Resource allocation for shared signaling channels

• US 20070211616A1
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gorokhov, Alexei, Khandekar, Aamod
• Granted Patent: US 9,144,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/023 Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals multicarrier modulation H04L27/2601
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/325 Power control of control or pilot channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/54 Signalisation aspects of the TPC commands, e.g. frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections

Abstract

A shared signaling channel can be used in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication system to provide signaling, acknowledgement, and power control messages to access terminals within the system. The shared signaling channel may comprise reserved logical resources that can be assigned to subcarriers, OFDM symbols, or combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A method of generating control channel messages in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

assigning logical control channel resources to physical channel resources to create assigned physical channel resources, wherein the logical control channel resources are distinct from logical traffic channel resources assigned for data transmission and the physical channel resources correspond to combinations of sub-carriers and OFDM symbols;

generating at least one message;

encoding the at least one message to generate at least one message symbol; and

transmitting the at least one message on at least a portion of the assigned physical channel resources.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a power density of the at least one message.

transforming the plurality of sub-carriers, including at least one sub-carrier within the assigned physical channel resources, to an OFDM symbol;

and

transmitting the OFDM symbol over a wireless communication link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning comprises assigning based in part on a frequency hopping algorithm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical control channel resources comprise nodes of a channel tree and assigning comprises mapping the nodes to a sub-carriers and OFDM symbols.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein mapping comprises mapping the nodes based in part on a frequency hopping algorithm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical control channel resources comprise a number of logical resources that may vary between a minimum and a maximum and wherein assigning comprises selecting a number of logical resources for control channel resources between the minimum and the maximum.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising releasing any logical resources between the maximum and the number of selected logical resources for assignment to traffic channels.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating at least one message comprises generating at least one assignment block message directed to a plurality of access terminals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one assignment block message comprises a broadcast MACID.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating at least one message comprises generating at least one acknowledgement (ACK) message in response to a received transmission from an access terminal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating at least one message comprises generating at least one reverse power link control message directed to a particular access terminal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining if at least one logical control channel resource is assigned for data transmission, and if the at least one logical control channel resource is assigned to data, then cancelling the assignment.

13. An apparatus configured to generate signaling channel messages in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a scheduler configured to assign logical signaling channel resources to physical channel resources to provide assigned physical channel resources, wherein the logical control channel resources are distinct from logical traffic channel resources assigned to traffic channels that are assigned for data transmission and the physical channel resources correspond to combinations of sub-carriers and OFDM symbols;

a signaling module configured to generate at least one signaling message; and

a transmitter coupled to the scheduler and the signaling module, the transmitter configured to transmit the at least one signaling message utilizing at least some of the assigned physical channel resources.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the scheduler is configured to assign the physical channel resources based in part on a frequency hopping algorithm.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logical control channel resources comprise nodes of a channel tree and wherein the scheduler is configured to map the nodes to sub-carriers and OFDM symbols.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one signaling message comprises a broadcast signaling message directed to a plurality of access terminals.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logical control channel resources comprise nodes of a channel tree and a wherein the scheduler is configured to map the nodes to a sub-carriers and OFDM symbols.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logical control channel resources comprise a number of logical resources that may vary between a minimum and a maximum and wherein the scheduler is configured to select a number of logical resources for control channel resources.

19. The method apparatus of claim 18, wherein the scheduler is configured to release any logical resources between the maximum and the number of selected logical resources for assignment to traffic channels.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising means for controlling a power density of the at least one message.

20. An apparatus for generating control channel messages in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

means for assigning logical control channel resources to physical channel resources to generate assigned physical channel resources, wherein the logical control channel resources are distinct from logical traffic channel resources assigned for data transmission and the physical channel resources correspond to combinations of sub-carriers and OFDM symbols;

means for generating at least one message;

means encoding the at least one message to generate at least one message symbol; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the at least one message on at least a portion of the assigned physical channel resources.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for assigning comprises means for assigning based in part on a frequency hopping algorithm.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the logical control channel resources comprise nodes of a channel tree and the means for assigning comprises means for mapping the nodes to a sub-carriers and OFDM symbols.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for mapping comprises means for mapping the nodes based in part on a frequency hopping algorithm.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the logical control channel resources comprise a number of logical resources that may vary between a minimum and a maximum and wherein the means for assigning comprises means for selecting a number of logical resources for control channel resources.