Method and apparatus for overhead reduction in an enhanced uplink in a wireless communication system

• US 20050276249A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Malladi, Durga Prasad, Damnjanovic, Jelena
• Granted Patent: US 8,351,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1841 Resequencing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided in a synchronous wireless communication system 100 which enable data to be transmitted between wireless mobile user equipment 110 and base stations 120 without identifying information embedded in the packets 401, thus reducing the transmission overhead. Packets are reordered at base stations 120 based upon a prearranged transmission scheme in which a retransmission for a failed packet is expected in the corresponding HARQ instance of the next group.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless communication system, comprising:

forming data into an identityless packet for transmission; and

transmitting the identityless packet, wherein the identityless packet is transmitted in accordance with a prearranged transmission scheme allowing the identityless packet to be identified upon receipt based upon an instance during which the identityless packet was transmitted.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a NACK indicating that the transmission of the identityless packet failed.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending an identityless retransmission of the data if an initial transmission of the data fails;

wherein in accordance with the prearranged transmission scheme the retransmission is sent a predefined number of instances following the initial transmission.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless communication system is a synchronous system.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the instance during which the identityless packet was transmitted is one of a plurality of instances, the plurality of instances being arranged in groups, each of the groups including the predefined number of the instances;

and

wherein a relative position of the initial transmission within a first group of instances corresponds to a relative position of the retransmission within a second group of instances.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication system conforms to WCDMA protocols and comprises a Node-B;

wherein user equipment transmits the identityless packet of the data to the Node-B; and

wherein the Node-B transmits the NACK.

7. A wireless communication system comprising:

an encoder configured to encode data into an identityless packet;

transmission circuitry configured to send an initial transmission of the identityless packet;

receiver circuitry configured to receive signals comprising a NACK associated with the initial transmission; and

a processor including logic organized to control sending a retransmission of the data in response to receiving the NACK;

wherein the retransmission is sent in accordance with a prearranged transmission scheme.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein according to the prearranged transmission scheme the retransmission is sent a predetermined number of instances following the initial transmission.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 7,

wherein the wireless communication system conforms to WCDMA protocols and comprises a Node-B which transmits the NACK;

and

wherein the wireless communication system comprises wireless equipment which comprises the transmission circuitry which sends the initial transmission of the identityless packet.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 7,

wherein the wireless communication system is a synchronous system.

11. A method of operating in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving an identityless initial transmission of a data packet wirelessly transmitted via the wireless communication system;

identifying the initial transmission based upon an instance during which the initial transmission was received in view of a prearranged transmission scheme;

performing an error check to determine whether the initial transmission is corrupted; and

appending packet identification information to the data packet upon determining that the initial transmission is not corrupted.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the packet identification information is appended at a base station and represents an E-DCH frame number of the initial transmission;

and

wherein the wireless communication system is a synchronous system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending the data packet to which is appended the packet identification information upstream to a radio network controller.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sending a NACK upon determining that the initial transmission is corrupted;

receiving, in response to the NACK, an identityless retransmission of the data transmitted in the initial transmission; and

associating the retransmission with the initial transmission based upon an instance during which the retransmission was received in view of the prearranged transmission scheme.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the instance is one of a plurality of instances arranged in groups, each of the groups including a predefined number of the instances;

and

wherein a relative position of the initial transmission within a first group of instances corresponds to the relative position of the retransmission within a second group of instances.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the identityless initial transmission of the data packet is received at a base station;

and

wherein the wireless communication system conforms to WCDMA protocols.

17. A wireless communication system comprising:

receiver circuitry configured to wirelessly receive an identityless initial transmission packet;

a decoder configured to decode the initial transmission received by the receiver circuitry;

transmission circuitry configured to send signals comprising a NACK associated with the initial transmission upon the initial transmission being corrupted; and

a processor including logic organized to recognize a retransmission as being associated with the initial transmission based upon the retransmission being received a predetermined number of instances following the initial transmission.

18. The wireless communication system of claim 17,

wherein the wireless communication system conforms to WCDMA protocols and comprises a base station which includes the receiver circuitry that is configured to receive the identityless initial transmission packet.

19. The wireless communication system of claim 18, wherein the base station is a Node-B configured to append packet identification information to the initial transmission representing an E-DCH frame number of the initial transmission upon the initial transmission being error free;

and

wherein the wireless communication system is a synchronous system.

20. A mobile station configured to operate in a wireless communication system, the mobile station, comprising:

means for encoding data into an identityless packet;

means for transmitting an initial transmission of the identityless packet;

means for receiving signals comprising a NACK associated with the initial transmission; and

processor means for controlling a retransmission of the data in response to receiving the NACK;

wherein the retransmission is sent a predetermined number of instances following the initial transmission to allow the retransmission to be associated with the initial transmission.