Virtual Carrier Configuration for Wireless Bandwidth Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems with large carrier bandwidth face inefficiencies due to high power consumption and signaling overhead, particularly in frequency bands above 3 GHz, where wideband operation is not ideal for low-data-rate services and all users do not require large channel bandwidths.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of virtual carrier configuration in wireless systems, where user equipment (UE) configures downlink and uplink common virtual carriers for control information and dedicated virtual carriers for data services within a component carrier, allowing for efficient activation and deactivation of virtual carriers based on received switch commands, reducing power consumption and optimizing bandwidth usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wideband operation is used for large carrier bandwidth, then bandwidth efficiency is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large carrier bandwidth into multiple virtual carriers (VCs) that can be independently configured and activated. Instead of activating the entire wideband component carrier, the system segments it into smaller VCs and activates only those needed for current data transmission requirements, thereby maintaining bandwidth efficiency while reducing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic activation and deactivation of virtual carriers based on real-time traffic conditions and user requirements. The network can flexibly switch between different VC configurations, activating more VCs when high data rates are needed and deactivating them when lower bandwidth suffices, thus optimizing the balance between bandwidth efficiency and power consumption.
2Productivity
If multiple component carriers are configured for large data bandwidth, then data transmission capacity is improved, but transition time to activate carriers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-configures multiple virtual carriers within a component carrier before data transmission begins. These VCs are prepared in advance with necessary parameters and settings, so when data transmission needs to start, the pre-configured VCs can be rapidly activated without requiring time-consuming setup procedures, thus reducing carrier activation time while maintaining high data transmission capacity.
3Reliability
If large spectrum resource is allocated for control signaling monitoring, then system reliability is improved, but bandwidth efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent concentrates control signaling resources locally within activated virtual carriers rather than distributing them across the entire component carrier bandwidth. Each activated VC contains necessary control signaling for its data channels, providing sufficient monitoring reliability for active transmissions while avoiding waste of control resources in deactivated regions, thus improving bandwidth efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods are provided for virtual carrier operation in wireless systems with large carrier bandwidth. In one novel aspect, virtual carrier (VC) with a block of physically contiguous radio resources within a component carrier is configured. In one embodiment, the UE configures a downlink (DL) common virtual carrier (CVC) and an uplink (UL) CVC, which carry control information for the UE, and one or more DL/UL dedicated VCs (DVCs), which carry data services. In one embodiment, the UE obtains the CVC configuration information including the channel bandwidth and the physical location through system information. In another embodiment, the UE obtains DVC configuration through an RRC-layer signaling. In another novel aspect, the UE obtains a VC configuration switch command through either a MAC signal or a PHY signal, and subsequently reconfigures one or more configured VCs based on the received switch command.