Uplink scheduling grant for time division duplex with asymmetric uplink and downlink configuration

• US 20090046605A1
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Zhu, Yuan, Wang, Haiming, Gao, Adele, Jiang, Dajie
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/280
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

Singalling uplink and downlink scheduling grants for a plurality of subframes in a time division duplex frame is addressed. In one aspect the allocated uplink subframes are divided into groups, so the number of groups equals the number of downlink subframes being allocated. Uplink grants for the groups are sent with the downlink grants, and for those groups that have more than one uplink subframe, the grant message also indicates which uplink subframes are included in that group. In another aspect there are two sets of grant messages, one for the uplink subframes and one for the downlink subframes. Each of the uplink grant messages is sent on a different uplink grant message, and there is a one-to-one correspondence between the uplink grant channel and the uplink subframe being scheduled by the grant. That correspondence may also be signalled with the grant messages.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

for a plurality of subframes in a time division duplex frame, allocating a number N of the subframes as downlink subframes and a remaining number greater than N of the subframes as uplink subframes;

dividing the uplink subframes into N groups, wherein at least one of the groups comprises more than one of the uplink subframes;

wirelessly sending to a plurality of user equipments N grant messages;

where each of the grant messages comprise a scheduling grant for one of the downlink subframes and a scheduling grant for each of the uplink subframes in one of the N groups.

2. The method of claim 1, further wherein for each of the groups that comprises more than one of the uplink subframes, the respective grant message comprises an indicator that maps to individual ones of the uplink subframes in the respective group.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein for each of the groups that comprises only one of the uplink subframes, the respective grant message does not comprises an indicator that maps to only one uplink subframe of the respective group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises a different number of bits depending on whether scheduling is for a single transmission time interval or for multiple transmission time intervals.

5. The method of claim 1, executed by a Node B in an E-UTRAN system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for a plurality of subframes in a next time division duplex frame, allocating a number M of the subframes as downlink subframes and a remaining number N1 less than or equal to M of the subframes as uplink subframes;

mapping each ith uplink subframe to an ith downlink subframe;

wirelessly sending N1 grant messages, each comprising a scheduling grant for one of the downlink subframes and one of the uplink subframes according to the mapping.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for a plurality of subframes in a next time division duplex frame, allocating a number M of the subframes as downlink subframes and a remaining number N1 less than or equal to M of the subframes as uplink subframes;

wirelessly sending to the plurality of user equipments M grant messages;

where a grant message sent in an ith downlink subframe comprises a scheduling grant for the ith downlink subframe and a scheduling grant for one or multiple uplink subframes indicated by a transmission time interval indicator.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a Cat0 bit sequence indicates whether there is a scheduling grant for both downlink and uplink subframes or for only downlink subframes.

9. A memory storing computer readable instructions executable by a digital data processor, to perform actions directed toward scheduling user equipments, the actions comprising:

for a plurality of subframes in a time division duplex frame, allocating a number N of the subframes as downlink subframes and a remaining number greater than N of the subframes as uplink subframes;

dividing the uplink subframes into N groups, wherein at least one of the groups comprises more than one of the uplink subframes;

wirelessly sending to a plurality of user equipments N grant messages;

where each of the grant messages comprise a scheduling grant for one of the downlink subframes and a scheduling grant for each of the uplink subframes in one of the N groups.

10. The memory of claim 9, further wherein for each of the groups that comprises more than one of the uplink subframes, the respective grant message comprises an indicator that indicates which of the uplink subframes are in the group;

and

for each of the groups that comprises only one of the uplink subframes, the grant message does not comprises an indicator that maps to individual ones of the uplink subframes in the respective group.

11. The memory of claim 9, wherein the indicator comprises a different number of bits depending on whether scheduling is in a single transmission time interval or for multiple transmission time intervals.

12. The memory of claim 9, the actions further comprising:

for a plurality of subframes in a next time division duplex frame, allocating a number M of the subframes as downlink subframes and a remaining number N1 less than or equal to M of the subframes as uplink subframes;

wirelessly sending to the plurality of user equipments M grant messages;

where a grant message sent in the ith DL subframe comprises a scheduling grant for the ith downlink subframe and a scheduling grant for one or multiple uplink subframes indicated by a transmission time interval indicator.

13. The memory of claim 12, wherein a Cat0 bit sequence indicates whether there is a scheduling grant for both downlink and uplink subframes or for only downlink subframes.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a scheduler configured, for a plurality of subframes in a time division duplex frame, to allocate a number N of the subframes as downlink subframes and a remaining number greater than N of the subframes as uplink subframes;

a processor, coupled to a computer readable memory and to the scheduler, configured to divide the uplink subframes into N groups, wherein at least one of the groups comprises more than one of the uplink subframes;

a transmitter coupled to the processor configured to wirelessly send to a plurality of user equipments N grant messages;

where each of the grant messages comprise a scheduling grant for one of the downlink subframes and a scheduling grant for each of the uplink subframes in one of the N groups.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further wherein for each of the groups that comprises more than one of the uplink subframes, the respective grant message comprises an indicator that maps to individual ones of the uplink subframes in the respective group.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the indicator comprises a different number of bits depending on whether scheduling is for one transmission time interval or for multiple transmission time intervals.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the scheduler is further configured, for a plurality of subframes in a next time division duplex frame, to allocate a number M of the subframes as downlink subframes and a remaining number N1 less than or equal to M of the subframes as uplink subframes; and

the transmitter is configured to wirelessly send to the plurality of user equipments M grant messages;

where the grant message sent in an ith downlink subframe comprises a scheduling grant for the ith downlink subframe and a scheduling grant for one or multiple uplink subframes indicated by an TTI indicator.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a Cat0 bit sequence indicates whether there is a grant messages for both downlink and uplink subframes or for only downlink subframes.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 comprising a node B.

20. An apparatus comprising:

for a plurality of subframes in a time division duplex frame, scheduling means for allocating a number N of the subframes as downlink subframes and a remaining number greater than N of the subframes as uplink subframes;

processing means, coupled to a computer readable memory and to the scheduling means, for dividing the uplink subframes into N groups, wherein at least one of the groups comprises more than one of the uplink subframes;

transmitting means coupled to the processing means for wirelessly sending to a plurality of user equipments N grant messages;

where each of the grant messages comprise a scheduling grant for one of the downlink subframes and a scheduling grant for each of the uplink subframes in one of the N groups; and

for each of the groups that comprise more than one of the uplink subframes, the respective grant message comprises an indicator that maps to individual ones of the uplink subframes in the respective group.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein:

the scheduling means comprises a software program stored on the memory;

the processing means comprises a digital data processor; and

the transmitting means comprises a transmitter.

22-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A method comprising:

receiving a scheduling grant message in a downlink subframe of a time division duplex frame that comprises a number N of downlink subframes and a remaining number of uplink subframes, wherein the remaining number is greater than N, wherein the grant message comprises a scheduling grant for one of the downlink subframes and a scheduling grant for each of a plurality of the uplink subframes that comprise a group of the uplink subframes;

determining from the received grant message an individual one of the uplink subframes in the group; and

transmitting on the determined individual one of the uplink subframes.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the grant message comprises an indicator, and determining from the received grant message comprises mapping to the individual one of the uplink subframes in the group using the indicator.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the indicator comprises a different number of bits depending on whether scheduling is for a single transmission time interval or for multiple transmission time intervals.

41. The method of claim 38, executed by a user equipment in an E-UTRAN system.

42. A memory storing computer readable instructions executable by a digital data processor to perform actions directed toward determining a user equipment resource allocation, the actions comprising:

receiving a scheduling grant message in a downlink subframe of a time division duplex frame that comprises a number N of downlink subframes and a remaining number of uplink subframes, wherein the remaining number is greater than N, wherein the grant message comprises a scheduling grant for one of the downlink subframes and a scheduling grant for each of a plurality of the uplink subframes that comprise a group of the uplink subframes;

determining from the received grant message an individual one of the uplink subframes in the group; and

transmitting on the determined individual one of the uplink subframes.

43. The memory of claim 42, wherein the grant message comprises an indicator, and wherein determining from the received grant message comprises mapping to the individual one of the uplink subframes in the group using the indicator.

44. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a scheduling grant message in a downlink subframe of a time division duplex frame that comprises a number N of downlink subframes and a remaining number of uplink subframes, wherein the remaining number is greater than N, wherein the grant message comprises a scheduling grant for one of the downlink subframes and a scheduling grant for each of a plurality of the uplink subframes that comprise a group of the uplink subframes;

a processor configured to determine from the received grant message an individual one of the uplink subframes in the group; and

a transmitter configured to transmit on the determined individual one of the uplink subframes.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the grant message comprises an indicator, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the individual one of the uplink subframes in the group by mapping to the individual one of the uplink subframes in the group using the indicator.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the indicator comprises a different number of bits depending on whether scheduling is for a single transmission time interval or for multiple transmission time intervals.

47. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the apparatus comprises a user equipment in an E-UTRAN system.