Method and apparatus for performing uplink hybrid automatic repeat request operation in an asymmetric multicarrier communication network environment

• US 10,200,180 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Nigam, Anshuman, Agiwal, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Application Number:
  US15/602,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20170324533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1896 ARQ related signaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for performing an uplink Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) operation in an asymmetric multicarrier communication network environment. In one embodiment, a method includes transmitting a HARQ packet to a base station in a transmit time interval of one of a plurality of partitions of an uplink allocation interval on a first carrier by a mobile station. Then, the method includes determining a partition of the uplink allocation interval in which the HARQ packet is transmitted, and determining a HARQ feedback region in the subsequent downlink subframe corresponding to the determined partition. The method further includes receiving HARQ feedback information in the determined HARQ feedback region in the subsequent downlink subframe on a second carrier from the base station.

Claims

1. A method for operating, by a mobile station, an uplink hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) in an asymmetric multicarrier communication network, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a base station, a packet in a time interval corresponding to one of partitions in an uplink allocation interval on a first carrier;

determining a feedback region in a subsequent downlink subframe corresponding to the transmitted packet, wherein the subsequent downlink subframe is partitioned into a plurality of feedback regions; and

receiving, from the base station, feedback information in response to the transmitted packet in the determined feedback region on a second carrier,

wherein the first carrier and the second carrier comprise different frequency bands.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the feedback information indicates negative acknowledgement corresponding to the transmitted packet, retransmitting, to the base station, the packet in a time interval corresponding to one of partitions of a subsequent uplink allocation interval on the first carrier; and

receiving resource allocation information in a resource allocation region of the subsequent downlink subframe on the second carrier, wherein the resource allocation information indicates frequency resource for each of the plurality of feedback regions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the feedback region in the subsequent downlink subframe comprises:

determining a partition of the uplink allocation interval in which the packet is transmitted; and

determining the feedback region in the subsequent downlink subframe corresponding to the determined partition of the uplink allocation interval.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of the partitions in the uplink allocation interval is equal to a number of feedback regions in the subsequent downlink subframe on the second carrier, and

wherein each of the partitions of the uplink allocation interval comprises one or more time intervals.

5. A method of operating, by a base station, an uplink hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) in an asymmetric multicarrier communication network, the method comprising:

monitoring a time interval corresponding to one of partitions of an uplink allocation interval on a first carrier on which a packet transmission is expected from a mobile station;

determining a feedback region in a subsequent downlink subframe in which feedback information corresponding to the packet transmission is transmitted, wherein the subsequent downlink subframe is partitioned into a plurality of feedback regions; and

if a packet is received from the mobile station in the time interval, transmitting, to the mobile station, feedback information in response to the received packet in the determined feedback region in the subsequent downlink subframe on a second carrier,

wherein the first carrier and the second carrier comprise different frequency bands.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the feedback region in the subsequent downlink subframe comprises:

determining a partition of the uplink allocation interval in which the packet transmission is transmitted; and

determining the feedback region in the subsequent downlink subframe corresponding to the determined partition of the uplink allocation interval.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a number of partitions in the uplink allocation interval is equal to a number of feedback regions in the subsequent downlink subframe on the second carrier, and

wherein each of partitions of the uplink allocation interval comprises one or more time intervals.

8. An apparatus for operating an uplink hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) in an asymmetric multicarrier communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a transceiver;

a processor operably connected to the transceiver; and

a memory operably connected to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

transmit, to a base station, a packet in a time interval corresponding to one of partitions in an uplink allocation interval on a first carrier;

determine a feedback region in a subsequent downlink subframe corresponding to the transmitted packet, wherein the subsequent downlink subframe is partitioned into a plurality of feedback regions; and

receive, from the base station, feedback information in response to the transmitted packet in the determined feedback region on a second carrier, wherein the first carrier and the second carrier comprise different frequency bands.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to:

if the feedback information indicates negative acknowledgement corresponding to the transmitted packet, retransmit, to the base station, the packet in a time interval corresponding to one of partitions of a subsequent uplink allocation interval on the first carrier; and

receive resource allocation information in a resource allocation region of the subsequent downlink subframe on the second carrier, wherein the resource allocation information indicates frequency resource for each of the plurality of feedback regions.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a partition of the uplink allocation interval in which the packet is transmitted; and

determine the feedback region in the subsequent downlink subframe corresponding to the determined partition of the uplink allocation interval.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a number of partitions in the uplink allocation interval is equal to a number of feedback regions in the subsequent downlink subframe on the second carrier, and

wherein each of the partitions of the uplink allocation interval comprises one or more time intervals.

12. An apparatus of operating an uplink hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) in an asymmetric multicarrier communication network, the apparatus comprising:

a transceiver;

a processor operably connected to the transceiver; and

a memory operably connected to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

monitor a time interval corresponding to one of partitions of an uplink allocation interval on a first carrier on which a packet transmission is expected from a mobile station;

determine a feedback region in a subsequent downlink subframe in which feedback information corresponding to the packet transmission is transmitted, wherein the subsequent downlink subframe is partitioned into a plurality of feedback regions; and

if a packet is received from the mobile station in the time interval, transmit, to the mobile station, feedback information in response to the received packet in the determined feedback region in the subsequent downlink subframe on a second carrier, wherein the first carrier and the second carrier comprise different frequency bands.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a partition of the uplink allocation interval in which the packet transmission is transmitted; and

determine the feedback region in the subsequent downlink subframe corresponding to the determined partition of the uplink allocation interval.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a number of partitions in the uplink allocation interval is equal to a number of feedback regions in the subsequent downlink subframe on the second carrier, and

wherein each of partitions of the uplink allocation interval comprises one or more time intervals.