Uplink multi-TTI scheduling in TDD system

• US 10,271,309 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Sahlin, Henrik, Frenne, Mattias, Furuskog, Johan, Parkvall, Stefan, Zhang, Qiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carpio, Mariela Vidal
• Application Number:
  US15/900,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20180192399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for transmission and reception of an uplink grant during a gap created in radio resources assigned by a previous multiple Transmit Time Interval (multi-TTI) uplink grant in a system operating according to a Time Division Duplexing (TDD) scheme. In one embodiment, a method of operation of a radio network node in a cellular communications network is provided. The method includes transmitting a first uplink grant that assigns radio resources for a multi-TTI uplink transmission, and transmitting a second uplink grant during a gap in the radio resources assigned by the first uplink grant. In one embodiment, by utilizing the gap to transmit the second uplink grant, uplink radio resources assigned for uplink transmission can be maximized, which is particularly beneficial in high uplink traffic conditions.

Claims

1. A radio network node operating according to a Time Division Duplexing, TDD, scheme in a cellular communications network, the radio network node comprising:

a transceiver;

a processor associated with the transceiver; and

memory containing instructions executable by the processor, whereby the radio network node is operative to;

while operating according to the TDD scheme;

transmit, to a wireless device via the transceiver, a first uplink grant that assigns first radio resources for a first multiple transmit time interval uplink transmission; and

transmit, to the wireless device via the transceiver, a second uplink grant during a gap in the first radio resources assigned for the first multiple transmit time interval uplink transmission,

wherein the first radio resources comprise a set of consecutive subframes, wherein the gap is a time domain gap within the set of consecutive subframes during which an uplink transmission on the first radio resources is interrupted, and wherein the gap comprises a contiguous gap spanning at least one of the subframes within the set of consecutive subframes.

2. The radio network node of claim 1 wherein a position of the gap is a position relative to an end of the first radio resources assigned for the first multiple transmit time interval uplink transmission by the first uplink grant.

3. The radio network node of claim 2 wherein an amount of time between the gap and the end of the first radio resources is greater than or equal to an uplink scheduling delay.

4. The radio network node of claim 1 wherein a position of the gap is defined by a cellular communications network standard.

5. The radio network node of claim 1 further comprising signaling a position of the gap to one or more wireless devices.

6. The radio network node of claim 1 wherein a position of the gap is semi-statically configured for individual wireless devices and/or for a plurality of wireless devices.

7. The radio network node of claim 1 further comprising dynamically configuring the gap.

8. The radio network node of claim 1 further operative to, prior to transmitting the second uplink grant during the gap, determining whether the gap is to be used, wherein transmitting the second uplink grant comprises transmitting the second uplink grant during the gap in response to determining that the gap is to be used.

9. The radio network node of claim 1 wherein a plurality of subframes spanned by the first radio resources assigned for the first multiple transmit time interval uplink transmission are the same subframes as those spanned by radio resources assigned for multiple transmit time interval uplink transmissions by a plurality of wireless devices, and the gap is the same gap as that is configured for the plurality of wireless devices.

10. A wireless device operating according to a Time Division Duplexing, TDD, scheme in a cellular communications network, the wireless device comprising:

a transceiver;

a processor associated with the transceiver; and

memory containing instructions executable by the processor, whereby the wireless device is operative to;

while operating according to the TDD scheme;

receive, via the transceiver, a first uplink grant from a radio network node that assigns first radio resources for a first multiple transmit time interval uplink transmission; and

interrupting an uplink transmission on the first radio resources to listen, via the transceiver, for a second uplink grant from the radio network node during a gap in the first radio resources assigned for the first multiple transmit time interval uplink transmission,

wherein the first radio resources comprise a set of consecutive subframes, wherein the gap is a time domain gap within the set of consecutive subframes, and wherein the gap comprises a contiguous gap spanning at least one of the subframes within the set of consecutive subframes.

11. The wireless device of claim 10 further comprising:

performing a first portion of the first multiple transmit time interval uplink transmission prior to the gap; and

performing a remaining portion of the first multiple transmit time interval uplink transmission after the gap.

12. The wireless device of claim 10 wherein a position of the gap is a position relative to an end of the first radio resources assigned for the first multiple transmit time interval uplink transmission by the first uplink grant.

13. The wireless device of claim 12 wherein an amount of time between the gap and the end of the first radio resources is greater than or equal to an uplink scheduling delay.

14. The wireless device of claim 10 wherein a position of the gap is defined by a cellular communications network standard.

15. The wireless device of claim 10 further comprising receiving signaling comprising an indication of a position of the gap from the radio network node.

16. The wireless device of claim 10 wherein a position of the gap is semi-statically configured for individual wireless devices and/or for a plurality of wireless devices.

17. The wireless device of claim 10 further comprising receiving a dynamic configuration of the gap.

18. The wireless device of claim 10 further operative to, prior to listening for the second uplink grant during the gap, determining whether the gap is to be used, wherein listening for the second uplink grant comprises listening for the second uplink grant during the gap in response to determining that the gap is to be used.