Data rate methods and apparatus

• US 20060203765A1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Laroia, Rajiv, Li, Junyi, Jin, Hui, Richardson, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate

Abstract

A wireless terminal receives an uplink traffic channel segment assignment including a maximum uplink rate option indicator. Each uplink rate option corresponds to a number of information bits, coding rate and modulation method. The maximum rate option indicator indicates the highest rate option that the wireless terminal is permitted to use when transmitting in the assigned traffic channel segment from the perspective of the base station. In some embodiments, the wireless terminal uses interference measurements to further quality, e.g., conditionally reduce, the maximum uplink rate option that may be used. Then, the wireless terminal selects an uplink rate option to use which is less than the determined allowed maximum uplink rate option, e.g., based on the amount of user data to communicate. The wireless terminal transmits data in the assigned uplink traffic channel segment in accordance with the wireless terminal selected uplink rate.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless terminal comprising:

receiving an uplink traffic channel segment assignment of a corresponding uplink traffic channel segment to said wireless terminal and a maximum uplink rate option indicator, said maximum uplink rate option indicator including a value which can be used to determine an indicated maximum uplirk rate option; and

transmitting data in the assigned uplink traffic channel segment in accordance with one of a plurality of rate options corresponding to said indicated maximum uplink rate option.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the indicated maximum uplink rate option from said value included in said maximum uplink rate option indicator and additional information known to said wireless terminal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said additional information is information indicating whether the maximum uplink rate option indicator was received in a first or second assignment channel.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said additional information further includes, when said maximum uplink rate option indicator was received in the second assignment channel, signal interference information.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the one of the plurality of rate options from a plurality of predetermined rate options corresponding to said indicated maximum uplink rate option, prior to performing said transmitting step.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

storing information indicating a mapping between each of said plurality of rate options and an encoding method, at least two of the plurality of rate options corresponding to coding different numbers of information bits in the assigned segment.

7. The method claim 5, further comprising:

storing information between each of said plurality of rate options and a modulation method.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least two of said plurality of rate options corresponds to different modulation methods.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said different modulation methods include QPSK and QAM16.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving additional traffic channel segment assignments from a base station indicating assignments of additional traffic channel segments to said wireless terminal, each of said additional traffic channel segment assignments include a maximum uplink rate option indicator, said base station being the same base station which transmitted said uplink traffic channel segment assignment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one of said additional traffic channel segment assignments includes a maximum uplink rate option indicator that corresponds to a single predetermined uplink rate option.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting in a traffic channel segment corresponding to said at least one of said additional traffic channel segment assignments in accordance with the single predetermined rate option.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said single predetermined rate option corresponds to the lowest traffic channel uplink data rate option which can be indicated by the maximum uplink rate option indicator.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing modulation information indicating that QPSK modulation should be used when transmitting data in a traffic channel for which use of the lowest rate option is indicated.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein at least 8 different maximum rate options can be indicated.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said maximum rate option indicator is a 3 bit indicator and wherein said wireless terminal includes information associating each of the 8 values which can be indicated with information indicating different numbers of information bits to be coded into the segment.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the maximum rate indicator option is communicated as part of an OFDM signal.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum rate indicator option is communicated in the received signal using fewer bits than the number of bits required to signal to uniquely identify each of the selectable uplink rate options.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum uplink rate option indicator includes one bit if it was communicated using a first signaling method and 3 bits if it is communicated using a second signaling method.

20. A wireless terminal comprising:

a receiver for receiving an uplink traffic channel segment assignment of a corresponding uplink traffic channel segment to said wireless terminal and a maximum uplink rate option indicator, said maximum uplink rate option indicator including a value which can be used to determine an indicated maximum uplink rate option; and

a transmitter for transmitting data in the assigned uplink traffic channel segment in accordance with one of a plurality of rate options corresponding to said indicated maximum uplink rate option.

21. The wireless terminal of claim 20, further comprising:

a determination module, coupled to said receiver, for determining the indicated maximum uplink rate option from said value included in said maximum uplink rate option indicator and additional information known to said wireless terminal.

22. The wireless terminal of claim 21, further comprising:

a data storage device for storing said additional information, said additional information indicating whether the maximum uplink rate option indicator was received in a first or second assignment channel.

23. The wireless terminal of claim 22, wherein said data storage device further includes stored signal interference information when said maximum uplink rate option indicator was received in the second assignment channel.

24. The wireless terminal of claim 20, further comprising:

a selection module for selecting the one of the plurality of rate options from a plurality of predetermined rate options corresponding to said indicated maximum uplink rate option, prior to transmitting data in the assigned uplink traffic channel segment in accordance with the one of a plurality of rate options.

25. The wireless terminal of claim 24, further comprising:

stored information indicating a mapping between each of said plurality of rate options and an encoding method, at least two of the plurality of rate options corresponding to coding different numbers of information bits in the assigned segment.

26. The wireless terminal of claim 24, further comprising:

additional stored information indicating a correspondence between each of said plurality of rate options and a modulation method.

27. The wireless of claim 26, wherein at least two of said plurality of rate options corresponds to different modulation methods.

28. The wireless terminal of claim 27, wherein said different modulation methods include QPSK and QAM16.

29. The wireless terminal of claim 24, further comprising:

said receiver including means for processing additional received traffic channel segment assignments from a base station indicating assignments of additional traffic channel segments to said wireless terminal, each of said additional traffic channel segment assignments including within the segment assignment a maximum uplink rate option indicator, said base station being the same base station which transmitted said uplink traffic channel segment assignment.

30. The wireless terminal of claim 29, wherein at least one of said additional traffic channel segment assignments includes a maximum uplink rate option indicator that corresponds to a single predetermined uplink rate option.

31. The wireless terminal of claim 30, wherein said transmitter includes:

means for transmitting in a traffic channel segment corresponding to said at least one of said additional traffic channel segment assignments in accordance with the single predetermined rate option.

32. The wireless terminal of claim 31, wherein said single predetermined rate option corresponds to the lowest traffic channel uplink data rate option which can be indicated by the maximum uplink rate option indicator.

33. The wireless terminal of claim 32, further comprising:

stored modulation information indicating that QPSK modulation should be used when transmitting data in a traffic channel for which use of the lowest rate option is indicated.

34. The wireless terminal of claim 29, wherein at least 8 different maximum rate options can be indicated, said receive including:

means for determining the indicated maximum rate option.

35. The wireless terminal of claim 34, wherein said maximum rate option indicator is a 3 bit indicator and wherein said wireless terminal further includes:

stored information associating each of the 8 values which can be indicated with information indicating different numbers of information bits to be coded into the segment.

36. The wireless terminal of claim 35, wherein the maximum rate indicator option is communicated as part of an OFDM signal.

37. The wireless terminal of claim 20, wherein the maximum rate indicator option is communicated in the received signal using fewer bits than the number of bits required to signal to uniquely identify each of the selectable uplink rate options.

38. The wireless terminal of claim 20, wherein the maximum uplink rate option indicator includes one bit if it was communicated using a first signaling method and 3 bits if it is communicated using a second signaling method.