APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASYNCHRONOUS AND ADAPTIVE HYBRID ARQ SCHEME IN A WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20070223404A1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Khan, Farooq, Lee, Juho
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,812 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1819 with retransmission of additional or different redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1825 Adaptation of specific ARQ protocol parameters according to transmission conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1835 Buffer management

Abstract

A low overhead asynchronous and adaptive Hybrid Acknowledgment Request (HARQ) technique for use in wireless networks. First control information is transmitted with the first subpacket and subsequent control information is transmitted with transmissions of subsequent subpackets only if the retransmission is done asynchronously or if the duration of the retransmission is changed.

Claims

1. For use in a wireless network that communicates with a plurality of subscriber stations, a base station for communicating with a first subscriber station using an adaptable asynchronous hybrid acknowledge request (HARQ) technique in which the base station transmits an original data packet to the first subscriber station as a plurality of subpackets distributed in subframes of a downlink channel and the first subscriber station transmits one of an ACK message and a NACK message in an uplink channel in response to each of the plurality of subpackets, wherein the base station transmits to the first subscriber station a first subpacket and first control information in a first subframe and transmits a subsequent second subpacket to the first subscriber station in one of synchronous mode and asynchronous mode, wherein the base station transmits in synchronous mode by transmitting subsequent subpackets in synchronous subframes after the first subframe and transmits the subsequent second subpacket without additional control information in a synchronous second subframe occurring N subframes after the first subframe, and wherein the base station transmits in asynchronous mode by transmitting the subsequent second subpacket and second control information in an asynchronous second subframe occurring after the first subframe.

2. The base station as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first control information is usable by the first subscriber station to process the first subpacket.

3. The base station as set forth in claim 2, wherein the first control information is further usable by the first subscriber station to process subsequent subpackets that are received from the base station in synchronous mode.

4. The base station as set forth in claim 2, wherein the second control information is usable by the first subscriber station to process the subsequent second subpacket.

5. The base station as set forth in claim 4, wherein the second control information is further usable by the first subscriber station to process subsequent subpackets that are received from the base station in synchronous mode with respect to the asynchronous second subframe.

6. The base station as set forth in claim 1, wherein the base station, after asynchronously transmitting the subsequent second subpacket, is further operable to transmit a subsequent third subpacket in one of synchronous mode and asynchronous mode, wherein the base station transmits in synchronous mode by transmitting subsequent subpackets after the subsequent second subpacket in synchronous subframes after the asynchronous second subframe and transmits the subsequent third subpacket without additional control information in a synchronous third subframe occurring N subframes after the asynchronous second subframe, and wherein the base station transmits in asynchronous mode by transmitting the subsequent third subpacket and third control information in an asynchronous third subframe occurring after the asynchronous second subframe.

7. The base station as set forth in claim 6, wherein the first control information is usable by the first subscriber station to process the first subpacket.

8. The base station as set forth in claim 7, wherein the second control information is usable by the first subscriber station to process the subsequent second subpacket.

9. The base station as set forth in claim 8, wherein the second control information is further usable by the first subscriber station to process subsequent subpackets that are received from the base station in synchronous mode after the asynchronous second subframe.

10. The base station as set forth in claim 9, wherein the third control information is usable by the first subscriber station to process the subsequent third subpacket.

11. A wireless network comprising a plurality of base stations, each one of the base stations for communicating with a first subscriber station using an adaptable asynchronous hybrid acknowledge request (HARQ) technique in which the each base station transmits an original data packet to the first subscriber station as a plurality of subpackets distributed in subframes of a downlink channel and the first subscriber station transmits one of an ACK message and a NACK message in an uplink channel in response to each of the plurality of subpackets, wherein the each base station transmits to the first subscriber station a first subpacket and first control information in a first subframe and transmits a subsequent second subpacket to the first subscriber station in one of synchronous mode and asynchronous mode, wherein the each base station transmits in synchronous mode by transmitting subsequent subpackets in synchronous subframes after the first subframe and transmits the subsequent second subpacket without additional control information in a synchronous second subframe occurring N subframes after the first subframe, and wherein the each base station transmits in asynchronous mode by transmitting the subsequent second subpacket and second control information in an asynchronous second subframe occurring after the first subframe.

12. The wireless network as set forth in claim 11, wherein the first control information is usable by the first subscriber station to process the first subpacket.

13. The wireless network as set forth in claim 12, wherein the first control information is further usable by the first subscriber station to process subsequent subpackets that are received from the each base station in synchronous mode.

14. The wireless network as set forth in claim 12, wherein the second control information is usable by the first subscriber station to process the subsequent second subpacket.

15. The wireless network as set forth in claim 14, wherein the second control information is further usable by the first subscriber station to process subsequent subpackets that are received from the each base station in synchronous mode with respect to the asynchronous second subframe.

16. For use in a base station that communicates with a plurality of subscriber stations, a method of communicating with a first subscriber station using an adaptable asynchronous hybrid acknowledge request (HARQ) technique in which the base station transmits an original data packet to the first subscriber station as a plurality of subpackets distributed in subframes of a downlink channel, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting to the first subscriber station a first subpacket and first control information in a first subframe; and

one of;

transmitting a subsequent second subpacket to the first subscriber station in synchronous mode, wherein the step of transmitting in synchronous mode transmits subsequent subpackets in synchronous subframes after the first subframe and wherein the subsequent second subpacket is transmitted without additional control information in a synchronous second subframe occurring N subframes after the first subframe; and

transmitting a subsequent second subpacket to the first subscriber station in asynchronous mode, wherein the step of transmitting in asynchronous mode transmits the subsequent second subpacket and second control information in an asynchronous second subframe occurring after the first subframe.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the first control information is usable by the first subscriber station to process the first subpacket.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the first control information is further usable by the first subscriber station to process subsequent subpackets that are received from the base station in synchronous mode.

19. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the second control information is usable by the first subscriber station to process the subsequent second subpacket.

20. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the second control information is further usable by the first subscriber station to process subsequent subpackets that are received from the base station in synchronous mode with respect to the asynchronous second subframe.

21. A subscriber station that communicates with a base station of a wireless network using an adaptable asynchronous hybrid acknowledge request (HARQ) technique in which the base station transmits an original data packet to the subscriber station as a plurality of subpackets distributed in subframes of a downlink channel and the subscriber station transmits one of an ACK message and a NACK message in an uplink channel in response to each of the received subpackets, wherein the subscriber station receives from the base station a first subpacket and first control information in a first subframe and receives a subsequent second subpacket from the base station in one of synchronous mode and asynchronous mode, wherein the subscriber station receives in synchronous mode by receiving subsequent subpackets in synchronous subframes after the first subframe and receives the subsequent second subpacket without additional control information in a synchronous second subframe occurring N subframes after the first subframe, and wherein the subscriber station receives in asynchronous mode by receiving the subsequent second subpacket and second control information in an asynchronous second subframe occurring after the first subframe.

22. The subscriber station as set forth in claim 21, wherein the subscriber station uses the first control information to process the first subpacket.

23. The subscriber station as set forth in claim 22, wherein the subscriber station uses the first control information to process subsequent subpackets that are received from the base station in synchronous mode.

24. The subscriber station as set forth in claim 22, wherein the subscriber station uses the second control information to process the subsequent second subpacket.