METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DYNAMICALLY ALLOCATING HARQ PROCESSES IN THE UPLINK

• US 20080059859A1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marinier, Paul, Zeira, Eldad, Reznik, Alexander, Cave, Christopher, Terry, Stephen, Grandhi, Sudheer
• Granted Patent: US 8,687,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/748
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1822 involving configuration of automatic repeat request [ARQ] with parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1825 Adaptation of specific ARQ protocol parameters according to transmission conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation

Abstract

In a wireless communication system including at least one wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and at least one Node-B (NB), an activation or deactivation state is determined for each of a plurality of HARQ processes. A signal that includes the activation or deactivation state for each of the HARQ processes is transmitted to the WTRU. In response to receiving the signal, the WTRU activates or deactivates a particular HARQ process in accordance with the activation or deactivation state for each of the HARQ processes contained in the received signal.

Claims

1. In a wireless communication system including at least one wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and at least one Node-B (NB), a method of dynamically allocating hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) processes, the method comprising:

determining an activation or deactivation state for at least one of a plurality of HARQ processes;

transmitting a signal to the at least one WTRU, wherein the signal indicates the activation or deactivation state for at least one particular HARQ process of the plurality of HARQ processes; and

in response to receiving the signal, the WTRU activating or deactivating a particular HARQ process in accordance with the activation or deactivation state for each of the plurality of HARQ processes contained in the received signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one WTRU utilizes non-scheduled transmissions with a two millisecond (2 ms) transmission time interval (TTI).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein an individual HARQ process is activated or deactivated each time the signal is transmitted.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the signal includes at least one bit that indicates an activation or deactivation state of a particular HARQ process.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the particular HARQ process is indicated by a transmission time of the signaling.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU changes the states of HARQ processes in response to receiving the signal.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the WTRU changes HARQ processes in an activation state to a deactivation state and HARQ processes in a deactivation state to an activation state.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted signal indicates the activation or deactivation of all HARQ processes.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising defining a bitmap, wherein each particular bit in the bitmap is representative of an individual HARQ process, and the value of each particular bit indicates an activation or deactivation state of the represented HARQ process.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted signal includes a set of allowed HARQ processes.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the WTRU begins using the allowed processes upon receipt of the signal.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the WTRU begins using the allowed processes after a particular time delay.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted signal includes a probability value for activating or deactivating a particular HARQ process.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted signal is transmitted to an individual WTRU within a group of WTRUs.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitted signal is transmitted to a all WTRUs in a group of WTRUs.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising extending an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) absolute grant channel (E-AGCH).

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising defining additional interpretations for the information bits in the E-AGCH.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining an enhanced active process identification channel (E-APICH).

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising time-multiplexing the E-APICH with an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) absolute grant channel (E-AGCH).

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising code-multiplexing the E-APICH with an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) absolute grant channel (E-AGCH).

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining enhanced radio network temporary identifiers (E-RNTIs) for non-scheduled transmissions.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein E-RNTIs are defined for groups of WTRUs.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising extending an enhanced relative grant channel (E-RGCH)/enhanced HARQ indicator channel (E-HICH).

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising multiplexing an additional channel with the E-RGCH/E-HICH.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising spreading the transmitted signal with a spreading code.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a high speed synch control channel (HS-SCCH) to include the activation and deactivation information.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a broadcast control channel (BCCH)/broadcast channel (BCH) to include the activation and deactivation information.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a media access control-high speed (MAC-hs) header to include the activation and deactivation information.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising requiring the WTRU not utilize discontinuous reception (DRX) or discontinuous transmission (DTX).

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising an NB in another cell detecting uplink transmissions from the WTRU on new HARQ processes.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein a serving NB of a particular WTRU transmits HARQ process changes to the radio network controller (RNC).

32. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU maintains the active and deactive states of HARQ processes when changing the enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH).

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising an RNC estimating a minimum number of HARQ processes to be activated.

34. In a wireless communication system including at least one WTRU and at least one NB, a method for dynamically allocating HARQ processes, the method comprising:

defining a system resource unit (SRU), wherein the SRU includes at least one HARQ process and an interfering system resource; and

allocating the SRU to at least one WTRU.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the interfering system resource includes rate or power.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the same non-scheduled SRUs are allocated to a group of WTRUs.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein when a WTRU enters a particular cell served by an NB, the WTRU is added to a group of WTRUs where an opening exists in the group.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein when a WTRU enters a particular cell served by an NB, the WTRU is added as the first WTRU in a new group.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein the size of a group of WTRUs is defined by a fixed number of SRUs.

40. The method of claim 36 wherein the size of a group of WTRUs is defined by a fixed number of WTRUs that define the group size.

41. The method of claim 36 wherein the size of a group of WTRUs is defined by a fixed total of an individual resource per group.

43. The method of claim 36 wherein the size of a group of WTRUs is defined by WTRUs having similar receiver characteristics.

44. The method of claim 36 wherein the size of a group of WTRUs is defined by WTRUs having similar channel qualities.

45. The method of claim 36 wherein HARQ processes active for a particular group of WTRUs are included in a group index in an E-AGCH.

42. The method of claim 42 wherein the individual resource includes any one of the following:

rate, power, and HARQ process.

46. In a wireless communication system including at least one WTRU and at least one NB, a method for dynamically allocating HARQ processes, the method comprising:

an RNC allocating HARQ processes;

allocating a known-controlled pattern/hopping for the WTRU; and

transmitting the known-controlled pattern/hopping to the WTRU.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the known-controlled pattern/hopping is transmitted to the WTRU at call setup.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein the known-controlled pattern/hopping is transmitted to the WTRU during a call session.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein the known-controlled pattern/hopping includes a sequential hopping of HARQ processes from the initial allocation.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the known-controlled pattern/hopping is based on a multiple of the transmission time interval (TTI) period.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein the known-controlled pattern/hopping includes a rotation of HARQ processes.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein a rotation direction is assigned randomly according to a particular probability.

53. The method of claim 46 wherein the known-controlled pattern/hopping includes the WTRU randomly switching from one HARQ process to another.

54. In a wireless communication system including at least one WTRU and at least one NB, a method for dynamically allocating HARQ processes, the method comprising:

assigning a selection probability parameters to each of an individual HARQ processes;

the WTRU retrieving the selection probability parameters; and

the WTRU randomly selecting a HARQ process from among available HARQ processes based upon the retrieved selection probability parameters.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein the selection probability parameter assigned for each individual HARQ process is between 0 and 1.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the sum of the probabilities for all available HARQ processes is equal to one.

57. In a wireless communication system including at least one WTRU and at least one NB, a method for dynamically allocating HARQ processes, the method comprising:

providing the WTRU with a list of potentially activated HARQ processes;

deactivating particular HARQ processes;

monitoring WTRU activity; and

adjusting HARQ processes to maintain an interference level across all HARQ processes.

58. An NB configured to dynamically allocate HARQ processes, the NB comprising:

a receiver;

a transmitter; and

a processor in communication with the receiver and the transmitter, the processor configured to provide a WTRU with a list of potentially activated HARQ processes, deactivate particular HARQ processes, monitor the activity of WTRUs, and adjust HARQ processes to maintain an interference level across all HARQ processes.

59. The NB of claim 59, further comprising an antenna in communication with the receiver and the transmitter, the antenna configured to facilitate the wireless transmission and reception of data.

60. An NB configured to dynamically allocate HARQ processes, the NB comprising:

a receiver;

a transmitter; and

a processor in communication with the receiver and the transmitter, the processor configured to determine an activation or deactivation state for each of a particular HARQ processes, and transmit a signal that includes the activation or deactivation state for each of the particular HARQ processes to at least one WTRU.

61. A WTRU configured to dynamically allocate HARQ processes, the NB comprising:

a receiver;

a transmitter; and

a processor in communication with the receiver and the transmitter, the processor configured to receive a signal containing an activation or deactivation state for each of a particular HARQ processes, and activate or deactivate a particular HARQ process in accordance with the activation or deactivation state for each of the particular HARQ processes contained in the received signal.