downlink data channel. The terminal device is configured to receive a control message from the base station conveying an indication of allocated transmission resources on the downlink data channel and determine a validity period for the control-plane message. During the validity period for the control message the terminal device is configured to receive a plurality of different higher-layer messages from the base station on the downlink data channel using the allocated transmission resources.