Puncturing signaling channel for a wireless communication system

• US 20070097927A1
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gorokhov, Alexei, Dong, Min
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7103 the interference being multiple access interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/001 applied to control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0016 Time-frequency-code
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated

Abstract

A signaling channel that punctures traffic channels is used to send signaling, e.g., acknowledgments (ACKs). To send signaling, resources for the signaling channel are determined, e.g., based on a frequency hopping pattern. Signaling is spread with a spreading code (e.g., a Walsh code) to generate spread signaling, which is mapped to the resources for the signaling channel. Each resource may be partitioned into multiple clusters. A signaling message may be mapped to different clusters to achieve diversity. Traffic data may also be mapped to other resources for a traffic channel assigned for use. Traffic data mapped to the other resources for the signaling channel is punctured. The mapped signaling and traffic data are further processed (e.g., for OFDM or SC-FDMA) and transmitted.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to map signaling to resources for a signaling channel that puncture traffic channels; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signaling comprises acknowledgments for received data transmissions.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to spread the signaling with a spreading code, and to map the spread signaling to the resources for the signaling channel.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the spreading code is derived from a Hadamard matrix or a Fourier matrix.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to map a signaling message to resources comprising multiple time-frequency segments.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the signaling message observes interference from a different set of transmitters in each of the multiple time-frequency segments.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the multiple time-frequency segments cover different frequency subcarriers.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resources comprise time-frequency segment that each comprise multiple clusters, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to map a signaling message to a cluster in each of multiple time-frequency segments.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is configured to map the signaling message to clusters covering different time intervals in the multiple time-frequency segments.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the resources for the signaling channel based on a frequency hopping pattern.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to map the resources for the signaling channel in a pseudo-random with respect to the traffic channels.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signaling channel equally punctures the traffic channels.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the traffic channels are defined by a channel tree, and wherein each node in the channel tree is associated with specific resources in the signaling channel.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each traffic channel is associated with a specific spreading code and specific resources in the signaling channel.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to map data to resources for a traffic channel, and to puncture data mapped to the resources for the signaling channel.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the resources comprise time-frequency segments, wherein a time-frequency segment punctures a portion of a time-frequency block, and wherein data is mapped to remaining portion of the time-frequency block.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols carrying the mapped signaling.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) symbols carrying the mapped signaling.

19. A method comprising:

generating signaling for transmission via a communication channel; and

mapping the signaling to resources for a signaling channel that punctures traffic channels.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

spreading the signaling with a spreading code, and wherein the spread signaling is mapped to the resources for the signaling channel.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein mapping the signaling to the resources comprises

mapping a signaling message to multiple time-frequency segments.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

mapping data other resources to time-frequency blocks for a traffic channel; and

puncturing data with resources comprising time-frequency segments for the signaling channel.

23. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating signaling for transmission via a communication channel; and

means for mapping the signaling to resources for a signaling channel that punctures traffic channels.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for spreading the signaling with a spreading code, and wherein the spread signaling is mapped to the resources for the signaling channel.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for mapping the signaling to the resources for the signaling channel comprises

means for mapping a signaling message to resources comprising multiple time-frequency segments.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for mapping data to time-frequency blocks for a traffic channel; and

means for puncturing data mapped to the time-frequency segments for the signaling channel.

27. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to extract received symbols from resources for a signaling channel that punctures traffic channels, and to process the extracted received symbols to recover signaling sent on the signaling channel; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is configured to despread the extracted received symbols with a spreading code to obtain despread symbols, and to perform detection on the despread symbols to recover the signaling sent on the signaling channel.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the at least one processor is configured to despread the extracted received symbols with at least one spreading code not used for signaling to obtain interference estimates.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is configured to despread the extracted received symbols with a spreading code to obtain despread symbols, to despread the extracted received symbols with at least one spreading code not used for signaling to obtain interference estimates, and to perform detection on the despread symbols with the interference estimates to recover the signaling sent on the signaling channel.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein each time-frequency segment comprises multiple clusters, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to extract received symbols from a cluster in resources comprising multiple time-frequency segments, to despread the extracted received symbols for each of the multiple time-frequency segments with a spreading code to obtain a despread symbol for the time-frequency segment, and to combine despread symbols for the multiple time-frequency segments to recover a signaling message.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is configured to extract received symbols from resources comprising time-frequency blocks for a traffic channel, to puncture received symbols extracted from the time-frequency segments for the signaling channel, and to process unpunctured received symbols to obtain decoded data for the traffic channel.

33. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is configured to assign spreading codes to terminals for sending signaling on the signaling channel, and wherein at least one spreading code is reserved for interference estimation.

34. A method comprising:

extracting received symbols from time-frequency segments for a signaling channel that punctures traffic channels; and

processing the extracted received symbols to recover signaling sent on the signaling channel.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the processing the extracted received symbols comprises

despreading the extracted received symbols with a spreading code to obtain despread symbols, and

performing detection on the despread symbols to recover the signaling sent on the signaling channel.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the processing the extracted received symbols comprises

despreading the extracted received symbols with a spreading code to obtain despread symbols,

despreading the extracted received symbols with at least one spreading code not used for signaling to obtain interference estimates, and

performing detection on the despread symbols with the interference estimates to recover the signaling sent on the signaling channel.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

extracting received symbols from resources comprising time-frequency blocks for a traffic channel,

puncturing received symbols extracted from resources comprising time-frequency segments for the signaling channel, and

processing unpunctured received symbols to obtain decoded data for the traffic channel.

38. An apparatus comprising:

means for extracting received symbols from resources comprising for a signaling channel that punctures traffic channels; and

means for processing the extracted received symbols to recover signaling sent on the signaling channel.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the means for processing the extracted received symbols comprises

means for despreading the extracted received symbols with a spreading code to obtain despread symbols, and

means for performing detection on the despread symbols to recover the signaling sent on the signaling channel.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the means for processing the extracted received symbols comprises

means for despreading the extracted received symbols with a spreading code to obtain despread symbols,

means for despreading the extracted received symbols with at least one spreading code not used for signaling to obtain interference estimates, and

means for performing detection on the despread symbols with the interference estimates to recover the signaling sent on the signaling channel.

41. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising:

means for extracting received symbols from resources comprising for a traffic channel,

means for puncturing received symbols extracted from the resources comprising for the signaling channel, and

means for processing unpunctured received symbols to obtain decoded data for the traffic channel.