OPERATION OF A FORWARD LINK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT CHANNEL FOR THE REVERSE LINK DATA

• US 20090083602A1
• Filed: 10/13/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Tao, Tiedemann, Edward G. JR., Sarkar, Sandip, Gaal, Peter
• Application Number:
  US12/250,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20090083602A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/748
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/24 with feedback of measurements to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 13/0048 Walsh
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0034 where the transmitter decides based on inferences, e.g. use of implicit signalling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0073 Special arrangements for feedback channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1825 Adaptation of specific ARQ protocol parameters according to transmission conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1845 Combining techniques, e.g. code combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1858 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of acknowledgement message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/125 Arrangements for preventing errors in the return channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/48 during retransmission after error or non-acknowledgment

Abstract

An acknowledgement method in a wireless communication system. Initially, a reverse supplemental channel (R-SCH) frame is received at a base station. The base station then transmits an acknowledgement (ACK) signal if quality of the received R-SCH frame is indicated as being good. A negative acknowledgement (NAK) signal is transmitted only if the received data frame is indicated as being bad but has enough energy such that, if combined with energy from retransmission of the data frame, it would be sufficient to permit correct decoding of the data frame. If the best base station is known, the acknowledgement method may reverse the transmission of the acknowledgement signals for the best base station so that only NAK signal is sent. A positive acknowledgement is assumed in the absence of an acknowledgement. This is done to minimize the transmit power requirements.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless communication system, comprising:

receiving a reverse link traffic channel data frame from a mobile terminal;

transmitting an acknowledgement (ACK) signal by a base station providing that a reverse link pilot signal includes sufficient energy to permit correct decoding of the data frame; and

transmitting a negative acknowledgement (NAK) signal by the base station providing that the reverse link pilot signal includes insufficient energy to permit correct decoding of the data frame, but has enough energy such that if combined with energy from a retransmission of the data frame, it would be sufficient to permit correct decoding of the data frame.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reverse link traffic channel is a reverse supplemental channel (R-SCH).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a traffic-to-pilot ratio (T/P) delta along with the NAK signal.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

adjusting an energy level of the data frame using the T/P delta.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

retransmitting the adjusted data frame if the NAK signal is indicated.

6. A base station for a wireless communication system, the base station comprising:

a receiver for receiving a reverse link traffic channel data frame from a mobile terminal; and

a transmitter to transmit an acknowledgement (ACK) signal providing that a reverse link pilot signal includes sufficient energy to permit correct decoding of the data frame, and to transmit a negative acknowledgement (NAK) signal providing that the reverse link pilot signal includes insufficient energy to permit correct decoding of the data frame, but has enough energy such that if combined with energy from a retransmission of the data frame, it would be sufficient to permit correct decoding of the data frame.

7. The base station of claim 6, wherein the reverse link traffic channel is a reverse supplemental channel (R-SCH).

8. The base station of claim 6, wherein the transmitter transmits a traffic-to-pilot ratio (T/P) delta along with the NAK signal.

9. A wireless remote terminal for a communications system, the remote terminal comprising:

a transmitter to transmit a reverse link traffic channel data frame to a base station; and

a receiver for receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) signal from the base station providing that a reverse link pilot signal includes sufficient energy to permit correct decoding of the data frame, and to receive a negative acknowledgement (NAK) signal from the base station providing that the reverse link pilot signal includes insufficient energy to permit correct decoding of the data frame, but has enough energy such that if combined with energy from a retransmission of the data frame, it would be sufficient to permit correct decoding of the data frame.

10. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the reverse link traffic channel is a reverse supplemental channel (R-SCH).

11. The terminal of claim 9, wherein the receiver receives a traffic-to-pilot ratio (T/P) delta along with the NAK signal.

12. The terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

a controller for adjusting an energy level of the data frame using the T/P delta.

13. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the transmitter retransmits the adjusted data frame if the NAK signal is indicated.

14. An apparatus in a wireless communication system, comprising:

means for receiving a reverse link traffic channel data frame from a mobile terminal;

means for transmitting an acknowledgement (ACK) signal by a base station providing that a reverse link pilot signal includes sufficient energy to permit correct decoding of the data frame; and

means for transmitting a negative acknowledgement (NAK) signal by the base station providing that the reverse link pilot signal includes insufficient energy to permit correct decoding of the data frame, but has enough energy such that if combined with energy from a retransmission of the data frame, it would be sufficient to permit correct decoding of the data frame.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the reverse link traffic channel is a reverse supplemental channel (R-SCH).

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for transmitting a traffic-to-pilot ratio (T/P) delta along with the NAK signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for adjusting an energy level of the data frame using the T/P delta.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for retransmitting the adjusted data frame if the NAK signal is indicated.