Apparatus and method for inter-band pairing of carriers for time division duplex transmit- and receive-switching

• US 10,278,178 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ji, Tingfang, Smee, John Edward, Soriaga, Joseph Binamira, Bhushan, Naga, Gaal, Peter, Gorokhov, Alexei Yurievitch, Mukkavilli, Krishna Kiran, Ang, Peter, Howard, Michael Alexander, Cooper, Rotem
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutkowski, Jeffrey M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Li, Ning
• Application Number:
  US14/567,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2615 using hybrid frequency-time division multiple access [FDMA-TDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0005 Time-frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1469 using time-sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/22 using time-division multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/26 combined with the use of different frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/535 based on resource usage policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure provide for the pairing of two or more inter-band time division duplex (TDD) carriers. In some examples disclosed herein, a conjugate or inverse carrier may be used such that full duplex, or a close approximation thereto, is achieved. With the introduction of a paired channel and fast control channels, rapid uplink/downlink switching may be achieved for TDD carriers efficiently and effectively. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

selecting a ratio of uplink time slots to downlink time slots in a first time division duplex (TDD) carrier to provide a ratio of uplink to downlink data rates utilizing the first TDD carrier and a second TDD carrier, wherein the first TDD carrier and the second TDD carrier are a conjugate pair of TDD carriers separated in frequency;

wirelessly communicating over the first time division duplex (TDD) carrier; and

wirelessly communicating over the second TDD carrier, wherein at least a portion of time slots in the first TDD carrier are complementary to time-aligned time slots in the second TDD carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first TDD carrier has a greater bandwidth than the second TDD carrier.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing a direction of a first time slot in the first TDD carrier; and

changing a direction of a corresponding time slot in the second TDD carrier, wherein the corresponding time slot in the second TDD carrier maintains a complementary direction to the direction of the first time slot in the first TDD carrier after the changing.

4. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor; and

a transceiver communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

select a ratio of uplink time slots to downlink time slots in a first time division duplex (TDD) carrier to provide a ratio of uplink to downlink data rates utilizing the first TDD carrier and a second TDD carrier, wherein the first TDD carrier and the second TDD carrier are a conjugate pair of TDD carriers separated in frequency;

utilize the transceiver to wirelessly communicate over the first time division duplex (TDD) carrier; and

utilize the transceiver to wirelessly communicate over the second TDD carrier, wherein at least a portion of time slots in the first TDD carrier is complementary to time-aligned time slots in the second TDD carrier.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first TDD carrier has a greater bandwidth than the second TDD carrier.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

change a direction of a first time slot in the first TDD carrier; and

change a direction of a corresponding time slot in the second TDD carrier, wherein the corresponding time slot in the second TDD carrier maintains a complementary direction to the direction of the time slot in the first TDD carrier after the changings.

7. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, comprising:

means for selecting a ratio of uplink time slots to downlink time slots in a first time division duplex (TDD) carrier to provide a ratio of uplink to downlink data rates utilizing the first TDD carrier and a second TDD carrier, wherein the first TDD carrier and the second TDD carrier are a conjugate pair of TDD carriers separated in frequency;

means for wirelessly communicating over the first time division duplex (TDD) carrier; and

means for wirelessly communicating over the second TDD carrier,

wherein at least a portion of time slots in the first TDD carrier is complementary to time-aligned time slots in the second TDD carrier.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first TDD carrier has a greater bandwidth than the second TDD carrier.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for changing a direction of a first time slot in the first TDD carrier; and

means for changing a direction of a corresponding time slot in the second TDD carrier, wherein the corresponding time slot in the second TDD carrier maintains a complementary direction to the direction of the first time slot in the first TDD carrier after the changings.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform functions comprising:

selecting a ratio of uplink time slots to downlink time slots in a first time division duplex (TDD) carrier to provide a ratio of uplink to downlink data rates utilizing the first TDD carrier and a second TDD carrier, wherein the first TDD carrier and the second TDD carrier are a conjugate pair of TDD carriers separated in frequency;

wirelessly communicating over the first time division duplex (TDD) carrier; and

wirelessly communicating over the second TDD carrier, wherein at least a portion of time slots in the first TDD carrier is complementary to time-aligned time slots in the second TDD carrier.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first TDD carrier has a greater bandwidth than the second TDD carrier.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the code which, when executed by a processor, further causes the processor to perform functions comprising:

changing a direction of a first time slot in the first TDD carrier; and

changing a direction of a corresponding time slot in the second TDD carrier, wherein the corresponding time slot in the second TDD carrier maintains a complementary direction to the direction of the first time slot in the first TDD carrier after the changings.