Method and Apparatus for Processing Shared Sub-packets in a Communication System

• US 20070076713A1
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wei, Yongbin, Chen, Tao, Lundby, Stein, Odenwalder, Joseph, Tiedemann, Edward, Oses, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,787,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/70701 featuring pilot assisted reception
• 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: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

Method and Apparatus for Processing Shared Sub-packets in a Communication System are disclosed. A communication system providing both voice and data services allows for a plurality of subscriber station to share a data sent in a unit of a forward traffic channel. To provide information required by the subscriber stations to determine that a unit of the forward traffic channel is shared, and to correctly decode the data, different control channel structures are described. Additionally, the control channel structures provides for more efficient signaling of code channel assignment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing shared sub-packets in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a first control channel comprising an identity of at least one subscriber station and a number of second control channels; and

means for generating at least one second control channel comprising information enabling the at least one subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for generating at least one second control channel comprising information enabling the at least one subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel comprises:

means for generating at least one second control channel comprising a number of code channels encoding a unit of the traffic channel.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means for generating at least one second control channel comprising information enabling the at least one subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel comprises:

means for generating at least one second control channel comprising a number of sub-divisions and a starting sub-division of a unit of the traffic channel.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

means for transmitting the first control channel at a power required by a subscriber station with the worst forward link quality metric for which the first control channel is intended.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

means for transmitting the at least one second control channel at a power required by the at least one subscriber station for which the at least one second control channel is intended.

6. A method for processing shared sub-packets at a subscriber station, the method comprising:

demodulating a first control channel comprising an identity of at least one subscriber station and a number of control channels;

demodulating a second control channel comprising information enabling a subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel if the identity is identical to an identity of the subscriber station; and

demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said enabling information.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said demodulating a first control channel comprising identity of a subscriber station comprises:

demodulating a pre-determined control channel.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said demodulating a second control channel comprising information enabling a subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel if the identity is identical to an identity of the subscriber station comprises:

determining position of the identity within the received first control channel;

selecting a second control channel in accordance with said determined position; and

demodulating said selected second control channel.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said selecting a second control channel in accordance with said determined position comprises:

establishing a code encoding a second control channel in accordance with a relationship between said determined position and the code; and

demodulate the second control channel encoded by said established code.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said enabling information comprises:

determining a size of traffic channel unit and a number of code channels in accordance with the enabling information if the traffic channel unit is code multiplexed; and

demodulate the traffic channel unit.

11. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said acquired enabling information comprises:

determining a number of sub-divisions of traffic channel unit and a starting sub-division in accordance with the enabling information if the traffic channel unit is time multiplexed; and

demodulate the traffic channel unit.

12. A method for processing shared sub-packets in a communication system, the method comprising:

generating a first control channel comprising an identity of at least one subscriber station and a number of second control channels;

generating at least one second control channel comprising information enabling the at least one subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel;

transmitting the control channels;

demodulating the received first control channel;

determining an identity of at least one subscriber station and a number of second control channels in accordance with said demodulated first control channel;

demodulating a second control channel comprising information enabling a subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel if the identity is identical to an identity of the subscriber station; and

demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said enabling information.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said generating at least one second control channel comprising information enabling the at least one subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel comprises:

generating at least one second control channel comprising a number of code channels encoding a unit of the traffic channel.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said generating at least one second control channel comprising information enabling the at least one subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel comprises:

generating at least one second control channel comprising a number of sub-divisions and a starting sub-division of a unit of the traffic channel.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said transmitting the control channels comprises:

transmitting the first control channel at a power required by a subscriber station with the worst forward link quality metric for which the first control channel is intended.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one second control channel at a power required by the at least one subscriber station for which the at least one second control channel is intended.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said demodulating the received first control channel comprises:

demodulating a pre-determined control channel.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said demodulating a second control channel comprising information enabling a subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel if the identity is identical to an identity of the subscriber station comprises:

determining position of the identity within the received first control channel;

selecting a second control channel in accordance with said determined position; and

demodulating said selected second control channel.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said selecting a second control channel in accordance with said determined position comprises:

establishing a code encoding a second control channel in accordance with a relationship between said determined position and the code; and

demodulate the second control channel encoded by said established code.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said enabling information comprises:

determining a size of traffic channel unit and a number of code channels in accordance with the enabling information if the traffic channel unit is code multiplexed; and

demodulate the traffic channel unit.

21. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said acquired enabling information comprises:

determining a number of sub-divisions of traffic channel unit and a starting sub-division in accordance with the enabling information if the traffic channel unit is time multiplexed; and

demodulate the traffic channel unit.

22. An apparatus for processing shared sub-packets at a subscriber station, the apparatus comprising:

means for demodulating a first control channel comprising an identity of at least one subscriber station and a number of control channels;

means for demodulating a second control channel comprising information enabling a subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel if the identity is identical to an identity of the subscriber station; and

means for demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said enabling information.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said means for demodulating a first control channel comprising identity of a subscriber station comprises:

means for demodulating a pre-determined control channel.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said means for demodulating a second control channel comprising information enabling a subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel if the identity is identical to an identity of the subscriber station comprises:

means for determining position of the identity within the received first control channel;

means for selecting a second control channel in accordance with said determined position; and

means for demodulating said selected second control channel.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein said means for selecting a second control channel in accordance with said determined position comprises:

means for establishing a code encoding a second control channel in accordance with a relationship between said determined position and the code; and

means for demodulating the second control channel encoded by said established code.

26. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said means for demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said enabling information comprises:

means for determining a size of traffic channel unit and a number of code channels in accordance with the enabling information if the traffic channel unit is code multiplexed; and

means for demodulating the traffic channel unit.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said means for demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said acquired enabling information comprises:

Means for determining a number of sub-divisions of traffic channel unit and a starting sub-division in accordance with the enabling information if the traffic channel unit is time multiplexed; and

means for demodulating the traffic channel unit.

28. A apparatus for processing shared sub-packets in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

means for generating a first control channel comprising an identity of at least one subscriber station and a number of second control channels;

means for generating at least one second control channel comprising information enabling the at least one subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel;

means for transmitting the control channels;

means for demodulating the received first control channel;

means for determining an identity of at least one subscriber station and a number of second control channels in accordance with said demodulated first control channel;

means for demodulating a second control channel comprising information enabling a subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel if the identity is identical to an identity of the subscriber station; and

means for demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said enabling information.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said means for generating at least one second control channel comprising information enabling the at least one subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel comprises:

means for generating at least one second control channel comprising a number of code channels encoding a unit of the traffic channel.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said means for generating at least one second control channel comprising information enabling the at least one subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel comprises:

means for generating at least one second control channel comprising a number of sub-divisions and a starting sub-division of a unit of the traffic channel.

31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said means for transmitting the control channels comprises:

means for transmitting the first control channel at a power required by a subscriber station with the worst forward link quality metric for which the first control channel is intended.

32. The apparatus as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

means for transmitting the at least one second control channel at a power required by the at least one subscriber station for which the at least one second control channel is intended.

33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said means for demodulating the received first control channel comprises:

means for demodulating a pre-determined control channel.

34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said means for demodulating a second control channel comprising information enabling a subscriber station to demodulate a traffic channel if the identity is identical to an identity of the subscriber station comprises:

means for determining position of the identity within the received first control channel;

means for selecting a second control channel in accordance with said determined position; and

means for demodulating said selected second control channel.

35. The apparatus as claimed in claim 34, wherein said means for selecting a second control channel in accordance with said determined position comprises:

means for establishing a code encoding a second control channel in accordance with a relationship between said determined position and the code; and

means for demodulating the second control channel encoded by said established code.

36. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said means for demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said enabling information comprises:

means for determining a size of traffic channel unit and a number of code channels in accordance with the enabling information if the traffic channel unit is code multiplexed; and

means for demodulating the traffic channel unit.

37. The apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein said means for demodulating the traffic channel in accordance with said acquired enabling information comprises:

means for determining a number of sub-divisions of traffic channel unit and a starting sub-division in accordance with the enabling information if the traffic channel unit is time multiplexed; and

means for demodulating the traffic channel unit.