Invented by MAAMARI; Diana, ABDELGHAFFAR; Muhammad Sayed Khairy, IBRAHIM; Abdelrahman Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed, XU; Huilin, ABOTABL; Ahmed Attia
The world is moving quickly towards more reliable, faster, and smarter wireless networks. We all want to send and receive more data with less waiting and fewer dropped signals. A newly published patent application aims to tackle some of the trickiest problems in today’s wireless world, especially as we move to advanced networks like 5G and beyond. This article breaks down what this patent application means, why it matters, and how it could change the way our phones and devices communicate.
Background and Market Context
Wireless communication is everywhere. From cell phones to smartwatches, cars to factories, billions of devices rely on fast, seamless connections. Over the years, networks have evolved from simple calls and texts to streaming video, real-time gaming, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Each new generation of wireless networks—like 4G, 5G, and soon 6G—tries to make things faster and more reliable.
One big challenge is letting devices talk to the network (uplink) and receive data from the network (downlink) at the same time. Older systems often use half-duplex, where a device can either send or receive, but not both at once. This is like a walkie-talkie: you can talk or listen, but not both. Full-duplex, on the other hand, is more like a regular phone call: you can talk and listen at the same time. That’s the dream for modern wireless networks because it can double capacity and make everything faster.
But making full-duplex work in real-world networks is hard. Devices and network nodes (like cell towers) need to coordinate closely. There’s always a risk that the device won’t know what to do if it needs to send and receive at the same time on overlapping channels. If there’s a conflict, data could be lost or delayed.
The need for smarter, more flexible ways to manage these conflicts is growing. With new use cases like autonomous cars, remote surgery, and industrial robots relying on wireless, delays and errors are not acceptable. The patent application we are discussing introduces a new way for devices and networks to handle these situations, making wireless communication smarter, faster, and more reliable for everyone.
At the heart of this technology are features called PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) skipping and SBFD (Sub-Band Full-Duplex) operation. These features help devices decide when to listen for important network instructions and when to focus on sending their own data, even when those demands overlap. This is a big deal for markets that need robust wireless links, like smart factories, connected vehicles, virtual reality, and the broader IoT.
As more devices compete for the same airwaves, operators and device makers are searching for every possible way to squeeze out more performance. By making control and data channels smarter, this invention could help networks unlock more power from existing hardware, delay costly upgrades, and deliver better experiences to users.
Scientific Rationale and Prior Art
To understand why this invention is important, let’s look at how things work today and why that’s not enough. In modern networks, devices need to “listen” for commands from the network. These commands come over a special channel called PDCCH. The PDCCH tells the device when it can send data, when it should listen for downloads, or when it should sleep to save power.
The problem is, sometimes the device needs to do two things at once—listen for a command and send its own data. But most devices can’t do both perfectly at the same instant, especially when using overlapping channels (like in SBFD). If the device always drops what it’s doing to listen for commands, it may miss its chance to send important data. If it always sends data, it may miss a critical command from the network. Something has to give.
Past solutions have tried to set rigid rules: for example, always prioritize listening for commands, or always prioritize sending data. But these rules are too simple and lead to problems. If you always prioritize listening, then data uploads get delayed, which can be a big problem for real-time applications. If you always prioritize sending, you may miss important instructions from the network, causing errors or missed opportunities.
Some advanced systems tried to “schedule” activities better—telling devices in advance what to expect. But real networks are messy. Traffic changes quickly, and devices may not get enough warning to switch modes in time. The result is wasted resources, higher latency, and sometimes dropped connections.
Another attempt was to use collision handling rules. These rules try to figure out, in advance, what to do if a device is asked to send and listen at the same time. But these rules are not flexible enough and don’t work well in complex, dynamic conditions. As networks become more crowded and use cases more demanding, fixed rules just don’t cut it.
The patent application describes a smarter, more adaptive solution. It introduces the idea of “PDCCH skipping.” Instead of always listening for commands, the device can skip listening during certain times if it knows that it’s safe to do so. This decision is based on “adaptation fields”—special signals from the network that tell the device when it’s okay to skip. This way, the device can focus on sending data when it matters most, and listen for commands when it’s really needed.
The invention also allows devices to signal back to the network when they plan to skip listening. This two-way communication means both sides know what to expect, reducing confusion and making better use of the available airwaves.
Compared to prior art, this approach is more dynamic. It doesn’t rely on fixed rules, but adapts in real-time based on the needs of both device and network. This is crucial for applications where timing and reliability are critical.
In summary, the scientific rationale behind the invention is that flexibility and communication between the device and network can solve the old problem of uplink-downlink overlap. By letting devices skip listening at the right times, and by making sure both sides know what’s happening, networks can achieve higher efficiency, lower delays, and better performance for demanding applications.
Invention Description and Key Innovations
This patent application introduces a set of new techniques for managing how wireless devices (called user equipment, or UE) and network nodes handle situations when they need to send and receive at the same time, especially in SBFD (sub-band full-duplex) operations.
At the core is the concept of “PDCCH skipping.” The device is given a signal from the network, called a PDCCH monitoring adaptation field. This field tells the device when it’s safe to stop listening for downlink commands for a certain period of time. The “skipping” starts at a very specific time: right after the last symbol of a special control message from the network. This period is carefully chosen so the device won’t miss anything important.
During this “skipping” window, the device checks whether its scheduled time for sending uplink data (like sensor readings, messages, or other uploads) overlaps with the time when it would usually listen for commands. If there’s an overlap, the device can now choose to prioritize sending its data. This is a big change from old systems, where the device might have been forced to stop sending data just to listen.
The invention does not stop there. It provides a way for devices to tell the network when they are skipping certain uplink opportunities. This is called UTO-UCI (Unused Transmission Occasion Uplink Control Information). The device sends this signal to the network to say, “I’m skipping this chance to send data.” The network can then use that same time slot for a downlink transmission, making sure no resource goes to waste. This back-and-forth communication allows both sides to coordinate and avoid stepping on each other’s toes.
The patent also introduces flexible collision handling. When the device is in “skipping” mode, regular collision rules—rules that decide what to do if send and receive times collide—can be turned off. This lets the device and network use their own logic to decide what’s most important at any given moment.
Another smart part of the invention is “prioritization.” If there’s a conflict between sending and receiving, the system can assign a higher priority to the activity that matters more. For example, if the device has urgent data to send, it can prioritize the uplink. If the network has a critical command to send, it can take priority instead. This is decided based on real-time conditions and signals exchanged between the device and network.
Timing is also handled carefully. The invention allows for offsets—short delays—to make sure devices have enough time to switch between sending and receiving. These offsets can be adjusted based on how fast the device can change modes, or based on special needs of the application.
The patent covers both the device side and the network side. On the device side, the processor and memory work together to monitor signals, decide when to skip listening, detect overlaps, and send the right signals back to the network. On the network side, the system sends adaptation fields, listens for skip signals, and assigns priorities to make sure everything runs smoothly.
Key innovations include:
– Dynamic PDCCH skipping based on real-time network instructions.
– Devices signaling their intent to skip uplink or downlink, letting the network reuse those slots.
– Flexible handling of collisions, with rules that can be turned on or off as needed.
– Real-time prioritization of uplink or downlink based on current needs.
– Adjustable timing offsets to handle fast mode changes.
– Support for both half-duplex and full-duplex scenarios, making the system adaptable to many types of devices and networks.
The invention is designed to work with today’s advanced wireless standards like 5G NR and is ready for future networks like 6G. It can be used in any application where devices need to send and receive data quickly and reliably, including industrial automation, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and more.
By making the control channel smarter and more adaptable, this technology helps ensure that wireless networks can keep up with the growing demands of users and applications, all while using resources more efficiently.
Conclusion
Wireless networks are under more pressure than ever to deliver fast, reliable connections for a huge range of devices and applications. The patent application discussed here brings fresh, flexible solutions to one of the oldest problems in wireless: how to handle overlapping needs to send and receive data at the same time.
By allowing devices and networks to communicate their intentions, skip unnecessary listening, and prioritize the most important tasks in real time, this invention takes a big step toward smarter, more efficient wireless systems. Its focus on adaptability and coordination means less wasted time, lower latency, and better experiences for everyone—from smartphone users to connected cars to smart factories.
As wireless networks continue to evolve, technologies like PDCCH skipping and dynamic prioritization will be crucial. They offer a path to higher capacity and greater reliability without needing massive new infrastructure. For network operators, device makers, and anyone relying on wireless to power modern life, this is a leap forward in making the promise of full-duplex, always-on communication a reality.
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