Narrowband time-division duplex frame structure for narrowband communications

• US 10,454,658 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Bhattad, Kapil, Wang, Xiao feng, Rico Alvarino, Alberto, Xu, Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Warner
• Application Number:
  US15/710,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20180248674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0067 Rate matching H04L1/0013 and H04L1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0068 by puncturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/02 Details ; arrangements for supplying electrical power along data transmission lines systems for transmitting signals via power distribution lines H04B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0226 sounding signals per se
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/261 Details of reference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2613 Structure of the reference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0005 Time-frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0012 Hopping in multicarrier systems for frequency hopping in spread spectrum systems H04B1/713
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0026 Division using four or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• 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 72/0466 : the resource being a scrambling code
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 : in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 : Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access

Abstract

There is a need to support narrowband TDD frame structure for narrowband communications. The present disclosure provides a solution by supporting one or more narrowband TDD frame structure(s) for narrowband communications. In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. In one aspect, the apparatus may receive information associated with a narrowband TDD frame structure for narrowband communications, the narrowband TDD frame structure including a set of contiguous uplink subframes. The apparatus may also determine an orthogonal sequence length associated with a reference signal (RS) based on at least one of a number of uplink subframes or a number of slots in the set of contiguous uplink subframes. In addition, the apparatus may transmit the RS using the determined orthogonal sequence length.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving information associated with a time-division duplex (TDD) frame structure for narrowband communications, the TDD frame structure including a set of contiguous uplink subframes;

determining an orthogonal sequence length of a reference signal (RS) based on at least one of a number of contiguous uplink subframes in the TDD frame structure or a number of slots in the set of contiguous uplink subframes; and

transmitting the RS using the determined orthogonal sequence length.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the orthogonal sequence length of the RS is determined based on the number of contiguous uplink subframes in the TDD frame structure.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the orthogonal sequence length of the RS is determined based on the number of slots in the set of contiguous uplink subframes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the RS includes transmitting two pilots per slot.

2. A method for wireless communication for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving information associated with a time-division duplex (TDD) frame structure for narrowband communications;

determining a sequence hopping pattern of a reference signal (RS) based on at least one of a number of uplink subframes, a number of slots in a set of contiguous uplink subframes of the TDD frame structure, or a least significant bit of a radio frame number; and

transmitting the RS using the determined sequence hopping pattern.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the sequence hopping pattern of the RS is selected based on the number of uplink subframes in the TDD frame structure.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the sequence hopping pattern of the RS is selected based on the number of slots in a set of contiguous uplink subframes of the TDD frame structure.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the sequence hopping pattern of the RS is selected based on the least significant bit of the radio frame number.

3. An apparatus for wireless communication for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

means for receiving information associated with a time-division duplex (TDD) frame structure for narrowband communications, the TDD frame structure including a set of contiguous uplink subframes;

means for determining an orthogonal sequence length of a reference signal (RS) based on at least one of a number of contiguous uplink subframes in the TDD frame structure or a number of slots in the set of contiguous uplink subframes; and

means for transmitting the RS using the determined orthogonal sequence length.

15. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for determining the orthogonal sequence length is further configured to determine the orthogonal sequence length of the RS based on the number of contiguous uplink subframes in the TDD frame structure.

16. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for determining the orthogonal sequence length is further configured to determine the orthogonal sequence length of the RS based on the number of slots in the set of contiguous uplink subframes.

4. An apparatus for wireless communication for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

means for receiving information associated with a time-division duplex (TDD) frame structure for narrowband communications;

means for determining a sequence hopping pattern of a reference signal (RS) based on at least one of a number of uplink subframes, a number of slots in a set of contiguous uplink subframes of the TDD frame structure, or a least significant bit of a radio frame number; and

means for transmitting the RS using the determined sequence hopping pattern.

17. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the means for determining the sequence hopping pattern is further configured to select the sequence hopping pattern of the RS based on the number of uplink subframes in the TDD frame structure.

18. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the means for determining the sequence hopping pattern is further configured to select the sequence hopping pattern of the RS based on the least significant bit of the radio frame number.

5. An apparatus for wireless communication for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive information associated with a time-division duplex (TDD) frame structure for narrowband communications, the TDD frame structure including a set of contiguous uplink subframes;

determine an orthogonal sequence length of a reference signal (RS) based on at least one of a number of contiguous uplink subframes in the TDD frame structure or a number of slots in the set of contiguous uplink subframes; and

transmit the RS using the determined orthogonal sequence length.

19. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the orthogonal sequence length of the RS based on the number of contiguous uplink subframes in the TDD frame structure.

20. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the orthogonal sequence length of the RS based on the number of slots in the set of contiguous uplink subframes.

6. An apparatus for wireless communication for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive information associated with a time-division duplex (TDD) frame structure for narrowband communications;

determine a sequence hopping pattern of a reference signal (RS) based on at least one of a number of uplink subframes, a number of slots in a set of contiguous uplink subframes of the TDD frame structure, or a least significant bit of a radio frame number; and

transmit the RS using the determined sequence hopping pattern.

21. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select the sequence hopping pattern of the RS based on the number of uplink subframes in the TDD frame structure.

22. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select the sequence hopping pattern of the RS based on the least significant bit of the radio frame number.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for a user equipment (UE), comprising code to:

receive information associated with a time-division duplex (TDD) frame structure for narrowband communications, the TDD frame structure including a set of contiguous uplink subframes;

determine an orthogonal sequence length of a reference signal (RS) based on at least one of a number of contiguous uplink subframes in the TDD frame structure or a number of slots in the set of contiguous uplink subframes; and

transmit the RS using the determined orthogonal sequence length.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for a user equipment (UE), comprising code to:

receive information associated with a time-division duplex (TDD) frame structure for narrowband communications;

determine a sequence hopping pattern of a reference signal (RS) based on at least one of a number of uplink subframes, a number of slots in a set of contiguous uplink subframes of the TDD frame structure, or a least significant bit of a radio frame number; and

transmit the RS using the determined sequence hopping pattern.