Method and apparatus for high rate packet data transmission

• US 20070066320A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sindhushayana, Nagabhushana, Padovani, Roberto, Hinderling, Jurg, Black, Peter, Wheatley, Charles, Bender, Paul, Grob, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/264 for data rate control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1829 Arrangements specially adapted for the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

In a data communication system capable of variable rate transmission, high rate packet data transmission improves utilization of the forward link and decreases the transmission delay. Data transmission on the forward link is time multiplexed and the base station transmits at the highest data rate supported by the forward link at each time slot to one mobile station. The data rate is determined by the largest C/I measurement of the forward link signals as measured at the mobile station. Upon determination of a data packet received in error, the mobile station transmits a NACK message back to the base station. The NACK message results in retransmission of the data packet received in error. The data packets can be transmitted out of sequence by the use of sequence number to identify each data unit within the data packets.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a wireless communication system, comprising:

means for measuring channel quality of a link in the communication system;

means for periodically transmitting a quality indicator, wherein the quality indicator maps to a transmission data rate; and

means for receiving data as a function of the quality indicator.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the means for measuring channel quality of the link comprises:

means for periodically measuring Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) of the link to determine a data rate.

3. The apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the means for periodically measuring C/I comprises:

means for measuring Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) at every time slot for the link to determine a data rate.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein means for measuring channel quality comprises:

means for continuously measuring Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) of the link to determine a data rate.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein means for measuring channel quality of the link comprises:

means for measuring channel quality for each link associated with a member of an Active Set of at least one transmitter.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein means for measuring the channel quality of the link comprises:

means for measuring channel quality for a subset of links associated with members of an Active Set of at least one transmitter.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein means for measuring channel quality comprises:

means for measuring channel quality of the link when a packet is absent.

8. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein means for measuring channel quality of the link comprises:

periodically measuring Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) of the link to determine a data rate, wherein the data rate corresponds to a quality indicator.

9. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of future transmission activity messages, each message corresponding to at least one transmitter; and

means for determining the quality indicator based on measuring channel quality and using the received messages.

10. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the future transmission activity message indicates when transmission will occur at a next half frame.

11. The method as in claim 9, wherein the future transmission activity messages broadcast interference activity information.

12. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein determining the quality indicator comprises computing a Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) ratio for the link.

13. The apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the C/I is computed in accordance with:

14. The apparatus as in any of claims 9 to 13, wherein the future transmission activity message is a bit, wherein a bit level of logical one indicates a scheduled transmission, and a bit level of logical zero indicates no scheduled transmission.

15. The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the bit is transmitted during a first time period, and indicates a transmission activity occurring during a second time period subsequent to the first time period.

16. The apparatus as in any of claims 9 to 15, wherein the future transmission activity message is transmitted during successive time slots.

17. The apparatus as in any of claims 1 to 16, wherein the apparatus is a computer program product to increase data throughput and efficiency when coupled to a computing device.

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

measuring channel quality of a link in the communication system;

periodically transmitting a quality indicator, wherein the quality indicator maps to a transmission data rate; and

receiving data as a function of the quality indicator.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein measuring channel quality of the link comprises:

periodically measuring Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) of the link to determine a data rate.

20. The method as in claim 19, wherein periodically measuring C/I comprises:

at every time slot measuring Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) of the link to determine a data rate.

21. The method as in claim 18, wherein measuring channel quality comprises:

continuously measuring Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) of the link to determine a data rate.

22. The method as in claim 18, wherein measuring channel quality of the link comprises:

measuring channel quality for each link associated with a member of an Active Set of at least one transmitter.

23. The method as in claim 18, wherein measuring the channel quality of the link comprises:

measuring channel quality for a subset of links associated with members of an Active Set of at least one transmitter.

24. The method as in claim 18, wherein measuring channel quality comprises:

measuring channel quality of the link when a packet is absent.

25. The method as in claim 18, wherein measuring channel quality of the link comprises:

periodically measuring Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) of the link to determine a data rate, wherein the data rate corresponds to a quality indicator.

26. The method as in claim 18, wherein periodically transmitting the quality indicator comprises:

transmitting the quality indicator with a period of less than 2 ms.

27. The method as in claim 18, wherein transmitting the quality indicator comprises:

transmitting the quality indicator by use an absolute reference and a relative reference.

28. The method as in claim 18, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of future transmission activity messages, each message corresponding to at least one transmitter; and

determining the quality indicator based on measuring channel quality and using the received messages.

29. The method as in claim 28, wherein the future transmission activity messages broadcast interference activity information.

30. The method as in claim 28, wherein determining the quality indicator comprises computing a Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) ratio for the link.

31. The method as in claim 30, wherein the C/I is computed in accordance with:

32. The method as in any of claims 27 to 31, wherein the future transmission activity message is a bit, wherein a bit level of logical one indicates a scheduled transmission, and a bit level of logical zero indicates no scheduled transmission.

33. The method as in claim 32, wherein the bit is transmitted during a first time period, and indicates a transmission activity occurring during a second time period subsequent to the first time period.

34. The method as in any of claims 27 to 33, wherein the future transmission activity message is transmitted during successive time slots.

42. The apparatus as in claim 34, further comprising:

means for transmitting the bit during a first time period to indicate a transmission activity occurring during a second time period subsequent to the first time period.

35. An apparatus for a wireless communication system, comprising:

means for periodically receiving a quality indicator, wherein the quality indicator maps to a transmission data rate; and

means for transmitting data as a function of the quality indicator.

36. The apparatus as in claim 35, wherein the quality indicator is a function of Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) of the link.

37. The apparatus as in claim 35, wherein means for periodically receiving the quality indicator comprises:

means for receiving the quality indicator with a period of less than 2 ms.

38. The apparatus as in claim 35, further comprising:

means for transmitting future transmission activity messages.

39. The apparatus as in claim 37, wherein the future transmission activity message indicates when transmission will occur at a next half frame.

40. The apparatus as in claim 37, wherein the future transmission activity messages broadcast interference activity information to receivers.

41. The apparatus as in any of claims 38 to 40, wherein the future transmission activity message is a bit, wherein a bit level of logical one indicates a scheduled transmission, and a bit level of logical zero indicates no scheduled transmission.

43. The apparatus as in any of claims 38 to 42, further comprising:

means for transmitting the future transmission activity message during successive time slots.

44. The apparatus as in claim 35, wherein means for transmitting data comprises:

means for transmitting data as a function of the quality indictor based on knowledge of the presence or absence of data transmissions.

45. The apparatus as in claim 35, further comprising:

means for scheduling by transmitting data as a function of the quality indictor based on knowledge of the presence or absence of data transmissions

46. The apparatus as in any of claims 35 to 45, wherein the apparatus is a computer program product to increase data throughput and efficiency when coupled to a computing device.

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

periodically receiving a quality indicator, wherein the quality indicator maps to a transmission data rate; and

transmitting data as a function of the quality indicator.

48. The method as in claim 47, wherein the quality indicator is a function of Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) of the link.

49. The method as in claim 47, wherein periodically receiving the quality indicator comprises:

receiving the quality indicator with a period of less than 2 ms.

50. The method as in claim 47, further comprising:

transmitting future transmission activity messages.

51. The method as in claim 50, wherein the future transmission activity message indicates when transmission will occur at a next half frame.

52. The method as in claim 50, wherein the future transmission activity messages broadcast interference activity information to receivers.

53. The method as in any of claims 50 to 52, wherein the future transmission activity message is a bit, wherein a bit level of logical one indicates a scheduled transmission, and a bit level of logical zero indicates no scheduled transmission.

54. The method as in claim 53, further comprising:

transmitting the bit during a first time period to indicate a transmission activity occurring during a second time period subsequent to the first time period.

55. The method as in any of claims 50 to 54, further comprising transmitting the future transmission activity message during successive time slots.

56. The method as in claim 47, wherein transmitting data comprises:

transmitting data as a function of the quality indictor based on knowledge of the presence or absence of data transmissions.

57. A computer program product for a wireless communication system, comprising:

first plurality of instructions for measuring channel quality of a link in the communication system;

second plurality of instructions for periodically transmitting a quality indicator, wherein the quality indicator maps to a transmission data rate; and

third plurality of instructions for receiving data as a function of the quality indicator.

58. A computer program product for a wireless communication system, comprising:

first plurality of instructions for periodically receiving a quality indicator, wherein the quality indicator maps to a transmission data rate; and

second plurality of instructions for transmitting data as a function of the quality indicator.