ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FRAME STRUCTURE WITH BACKWARD COMPATIBILITY

• US 20090116427A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Bank of Intellectual Property, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nextwave Broadband Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marks, Roger, Stanwood, Kenneth, Bourlas, Yair, Wang, Lei, Porat, Ron, Gummadi, Srikanth
• Granted Patent: US 8,139,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

An advanced technology frame structure is described herein. The advanced technology frame structure can enhance a first technology frame structure in dimensions of time, frequency, or a combination of time and frequency. A second technology frame structure time division multiplexes second technology subframes with the first technology downlink and uplink subframes. The first technology downlink subframe can be divided into a first technology downlink subframe and one or more second technology downlink subframes. Similarly, the first technology uplink subframe can be divided into a first uplink subframe and one or more second technology uplink subframes. These principles can be expanded upon and can be applied in many communication systems.

Claims

1. A method of providing co-existing base stations comprising:

communicating through a first base station transmitter/receiver a downlink subframe, the downlink subframe starting at a first time and ending at a second time, wherein the downlink subframe includes a downlink legacy technology sub-subframe, a downlink advanced technology sub-subframe ending at a third time and an uplink advanced technology sub-subframe beginning approximately at the third time and ending on or before the second time; and

transmitting from a neighboring base station transmitter/receiver a limited downlink sub-subframe, starting at the first time and ending before or approximately at the third time, including only a legacy downlink technology sub-subframe.

2. The method of providing co-existing base stations of claim 1, further comprising refraining from transmitting or receiving at the neighboring base station transmitter/receiver between the third time and the second time.

3. The method of providing co-existing base stations of claim 1, wherein the downlink legacy technology sub-subframe ends at approximately a fourth time and the downlink advanced technology sub-subframe begins at approximately the fourth time, further comprising adjusting the occurrence of the fourth time on a frame to frame basis.

4. The method of providing co-existing base stations of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating through the first base station transmitter/receiver an uplink subframe, the uplink subframe beginning at approximately the second time and ending at a fifth time, wherein the uplink subframe comprises an second downlink advanced technology sub-subframe beginning at approximately the second time, as well as an uplink legacy technology sub-subframe and a second uplink advanced technology sub-subframe having a boundary therebetween at a sixth time, wherein the sixth time is between the second time and the fifth time; and

receiving at the neighboring base station transmitter/receiver a limited uplink sub-subframe beginning at approximately at an end of the second downlink advanced technology sub-subframe.

5. The method of providing co-existing base stations of claim 4, further comprising adjust the occurrence of the sixth time on a frame to frame basis.

6. A method of providing co-existing base stations comprising:

receiving at a first base station a first uplink communication from a client station operating according to a first technology format, wherein the first uplink communication is received between a first time and a second time;

receiving at the first base station a second uplink communication from a second client station after the second time and before a third time, wherein the second client station operates in accordance with a second technology format; and

receiving at a neighboring base station transmitter/receiver between the first time and the second time and between the second time and the third time a plurality of uplink communications from a plurality of client stations operating according to the first technology format.

7. A method of providing co-existing base stations comprising:

transmitting from a first base station transmitter a downlink subframe beginning at a first time and ending at a second time, wherein the downlink subframe begins with a downlink legacy technology sub-subframe and ends with an uplink advanced technology sub-subframe that begins at a third time; and

receiving from a neighboring base station a limited uplink subframe starting at the third time and ending at the second time.

8. The method of providing co-existing base stations of claim 7, further comprising transmitting from the neighboring base station a limited downlink subframe beginning at approximately the second time.

9. In a system in which a first base station transmitter/receiver communicates using a downlink subframe, the downlink subframe starting at a first time and ending at a second time, wherein the downlink subframe includes a downlink legacy technology sub-subframe, a downlink advanced technology sub-subframe ending at a third time and an uplink advanced technology sub-subframe beginning approximately at the third time and ending on or before the second time, a method of providing co-existing base stations comprising:

creating at a neighboring base station transmitter/receiver a limited downlink sub-subframe, starting at the first time and ending before or approximately at the third time, including only a legacy downlink technology sub-subframe; and

transmitting the limited downlink sub-subframe.

10. In a system in which a first base station transmitter transmits a downlink subframe beginning at a first time and ending at a second time, wherein the downlink subframe begins with a downlink legacy technology sub-subframe and ends with an uplink advanced technology sub-subframe that begins at a third time, a method of providing co-existing base stations comprising:

receiving at a neighboring base station a limited uplink legacy subframe starting at the third time and ending at the second time; and

refraining from receiving from the first time to the third time.

11. A method of configuring information in a communication system, the method comprising:

time division multiplexing a subframe portion of a legacy communication system into a legacy sub-subframe and an advanced technology sub-subframe.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein time division multiplexing the subframe portion comprises:

time division multiplexing a downlink subframe portion of the legacy communication system into a legacy downlink sub-subframe and an advanced technology downlink sub-subframe; and

time division multiplexing an uplink subframe portion of the legacy communication system into a legacy uplink sub-subframe and an advanced technology uplink sub-subframe.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein time division multiplexing the subframe portion comprises:

time division multiplexing a downlink subframe portion of the legacy communication system into a legacy downlink sub-subframe and a first advanced technology downlink sub-subframe and a first advanced technology uplink sub-subframe; and

time division multiplexing an uplink subframe portion of the legacy communication system into a legacy uplink sub-subframe and a second advanced technology downlink sub-subframe and a second advanced technology uplink sub-subframe.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second advanced technology downlink sub-subframe occurs prior to the legacy uplink sub-subframe.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the legacy downlink sub-subframe comprises an indication of an allocation within the first advanced technology downlink sub-subframe.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the legacy downlink sub-subframe comprises an indication of a downlink map within the first advanced technology downlink sub-subframe.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first advanced technology downlink sub-subframe comprises a preamble.

18. A base station supporting legacy communications and advanced technology communications, the base station comprising:

a scheduler configured to determine an amount of resources to allocate to advanced technology communications;

a multiplexer configured to time division multiplex a subframe portion of a legacy communication system into a legacy sub-subframe and an advanced technology sub-subframe based on a control from the scheduler;

a legacy resource mapper configured to allocate legacy communications to the legacy sub-subframe; and

an advanced technology resource mapper configured to allocate advanced technology communications to the advanced technology sub-subframe.

19. A client station supporting advanced technology communications, the client station comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a time division multiplexed subframe portion of a legacy communication system having a legacy sub-subframe and an advanced technology sub-subframe;

a legacy map decoder configured to access a resource map from the legacy sub-subframe and determine a resource allocation for an advanced technology map; and

an advanced technology map decoder configured to access the advanced technology map and determine an advanced technology resource allocation in the advanced technology sub-subframe.

20. A method of communicating comprising:

creating a subframe designated as a downlink portion of a frame according to a first technology format; and

inserting into the downlink subframe an uplink sub-subframe according to an alternate technology.

21. A method of communicating comprising:

receiving a frame header in a first technology format;

parsing the frame header to determine an alternate technology format region;

receiving a resource grant message within the alternate technology format region; and

transmitting or receiving alternate technology formatted data within the alternate technology format region according to the grant message.

22. A method of communicating comprising:

creating a frame header for a frame;

indicating within the frame header a portion of the frame comprising an alternate technology region;

populating a first region of the frame with data in a first technology format and the alternate technology region with data in an alternate technology format; and

transmitting the frame.