Apparatus and method for transmitting ACK/NACK messages in a wireless communication system

• US 20070253370A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Khan, Farooq, Tsai, Jiann-An
• Granted Patent: US 8,139,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/04 using frequency diversity
• 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 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path

Abstract

A base station for use in wireless network that communicates with subscriber stations according to a multicarrier protocol. The base station receives an uplink subframe comprising a plurality of blocks. Each of the blocks comprises up to N subcarriers transmitted by the subscriber stations. The base station receives a first acknowledgment signal transmitted by a first subscriber station in the uplink subframe. The first acknowledgment signal is carried on at least one selected subcarrier in a first block of the uplink subframe and on at least one selected subcarrier in a second block of the uplink subframe.

Claims

1. For use in wireless network, a base station that communicates with a plurality of subscriber stations according to a multicarrier protocol, wherein the base station is operable to receive an uplink subframe comprising a plurality of blocks, each of the blocks comprising up to N subcarriers transmitted by the plurality of subscriber stations, and wherein the base station is operable to receive a first acknowledgment signal transmitted by a first subscriber station, the first acknowledgment signal carried on at least one selected subcarrier in a first block of the uplink subframe and on at least one selected subcarrier in a second block of the uplink subframe.

2. The base station as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one selected subcarrier in the first block of the uplink subframe is the same as the at least one selected subcarrier in the second block of the uplink subframe.

3. The base station as set forth in claim 1, wherein the at least one selected subcarrier in the first block of the uplink subframe is different than the at least one selected subcarrier in the second block of the uplink subframe.

4. The base station as set forth in claim 1, wherein the base station receives a first pilot signal associated with the first acknowledgment signal and transmitted by the first subscriber station, the first pilot signal carried on at least one selected subcarrier in a third block of the uplink subframe and at least one selected subcarrier in a fourth block of the uplink subframe.

5. The base station as set forth in claim 4, wherein the at least one selected subcarrier in the third block of the uplink subframe is the same as the at least one selected subcarrier in the fourth block of the uplink subframe.

6. The base station as set forth in claim 5, wherein the at least one selected subcarrier in the third block of the uplink subframe is different than the at least one selected subcarrier in the fourth block of the uplink subframe.

7. The base station as set forth in claim 4, wherein the base station is operable to transmit to the first subscriber station a control message operable to cause the first subscriber station to transmit the first acknowledgment signal on the at least one selected subcarrier in the first block of the uplink subframe and on the at least one selected subcarrier in a second block of the uplink subframe.

8. A first communication device that transmits a first message in a forward channel to a second communication device and receives multicarrier signals in a reverse channel from other communication devices, the reverse channel comprising a plurality of transmission slots, each of the transmission slots comprising up to N subcarriers transmitted by the other communication devices, wherein the first communication device receives in the reverse channel an acknowledgment signal transmitted by the second communication device in response to the first message, and wherein the acknowledgment signal is received on a first selected subcarrier in a first time slot of the reverse channel and on a second selected subcarrier in a second time slot of the reverse channel.

9. The first communication device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first selected subcarrier in the first time slot of the reverse channel is the same as the second selected subcarrier in the second time slot of the reverse channel.

10. The first communication device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first selected subcarrier in the first time slot of the reverse channel is different than the second selected subcarrier in the second time slot of the reverse channel.

11. The first communication device as set forth in claim 8, wherein the first communication device receives a pilot signal associated with the acknowledgment signal and transmitted by the second communication device, and wherein the acknowledgment signal is received on a third selected subcarrier in a third time slot of the reverse channel and on a fourth selected subcarrier in a fourth time slot of the reverse channel.

12. The first communication device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the third selected subcarrier in the third time slot of the reverse channel is the same as the fourth selected subcarrier in the fourth time slot of the reverse channel.

13. The first communication device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the third selected subcarrier in the third time slot of the reverse channel is different than the fourth selected subcarrier in the fourth time slot of the reverse channel.

14. The first communication device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the first communication device is operable to transmit to the second communication device a control message operable to cause the second communication device to transmit the acknowledgment signal on the first selected subcarrier in the first time slot of the reverse channel and on the second selected subcarrier in the second time slot of the reverse channel.

15. For use in wireless network that communicates with a plurality of subscriber stations according to an orthogonal frequency multiple access (OFDMA) protocol, a base station operable to transmit a message to a first subscriber station in a downlink channel and to receive in an uplink channel an uplink subframe comprising OFDMA subcarriers transmitted by the plurality of subscriber stations, wherein the uplink subframe comprises a plurality of long time slots and a plurality of short time slots, each of the long time slots comprising up to N OFDMA subcarrier transmitted by the plurality of subscriber stations, and wherein the base station is operable to receive an acknowledgment signal transmitted by the first subscriber station, the acknowledgment signal transmitted on a first selected OFDMA subcarrier in a first long time slot of the uplink subframe and on a second selected OFDMA subcarrier in a second long time slot of the uplink subframe.

16. The base station as set forth in claim 15, wherein the first selected OFDMA subcarrier in the first long time slot of the uplink subframe is the same as the second selected subcarrier in the second block of the uplink subframe.

17. The base station as set forth in claim 15, wherein the first selected OFDMA subcarrier in the first long time slot of the uplink subframe is different than the second selected subcarrier in the second long time slot of the uplink subframe.

18. The base station as set forth in claim 15, wherein the base station is operable to receive a pilot signal associated with the acknowledgment signal and transmitted by the first subscriber station, the pilot signal transmitted on a third selected OFDMA subcarrier in a first short time slot of the uplink subframe and on a fourth selected OFDMA subcarrier in a second short time slot of the uplink subframe.

19. The base station as set forth in claim 18, wherein the third selected OFDMA subcarrier in the first short time slot of the uplink subframe is the same as the fourth selected OFDMA subcarrier in the second short time slot of the uplink subframe.

20. The base station as set forth in claim 18, wherein the third selected OFDMA subcarrier in the first short time slot of the uplink subframe is different than the fourth selected OFDMA subcarrier in the second short time slot of the uplink subframe.

21. The base station as set forth in claim 18, wherein the base station is operable to transmit to the first subscriber station a control message operable to cause the first subscriber station to transmit the acknowledgment signal on the first selected OFDMA subcarrier in the first long time slot of the uplink subframe and on the second selected OFDMA subcarrier in the second long time slot of the uplink subframe.

22. For use in wireless network capable of communicating with a plurality of subscriber stations according to a multicarrier protocol, a method of communicating with selected ones of the subscriber stations, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first message in a downlink channel from a first base station to a first subscriber station;

receiving in the base station an uplink subframe comprising a plurality of blocks, each of the blocks comprising up to N subcarriers transmitted by the plurality of subscriber stations; and

in the base station, detecting in the uplink subframe a first acknowledgment signal transmitted by the first subscriber station, wherein the first acknowledgment signal is carried on at least one selected subcarrier in a first block of the uplink subframe and on at least one selected subcarrier in a second block of the uplink subframe.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22, wherein the at least one selected subcarrier in the first block of the uplink subframe is the same as the at least one selected subcarrier in the second block of the uplink subframe.

24. The method as set forth in claim 22, wherein the at least one selected subcarrier in the first block of the uplink subframe is different than the at least one selected subcarrier in the second block of the uplink subframe.

25. A method of communicating between a first communication device and a second communication device according to a multicarrier protocol, the method comprising the steps of:

in the first communication device, transmitting a first message in a forward channel to a second communication device;

in the first communication device, receiving multicarrier signals in a reverse channel from other communication devices, the reverse channel comprising a plurality of transmission slots, each of the transmission slots comprising up to N subcarriers transmitted by the other communication devices;

in the first communication device, detecting in the received multicarrier signals an acknowledgment signal transmitted by the second communication device in response to the first message, wherein the acknowledgment signal is received on a first selected subcarrier in a first time slot of the reverse channel and on a second selected subcarrier in a second time slot of the reverse channel.

26. The method of communicating as set forth in claim 25, wherein the first selected subcarrier in the first time slot of the reverse channel is the same as the second selected subcarrier in the second time slot of the reverse channel.

27. The method of communicating as set forth in claim 25, wherein the first selected subcarrier in the first time slot of the reverse channel is different than the second selected subcarrier in the second time slot of the reverse channel.

28. For use in a base station of a wireless network capable of communicating with a plurality of subscriber stations according to an orthogonal frequency multiple access (OFDMA) protocol, a method of communicating with selected ones of the subscriber stations, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a message from the first base station to a first subscriber station in a downlink channel;

receiving in the first base station from an uplink channel an uplink subframe comprising OFDMA subcarriers transmitted by the plurality of subscriber stations, wherein the uplink subframe comprises a plurality of long time slots and a plurality of short time slots, each of the long time slots comprising up to N OFDMA subcarrier transmitted by the plurality of subscriber stations;

detecting in the uplink subframe an acknowledgment signal transmitted by the first subscriber station, the acknowledgment signal transmitted on a first selected OFDMA subcarrier in a first long time slot of the uplink subframe and on a second selected OFDMA subcarrier in a second long time slot of the uplink subframe.

29. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the first selected OFDMA subcarrier in the first long time slot of the uplink subframe is the same as the second selected subcarrier in the second block of the uplink subframe.

30. The method as set forth in claim 29, wherein the first selected OFDMA subcarrier in the first long time slot of the uplink subframe is different than the second selected subcarrier in the second long time slot of the uplink subframe.

31. A subscriber station for use in wireless network capable of communicating according to a multicarrier protocol, wherein the subscriber station is capable of receiving from a first base station in a downlink channel a first message and, in response to receipt of the first message, is further capable of transmitting an acknowledgment signal to the first base station, wherein the subscriber station transmits a first part of the acknowledgment signal on at least one selected subcarrier in a first block of an uplink subframe and transmits a second part of the acknowledgment signal on at least one selected subcarrier in a second block of the uplink subframe.

32. The subscriber station as set forth in claim 31, wherein the at least one selected subcarrier in the first block of the uplink subframe is the same as the at least one selected subcarrier in the second block of the uplink subframe.

33. The subscriber station as set forth in claim 31, wherein the at least one selected subcarrier in the first block of the uplink subframe is different than the at least one selected subcarrier in the second block of the uplink subframe.

34. The subscriber station as set forth in claim 31, wherein the subscriber station is further capable of transmitting a pilot signal associated with the acknowledgment signal, wherein the subscriber station transmits a first part of the pilot signal on at least one selected subcarrier in a third block of the uplink subframe and transmits a second part of the pilot signal on at least one selected subcarrier in a fourth block of the uplink subframe.

35. The subscriber station as set forth in claim 34, wherein the at least one selected subcarrier in the third block of the uplink subframe is the same as the at least one selected subcarrier in the fourth block of the uplink subframe.

36. The subscriber station as set forth in claim 34, wherein the at least one selected subcarrier in the third block of the uplink subframe is different than the at least one selected subcarrier in the fourth block of the uplink subframe.