Reverse link channel architecture for a wireless communication system

• US 20020154610A1
• Filed: 02/15/2001
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tiedemann, Edward G. Jr., Chen, Tao, Jain, Avinash
• Granted Patent: US 7,120,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1819 with retransmission of additional or different redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1858 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of acknowledgement message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1874 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/125 Arrangements for preventing errors in the return channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power

Abstract

A channel structure and mechanisms that support effective and efficient allocation and utilization of the reverse link resources. In one aspect, mechanisms are provided to quickly assign resources (e.g., a supplemental channel) as needed, and to quickly de-assign the resources when not needed or to maintain system stability. The reverse link resources may be quickly assigned and de-assigned via short messages exchanged on control channels on the forward and reverse links. In another aspect, mechanisms are provided to facilitate efficient and reliable data transmission. A reliable acknowledgment/negative acknowledgment scheme and an efficient retransmission scheme are provided. Mechanisms are also provided to control the transmit power and/or data rate of the remote terminals to achieve high performance and avoid instability.

Claims

1. A channel structure capable of supporting data transmission on a reverse link of a wireless communication system, comprising:

a reverse fundamental channel configurable to transmit data and signaling on the reverse link;

a reverse supplemental channel assignable and configurable to transmitted packet data on the reverse link;

a reverse control channel configurable to transmit signaling on the reverse link; and

a forward power control channel configurable to transmit first and second power control streams for the reverse link for a particular remote terminal, wherein

the first power control stream is used to control the transmit power of the reverse supplemental channel in combination with at least one other reverse link channel, and

the second power control stream is used to control a transmit characteristic of the reverse supplemental channel.

2. The channel structure of claim 1, wherein the second power control stream is used to control the transmit power of the reverse supplemental channel relative to that of a designated reverse link channel.

3. The channel structure of claim 1, wherein the second power control stream is used to control the data rate of the reverse supplemental channel.

4. The channel structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a forward acknowledgment channel configurable to transmit, on the forward link, signaling indicative of received status of the packet data transmission on the reverse link.

5. The channel structure of claim 4, wherein the forward acknowledgment channel is configurable to transmit an acknowledgment or a negative acknowledgment for each transmitted data frame on the reverse supplemental channel.

6. The channel structure of claim 5, wherein the acknowledgment or negative acknowledgment for each transmitted data frame is transmitted a plurality of times on the forward acknowledgment channel.

7. The channel structure of claim 1, wherein the reverse control channel is configurable to transmit signaling used to assign and de-assign the reverse supplemental channel.

8. The channel structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a reverse rate indicator channel configurable to transmit on the reverse link information related to a packet data transmission on the reverse link.

9. A channel structure capable of supporting data transmission on a reverse link of a wireless communication system, comprising:

a reverse fundamental channel configurable to transmit data and signaling on the reverse link;

a reverse supplemental channel assignable and configurable to transmitted packet data on the reverse link;

a reverse control channel configurable to transmit signaling on the reverse link; and

a forward power control channel configurable to transmit first and second power control streams for the reverse link for a particular remote terminal, wherein

the first power control stream is used to control the transmit power of the reverse supplemental channel in combination with at least one other reverse link channel, and

the second power control stream is configured to control a transmit characteristic of a group of remote terminals.

10. The channel structure of claim 9, wherein the second power control stream is used to similarly control the transmit power or data rate of the group of remote terminals.

11. The channel structure of claim 9, wherein the second power control stream is used to enable and disable transmissions on reverse supplemental channels assigned to the group of remote terminals.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the processing includes;

retransmitting the data frame if the message indicates that the transmitted data frame was incorrectly received.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the processing includes;

discarding the data frame from the buffer if the message indicates that the transmitted data frame was correctly received.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the processing includes;

retaining the data frame in the buffer if the message is not properly detected.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

monitoring for a second transmission of the message;

wherein the processing of the data frame is based on one or more received messages for the data frame.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

combining the received messages for the data frame to provide a more reliable message.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying the transmitted data frame with a sequence number.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting the sequence number of the transmitted data frame via a signaling channel.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

identifying the transmitted data frame as either a first transmission or a retransmission.

12. A method for transmitting data on a reverse link of a wireless communication system, comprising:

transmitting a frame of data on the reverse link via a data channel;

temporarily retaining the data frame in a buffer;

monitoring for a message on a forward link indicating a received status of the transmitted data frame; and

processing the data frame based on the received message.

21. A method for transmitting data on a reverse link of a wireless communication system, comprising:

transmitting a frame of data on the reverse link via a data channel;

temporarily retaining the data frame in a buffer;

monitoring for a message on a forward link indicating a received status of the transmitted data frame;

retransmitting the data frame if the message indicates that the transmitted data frame was incorrectly received;

discarding the data frame from the buffer if the message indicates that the transmitted data frame was correctly received; and

retaining the data frame in the buffer if the message is not properly detected.

22. A method for controlling transmit power of a supplemental channel in a reverse link of a wireless communication system, comprising:

receiving a first power control stream for controlling the transmit power of the supplemental channel in combination with at least one other reverse link channel;

receiving a second power control stream for controlling a transmit characteristic of the supplemental channel; and

adjusting the transmit power and characteristic of the supplemental channel based on the first and second power control streams.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second power control stream controls the transmit power of the supplemental channel relative to that of a designated reverse link channel.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the second power control stream controls a data rate of the supplemental channel.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the second power control stream enables and disables transmission on the supplemental channel.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the transmit power of the supplemental channel is adjusted by a larger step in response to the second power control stream than for the first power control stream.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the second power control stream is assigned to a plurality of remote terminals.

28. The method of claim 28, wherein supplemental channels for the plurality of remote terminals are controlled in similar manner by the second power control stream.

30. The remote terminal of claim 29, wherein the receive data processor is further configurable to receive, on a forward acknowledgment channel, signaling indicative of received status of a packet data transmission on the reverse supplemental channel.

29. A remote terminal in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a transmit data processor configurable to process and transmit data and signaling on a reverse fundamental channel, packet data on an assigned reverse supplemental channel, signaling on a reverse control channel, and information related to a packet data transmission on a reverse indicator channel;

a receive data processor configurable to receive a plurality of power control streams on a forward power control channel; and

a controller operatively coupled to the transmit and receive data processors and configured to control one or more transmit characteristics of the reverse supplemental channel based on the plurality of power control streams.