TDD OPERATION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

• US 20090180435A1
• Filed: 01/06/2009
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sarkar, Sandip
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/330
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0035 detecting errors in frequency or phase
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation

Abstract

A method provides a wireless frame protocol. The method includes communicating a transmission interval that facilitates switching between a downlink portion and an uplink portion of a wireless communications channel. The method employs one or more guard periods during the transmission interval to mitigate overlap of transmitting frequencies between the downlink and uplink portions of the wireless communications channel.

Claims

1. A method to provide a wireless protocol, comprising:

communicating a transmission interval that facilitates switching between a downlink portion and an uplink portion of a wireless communications channel; and

employing one or more guard periods during the transmission interval to mitigate overlap of transmitting frequencies between the downlink and uplink portions of the wireless communications channel.

2. The method of claim 1, the guard periods include time reservations that are configurable.

3. The method of claim 1, the guard periods include at least one downlink pilot transmission structure (DwPTS).

4. The method of claim 3, the guard periods include at least one uplink pilot transmission structure (UpPTS).

5. The method of claim 4, the guard periods are configured for a total period of about one millisecond.

6. The method of claim 4, the guard periods are configured to repeat at about five or ten millisecond periodicity.

7. The method of claim 4, the guard periods are configured as two special slots that are associated with eight traffic slots during about a ten millisecond interval.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising a downlink (d) to uplink (u) ratio (d:

u) that includes 4;

4, 5;

3, 6;

2, or 3;

5.

9. The method of claim 4, the guard periods are configured as one special slot that is associated with nine traffic slots during about a ten millisecond interval.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising a downlink (d) to uplink (u) ratio (d:

u) that includes 5;

4, 6;

3, 7;

2, or 4;

5.

11. The method of claim 1, the transmission interval is about five milliseconds.

12. The method of claim 11, the transmission interval includes at least five subframes.

13. The method of claim 11, the transmission interval includes at least eight traffic slots.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating at least one of a packet data control channel (PDCCH) or a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) for a portion of the eight traffic slots.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) or a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) for a portion of the eight traffic slots.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating one or more resource blocks for a portion of the eight traffic slots.

17. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions for reserving one or more time periods in a wireless frame protocol, the guard periods employed to mitigate frequency overlap between downlink and uplink channels, the time periods include at least a downlink portion, an uplink portion, and a guard portion; and

a processor that executes the instructions.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising instructions for configuring the time periods.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising instructions for processing traffic slots and special slots that define the time periods.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising instructions to configure a ratio between the traffic slots and the special slots.

21. A communications apparatus, comprising:

means for generating a transmission interval that includes one or more special periods adapted to mitigate frequency overlap between downlink and uplink portions of a wireless communication;

means for configuring the special periods; and

means for configuring a ratio between the downlink and uplink portions of the wireless communication.

22. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for reserving a downlink buffer period of a transmission interval;

code for assigning a guard period to the downlink period of the transmission interval; and

code for reserving an uplink buffer period in addition to the guard period, where the downlink buffer period, the guard period, and the uplink buffer period are employed to facilitate switching between a downlink and uplink wireless communications period.

23. A processor that executes the following instructions:

configuring at least one special period that is employed to control a time period between a downlink and an uplink portion of a wireless broadcast;

transmitting a plurality of traffic periods in conjunction with the special periods; and

utilizing the special periods and the traffic periods to control a switchover between a downlink portion and an uplink portion of a wireless broadcast.

24. A method to provide a wireless protocol, comprising:

receiving a transmission interval that facilitates switching between a downlink portion and an uplink portion of a wireless communications protocol; and

processing one or more guard periods during the transmission interval to mitigate overlap of frequencies between the downlink and uplink portions of the wireless communications protocol.

25. The method of claim 24, the guard periods include time portions that are configurable.

26. The method of claim 25, the guard periods include at least one downlink pilot transmission structure (DwPTS) and at least one uplink pilot transmission structure (UpPTS).

27. The method of claim 26, the guard periods are configured as two special slots that are associated with eight traffic slots during about a 10 millisecond interval.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising a downlink (d) to uplink (u) ratio (d:

u) that includes 4;

4, 5;

3, 6;

2, or 3;

5.

29. The method of claim 26, the guard periods are configured as one special slot that is associated with nine traffic slots during about a ten millisecond interval.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising a downlink (d) to uplink (u) ratio (d:

u) that includes 5;

4, 6;

3, 7;

2, or 4;

5.

31. A communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that retains instructions for receiving one or more time periods in a wireless frame protocol, the guard periods employed to facilitate switching between downlink and uplink channels, the time periods include at least a downlink portion, an uplink portion, and a guard portion; and

a processor that executes the instructions.

32. A communications apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a transmission interval that includes one or more special periods adapted to facilitate switching between downlink and uplink portions of a wireless communication;

means for configuring the special periods; and

means for configuring a ratio between the downlink and uplink portions of the wireless communication.

33. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for receiving a downlink buffer period of a transmission interval;

code for processing a guard period in accordance with the downlink period of the transmission interval; and

code for processing an uplink buffer period in addition to the guard period, where the downlink buffer period, the guard period, and the uplink buffer period are employed to facilitate switching between a downlink and uplink wireless communications period.

34. A processor that executes the following instructions:

configuring at least one special period that is employed to control a time period between a downlink and an uplink portion of a wireless broadcast;

receiving a plurality of traffic periods in conjunction with the special periods; and

processing the special periods and the traffic periods to control a switchover between a downlink portion and an uplink portion of a wireless broadcast.