Virtual Cluster Group Uplink Control Channel Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Next-generation wireless communication networks face challenges in efficiently allocating time-frequency resources for uplink control channels due to limited spectrum availability, necessitating innovative methods to enhance bandwidth utilization and prevent collisions between scheduled entities.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of virtual cluster groups (VCGs) for uplink control channels, where each VCG comprises uplink clusters mapped to specific physical tones, allows for efficient allocation and assignment of time-frequency resources, preventing tone overlap and enabling effective communication between scheduling and scheduled entities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If spectrum resources are allocated for uplink control channels in traditional wireless networks, then basic communication functionality is maintained, but bandwidth utilization is inefficient and collisions occur between scheduled entities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth utilizationVSAvoidcollision prevention
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the uplink control channel resources into multiple virtual cluster groups (VCGs), where each VCG contains specific uplink clusters mapped to particular physical tones. This segmentation allows different scheduled entities to be assigned to different VCGs, enabling efficient bandwidth utilization while preventing collisions through dedicated resource allocation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If flexible bandwidth allocation is implemented to meet data speed requirements, then network flexibility improves, but resource allocation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth allocation flexibilityVSAvoidresource allocation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic bandwidth allocation by allowing the scheduling entity to flexibly assign different numbers of VCGs to different scheduled entities based on their specific data speed and latency requirements. The system can adapt resource allocation in real-time while maintaining manageable complexity through the structured VCG framework.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3472963B1Virtual cluster group based uplink control channel
Publication Date: 2020.11.18 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3472963B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3472963B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3472963B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a scheduling entity in communication with a set of scheduled entities within a wireless communication network. The scheduling entity groups a plurality of tones into uplink clusters, where each uplink cluster includes one or more adjacent tones. In addition, the scheduling entity maps a first set of uplink clusters to a first virtual cluster group (VCG) for an uplink control channel, assigns the first VCG to a first scheduled entity of the set of one or more scheduled entities, provides a first VCG index identifying the first VCG to the first scheduled entity and receives uplink control information from the first scheduled entity on the first VCG over the uplink control channel.