Methods and apparatus for reporting and/or using control information
First Claim
1. A method of operating a wireless terminal to communicate control information reports, the method comprising:
- operating the wireless terminal in a first mode of operation in which the wireless terminal communicates a first type of report using a first reporting format, reports generated in accordance with said first reporting format communicating a signal-to-noise-ratio value; and
operating the wireless terminal in a second mode of operation in which the wireless terminal communicates the first type of report using a second reporting format, said second reporting format being different than said first reporting format, reports generated in accordance with said second reporting format communicating both a signal-to-noise ratio value and a preferred link indicator value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless communications system supports wireless connections between base station sector attachment points and wireless terminals. Individual wireless connections correspond to one of a downlink-macrodiversity mode of operation and a downlink non-macrodiversity mode of operation. A wireless terminal has, for each of its current connections, a base station assigned dedicated control channel for communicating uplink control information reports. The uplink control information reports include downlink signal-to-noise ratio reports based on measured received pilot channel signals. If a connection corresponds to a macrodiversity mode of operation, a reporting format for the SNR report is used which reports (i) an SNR value and (ii) an indication as to whether or not the connection is considered a preferred connection by the wireless terminal. If a connection corresponds to a non-macrodiversity mode of operation, a reporting format for the SNR report is used which reports an SNR value.
147 Citations
106 Claims
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1. A method of operating a wireless terminal to communicate control information reports, the method comprising:
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operating the wireless terminal in a first mode of operation in which the wireless terminal communicates a first type of report using a first reporting format, reports generated in accordance with said first reporting format communicating a signal-to-noise-ratio value; and operating the wireless terminal in a second mode of operation in which the wireless terminal communicates the first type of report using a second reporting format, said second reporting format being different than said first reporting format, reports generated in accordance with said second reporting format communicating both a signal-to-noise ratio value and a preferred link indicator value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A wireless terminal comprising:
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a mode control module for controlling the wireless terminal to operate in first and second modes of operation; a control report generation module responsive to the control module, for generating in the first mode of operation a first type of report using a first reporting format, said first reporting format communicating a signal-to-noise-ratio value, and for generating when in the second mode of operation a first type of report using a second reporting format, said second reporting format being different than said first reporting format, said second reporting format communicating both a signal-to-noise ratio value and a preferred link indicator value in a report; and a transmitter for transmitting generated first type reports. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A wireless terminal comprising:
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means for controlling the wireless terminal to operate in first and second modes of operation; means for generating control information reports in accordance with the controlled mode of operation, for generating when in the first mode of operation a first type of report using a first reporting format, said first reporting format communicating a signal-to-noise-ratio value, and for generating when in the second mode of operation a first type of report using a second reporting format, said second reporting format being different than said first reporting format, said second reporting format communicating both a signal-to-noise ratio value and a preferred link indicator value in a report; and means for transmitting generated first type reports. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a wireless terminal to implement a method of communicating control information reports, the method comprising:
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operating the wireless terminal in a first mode of operation in which the wireless terminal communicates a first type of report using a first reporting format, reports generated in accordance with said first reporting format communicating a signal-to-noise-ratio value; and operating the wireless terminal in a second mode of operation in which the wireless terminal communicates the first type of report using a second reporting format, said second reporting format being different than said first reporting format, reports generated in accordance with said second reporting format communicating both a signal-to-noise ratio value and a preferred link indicator value. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A method of operating a base station in a communications system including a wireless terminal that communicates control information reports, the method comprising:
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receiving a first type report from a wireless terminal operating in a first mode of operation in which the wireless terminal communicates first type reports which have a first reporting format, said first reporting format communicating a signal-to-noise-ratio value; and receiving an additional first type report from said wireless terminal, said additional report having been generated while said wireless terminal was operating in a second mode of operation during which said wireless terminal, communicates the first type of report using a second reporting format, said second reporting format being different than said first reporting format, said second reporting format communicating both a signal-to-noise ratio value and a preferred link indicator value. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. A base station in a communications system including a wireless terminal that communicates control information reports, the base station comprising:
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a receiver module for receiving signals communicating first type reports; and a first first type report recovery module for recovering from received first type reports having a first reporting format a signal to noise ratio value; a second first type report recovery module for recovering from received first type reports having a second reporting format a signal to noise ratio value and a preferred link indicator value. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A base station in a communications system including a wireless terminal that communicates control information reports, the base station comprising:
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receiver means for receiving signals communicating first type reports; and first first type report recovery means for recovering from received first type reports having a first reporting format a signal to noise ratio value; second first type report recovery means for recovering from received first type reports having a second reporting format a signal to noise ratio value and a preferred link indicator value. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84, 85, 86, 87)
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88. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a base station to implement a method comprising:
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receiving a first type report from a wireless terminal operating in a first mode of operation in which the wireless terminal communicates first type reports which have a first reporting format, said first reporting format communicating a signal-to-noise-ratio value; and receiving an additional first type report from said wireless terminal, said additional report having been generated while said wireless terminal was operating in a second mode of operation during which said wireless terminal, communicates the first type of report using a second reporting format, said second reporting format being different than said first reporting format, said second reporting format communicating both a signal-to-noise ratio value and a preferred link indicator value. - View Dependent Claims (89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100)
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101. An apparatus operable in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to; operate the apparatus in a first mode of operation in which the apparatus communicates a first type of report using a first reporting format, reports generated in accordance with said first reporting format communicating a signal-to-noise-ratio value; and operate the apparatus in a second mode of operation in which the apparatus communicates the first type of report using a second reporting format, said second reporting format being different than said first reporting format, reports generated in accordance with said second reporting format communicating both a signal-to-noise ratio value and a preferred link indicator value. - View Dependent Claims (102, 103)
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104. An apparatus operable in a communications system including a wireless terminal that communicates control information reports, the apparatus comprising:
a processor configure to; receive a first type report from a wireless terminal operating in a first mode of operation in which the wireless terminal communicates first type reports which have a first reporting format, said first reporting format communicating a signal-to-noise-ratio value; and receive an additional first type report from said wireless terminal, said additional report having been generated while said wireless terminal was operating in a second mode of operation during which said wireless terminal, communicates the first type of report using a second reporting format, said second reporting format being different than said first reporting format, said second reporting format communicating both a signal-to-noise ratio value and a preferred link indicator value. - View Dependent Claims (105, 106)
Specification