Transmission of Sounding Reference Signal and Scheduling Request in Single Carrier Systems

• US 20090109908A1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Shen, Zukang, Jiang, Jing, BERTRAND, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 9,893,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0051 of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0058 Allocation criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A transmission of information from a secondary to a primary node occurs in a plurality of transmission instances which are logical time durations. A secondary node receives an allocation of periodic transmission instances for a scheduling request indicator (SRI) and an allocation if periodic transmission instances for a sounding reference signal (SRS). In a particular transmission instance allocated for the transmission of both SRS and SRI, the secondary node transmits the SRI without transmitting the SRS if the SRI indicates a pending scheduling request; otherwise, the secondary node transmits the SRS without transmitting the SRI.

Claims

1. A method for transmission in a wireless network, comprising:

receiving an allocation comprising a plurality of periodic transmission instances for a scheduling request indicator (SRI);

receiving an allocation comprising a plurality of periodic transmission instances for a sounding reference signal (SRS);

transmitting an SRI without transmitting an SRS in a transmission instance allocated for both SRI and SRS when the SRI indicates a pending scheduling request; and

transmitting an SRS without transmitting an SRI in a transmission instance allocated for both SRI and SRS when the SRI indicates no pending scheduling request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a control message indicating a mode of operation in a transmission instance allocated for both SRI and SRS with a pending scheduling request in the transmission instance, wherein in a first mode of operation, the SRI is transmitted without transmitting the SRS in the transmission instance;

wherein in a second mode of operation, both the SRI and the SRS are transmitted in the transmission instance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the control message indicating a mode of operation is sent to all user equipments within a cell of the wireless network, and wherein the mode of operation is common to all user equipments within a cell of the wireless network.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a transmission instance comprises a plurality of single carrier orthogonal frequency division multiple access (SC-OFDMA) symbols.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein in the second mode of operation, at least one SC-OFDMA symbol is used for the transmission of SRS and at least another SC-OFDMA symbol is used for the transmission of SRI.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the control message further indicates a mode of operation in a transmission instance allocated for both ACK/NAK and SRS, and wherein in a third mode of operation, the ACK/NAK is transmitted without transmitting the SRS in the transmission instance;

wherein in a fourth mode of operation, both the ACK/NAK and the SRS are transmitted in the transmission instance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein in the fourth mode of operation, at least one SC-OFDMA symbol is used for the transmission of SRS and at least another SC-OFDMA symbol is used for the transmission of ACK/NAK.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the control message is binary, indicating either the first and third mode of operations, or the second and fourth mode of operations.

9. A method for transmission in a wireless network, comprising:

transmitting to user equipment (UE) an allocation comprising a plurality of periodic transmission instances for a scheduling request indicator (SRI);

transmitting to the UE an allocation comprising a plurality of periodic transmission instances for a sounding reference signal (SRS);

receiving from the UE an SRI without receiving an SRS in a transmission instance allocated for both SRI and SRS, when the SRI indicates a pending scheduling request; and

receiving from the UE an SRS without receiving an SRI in a transmission instance allocated for both SRI and SRS, when the SRI indicates no pending scheduling request.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting to the UE a control message indicating a mode of operation in a transmission instance allocated for both SRI and SRS with a pending scheduling request in the transmission instance, wherein in a first mode of operation, the SRI is received without receiving the SRS in the transmission instance;

wherein in a second mode of operation, both the SRI and the SRS are received in the transmission instance.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the control message indicating a mode of operation is sent to all user equipments within a cell of the wireless network, and wherein the mode of operation is common to all user equipments within a cell of the wireless network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a transmission instance comprises a plurality of single carrier orthogonal frequency division multiple access (SC-OFDMA) symbols.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein in the second mode of operation, the transmission of SRI comprises at least one SC-OFDMA symbol and the transmission of SRI comprises at least another SC-OFDMA symbol.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the control message further indicates a mode of operation in a transmission instance allocated for both ACK/NAK and SRS, wherein in a third mode of operation, the ACK/NAK is received from the UE without receiving the SRS in the transmission instance;

wherein in a fourth mode of operation, both the ACK/NAK and the SRS are received from the UE in the transmission instance.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein in the fourth mode of operation, the transmission of SRS comprises at least one SC-OFDMA symbol and the transmission of ACK/NAK comprises at least another SC-OFDMA symbol.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the control message is binary, indicating either the first and third mode of operations, or the second and fourth mode of operations.

17. Apparatus for use in a wireless network, comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory, the memory storing instructions for execution by the processor, the processor controllably coupled to receiver logic and to transmitter logic;

buffer logic controlled by the processor operable to store a pending scheduling request;

the receiver logic operable to receive and store in the memory an allocation comprising a plurality of periodic transmission instances for a scheduling request indicator (SRI) and an allocation comprising a plurality of periodic transmission instances for a sounding reference signal (SRS); and

the transmitter logic being responsive to the buffer logic and operable to produce and transmit an SRI without transmitting an SRS in a transmission instance allocated for both SRI and SRS when the buffer logic indicates the pending scheduling request; and

further operable to transmit an SRS without transmitting an SRI in a transmission instance allocated for both SRI and SRS when the buffer logic indicates no pending scheduling request.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the receiver logic is further operable to receive and store in the memory a control message indicating a mode of operation in a transmission instance allocated for both SRI and SRS with a pending scheduling request in the transmission instance;

and

wherein in a first mode of operation, the transmitter logic is operable to transmit the SRI without transmitting the SRS in the transmission instance;

wherein in a second mode of operation, the transmitter is operable to transmit both the SRI and the SRS in the transmission instance.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the control message further indicates a mode of operation in a transmission instance allocated for both ACK/NAK and SRS;

and

wherein in a third mode of operation, the transmitter logic is further operable to produce and transmit an ACK/NAK without transmitting the SRS in the transmission instance;

wherein in a fourth mode of operation, both the ACK/NAK and the SRS are transmitted in the transmission instance.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the control message is binary, indicating either the first and third mode of operations, or the second and fourth mode of operations.