Coordinating uplink control channel gating with channel quality indicator reporting

• US 20070030828A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vimpari, Anna-Mari, Ranta-Aho, Karri, Malkamaki, Esa, Nauha, Jukka
• Granted Patent: US 7,948,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• 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

Abstract

The specification and drawings present a new method, system, apparatus and software product for coordinating gating of an uplink (UL) control channel, e.g., a dedicated physical control channel (DPCCH), with UL reporting in regard to a downlink channel using, e.g., high speed uplink packet access (HSDPA) channel quality indicator (CQI) reporting.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

scheduling a report signal comprising reporting information on a downlink channel and a discontinuous control signal for an uplink control channel by coordinating a timing relationship between said report signal and said discontinuous control signal using a predetermined criterion; and

transmitting said report signal and said discontinuous control signal to a network element by a user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said scheduling of said discontinuous control signal for said uplink control channel depends on timing of said report signal using said predetermined criterion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein timing of said report signal depends on said scheduling of said discontinuous control signal for said uplink control channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said network element is a Node B and said network element and said user equipment are configured for wireless communications.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said report signal is transmitted on a high speed dedicated physical control channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said reporting information in said report signal comprises channel quality indicator reporting information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said report signal comprising said channel quality indicator reporting information is scheduled and provided by the user equipment based on a high speed downlink shared channel signal received by said user equipment from said network element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, during said scheduling, a reporting period of said report signal is changed by a preselected value after a preselected time period of a downlink inactivity and after a downlink activity is started, said reporting period is changed to its initial value, wherein said initial value is a minimum value of said reporting period.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, during said scheduling, said reporting period of said report signal is increased by a preselected value after every said preselected time period of said downlink inactivity, wherein said reporting period cannot exceed a preselected maximum value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, during said scheduling, said reporting period of said report signal is increased to a preselected maximum value after said preselected time period of said downlink inactivity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein, during said scheduling, a reporting period of said report signal is an average, a minimum or a maximum allowed CQI period in a randomized uplink transmission pattern.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein time instants of said discontinuous control signal are the same as the time instants of said report signal.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a gating period of said discontinuous control signal is equal to a minimum value of a reporting period of said report signal.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said discontinuous control signal is excluded in time slots immediately following said report signal or preselected number of time slots after said report signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a gating period of said discontinuous control signal is equal to a minimum value of a reporting period of said report signal.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said uplink control channel is an uplink dedicated physical control channel.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said scheduling of said discontinuous control signal depends on timing of data transmitted on an uplink data channel using a further predetermined criterion.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said scheduling using said coordinating is provided by at least one of:

a) said network element, and

b) said user equipment.

19. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage structure embodying computer program code thereon for execution by a computer processor with said computer program code, wherein said computer program code comprises instructions for performing the method of claim 1, indicated as being performed by any component or a combination of components of said user equipment or said network element.

20. A user equipment, comprising:

an uplink scheduling and signal generating module, for generating a report signal comprising reporting information regarding a downlink channel, for generating a discontinuous control signal for an uplink control channel, wherein scheduling of said report signal and said discontinuous control signal is provided by coordinating a timing relationship between said report signal and said discontinuous control signal using a predetermined criterion; and

a receiving/transmitting/processing module, for transmitting said report signal and said discontinuous control signal to a network element.

21. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein the uplink scheduling and signal generating module is configured to provide said scheduling using said coordinating of at least one of:

said discontinuous control signal and said report signal.

22. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein said scheduling using said coordinating is provided by at least one of:

a) said network element, and

b) the uplink scheduling and signal generating module.

23. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein said uplink control channel is an uplink dedicated physical control channel.

24. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein said scheduling of said discontinuous control signal depends on timing of data transmitted on an uplink data channel using a further predetermined criterion.

25. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein said user equipment is configured for wireless communications.

26. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein said scheduling of said discontinuous control signal for said uplink control channel depends on timing of said report signal using said predetermined criterion.

27. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein timing of said report signal depends on said scheduling of said discontinuous control signal for said uplink control channel.

28. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein said reporting information in said report signal comprises channel quality indicator reporting information.

29. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein, during said scheduling, a reporting period of said report signal is changed by a preselected value after a preselected time period of a downlink inactivity and after a downlink activity is started, said reporting period is changed to its initial value, wherein said initial value is a minimum value of said reporting period.

30. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein, during said scheduling, said reporting period of said report signal is increased by a preselected value after every said preselected time period of said downlink inactivity, wherein said reporting period cannot exceed a preselected maximum value.

31. The user equipment of claim 20, wherein an integrated circuit comprises the uplink scheduling and signal generating module and the receiving/transmitting/processing module.

32. A user equipment, comprising:

means for signal generation, for generating a report signal comprising reporting information regarding a downlink channel, for generating a discontinuous control signal for an uplink control channel, wherein scheduling of said report signal and said discontinuous control signal is provided by coordinating a timing relationship between said report signal and said discontinuous control signal using a predetermined criterion; and

means for receiving and transmitting, for transmitting said report signal and said discontinuous control signal to a network element.

33. The user equipment of claim 32, wherein the means for signal generation is configured to provide said scheduling.

34. A network element, comprising:

a scheduling and generating module, for generating a downlink data signal;

a transmitter block, for providing said downlink data signal to a user equipment; and

a receiving block, for receiving a report signal comprising reporting information regarding a downlink channel transmitting said downlink data signal and a discontinuous control signal, wherein scheduling of said report signal and said discontinuous control signal is provided by coordinating a timing relationship between said report signal and said discontinuous control signal using a predetermined criterion.

35. The network element of claim 34, wherein the scheduling and generating module is configured to provide said scheduling using said coordinating of at least one of:

said discontinuous control signal, and said report signal.

36. A communication system, comprising:

a network element, for providing a downlink data signal; and

a user equipment, for generating and transmitting to said network element a report signal which comprises reporting information regarding a downlink channel transmitting said downlink data signal and a discontinuous control signal for an uplink control channel, wherein scheduling of said report signal and said discontinuous control signal is provided by coordinating a timing relationship between said report signal and said discontinuous control signal using a predetermined criterion.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein said scheduling of said discontinuous control signal for said uplink control channel depends on timing of said report signal using said predetermined criterion.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein timing of said report signal depends on said scheduling of said discontinuous control signal for said uplink control channel.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein said reporting information in said report signal comprises channel quality indicator reporting information.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein said scheduling using said coordinating is provided by at least one of:

a) said network element, and

b) said user equipment.