DYNAMIC ALLOCATION OF COMMUNICATION RESOURCES IN A WIRELESS SYSTEM

• US 20090181690A1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McCoy, James W., Dehner, Leo G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,218,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0082 at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0096 Indication of changes in allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A method of receiving information by a wireless communication device is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of wireless subframes at a periodic interval, wherein an interval duration of the periodic interval is greater than a duration of each of the plurality of wireless subframes. The method further includes determining for each wireless subframe of the plurality whether the wireless subframe includes a grant resource that indicates that a resource unit pattern of a plurality of selectively assignable resource unit patterns of resource units of the subframe includes information for the communication device. A method of transmitting information by the wireless communication device is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of receiving information by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a first subframe of information by the communication device at a first time, the first subframe indicating a second subframe to be received at a second time occurring subsequently;

receiving the second subframe of information by the communication device at the second time, the second subframe including first control channel resource elements and first shared channel resource elements conveyed by a first plurality of subcarrier frequencies over a first plurality of time slots, each of the first shared channel resource elements being defined by a single time slot of the first plurality of time slots and a single subcarrier frequency of the first plurality of subcarrier frequencies of the first subframe, the wireless communication device decoding at least one of the first control channel resource elements to determine if the first control channel resource elements include a grant resource that indicates that a resource element pattern of the first shared channel resource elements includes information directed for the wireless communication device, the resource element pattern being of a first plurality of selectively assignable resource element patterns of the first shared channel resource elements;

receiving a third subframe of information by the communication device at a third time, the third time being subsequent to the second time, the third subframe including second control channel resource elements and second shared channel resource elements conveyed by a second plurality of subcarrier frequencies over a second plurality of time slots, each of the second shared channel resource elements being defined by a single time slot of the second plurality of time slots and a single subcarrier frequency of the second plurality of subcarrier frequencies of the third subframe, the wireless communication device decoding at least one of the second control channel resource elements to determine if the second control channel resource elements includes a grant resource that indicates that a resource element pattern of the second shared channel resource elements includes information directed for the wireless communication device, the resource element pattern being of a second plurality of selectively assignable resource element patterns of the second shared channel resource elements;

wherein the second time and the third time are separated by a first time interval, the first time interval is greater than a duration of the second subframe and greater than a duration of the third subframe.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first time and the second time are separated by a second time interval equal to the first time interval.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the receiving the second subframe by the wireless communication device includes;

placing receiving circuitry of the wireless communication device in an operating mode prior to the second time; and

placing the receiving circuitry in a low power mode after the second time and before the third time;

the receiving the third subframe by the by the wireless communication device includes;

placing receiving circuitry of the wireless device in the operating mode prior to the third time; and

placing the receiving circuitry in the low power mode after the third time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

if the first control channel resource elements includes a grant resource that indicates that a resource element pattern of the first shared channel resource elements includes information directed for the wireless communication device, decoding by the wireless communication device the resource element pattern of the first shared channel resource elements to obtain information; and

if the second control channel resource elements includes a grant resource that indicates that a resource element pattern of the second shared channel resource elements includes information directed for the wireless communication device, decoding by the wireless communication device the resource element pattern of the second shared channel resource elements to obtain information.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the decoding by the communication device the resource element pattern of the first shared channel resource elements to obtain information includes obtaining information of a first voice call;

the decoding by the communication device the resource element pattern of the second shared channel resource elements to obtain information includes obtaining information of the first voice call.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a fourth subframe of information by the communication device at fourth time, the fourth time being subsequent to the third time, the fourth subframe including third control channel resource elements and third shared channel resource elements conveyed by a third plurality of subcarrier frequencies over a third plurality of time slots, each of the third shared channel resource elements being defined by a single time slot of the third plurality of time slots and a single subcarrier frequency of the third plurality of subcarrier frequencies of the fourth subframe, the wireless communication device decoding at least one of the third control channel resource elements to determine if the third control channel resource elements includes a grant resource that indicates that a resource element pattern of the third shared channel resource elements includes information directed for the wireless communication device, the resource element pattern being of a third plurality of selectively assignable resource element patterns of the third shared channel resource elements;

wherein the third time and the fourth time are separated by a third time interval equal to the first time interval.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource element pattern of a first plurality of selectively assignable resource element patterns includes a plurality of resource elements defined by a single subcarrier frequency of the first plurality of subcarrier frequencies.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource element pattern of a first plurality of selectively assignable resource element patterns includes a plurality of resource elements defined by a single subcarrier frequency of the first plurality of subcarrier frequencies across all time slots of the first shared channel resource elements.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the resource element pattern of a first plurality of selectively assignable resource element patterns includes a resource element defined by a first subcarrier frequency of the first plurality of subcarrier frequencies at a first time slot of the first plurality of time slots and no resource elements defined by a second subcarrier frequency of the first plurality of subcarrier frequencies at the first time slot, and a second resource element defined by the second subcarrier frequency of the first plurality of subcarrier frequencies at a second time slot of the first plurality of time slots and no resource element defined by the first subcarrier frequency at the second time slot.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting by the communication device a fourth wireless subframe by the wireless communication device at a time between the first time and the second time, the third wireless frame including a channel quality indicator.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a fourth wireless subframe by the wireless communication device at a time between the second time and the third time, the fourth wireless subframe including a third shared channel resource elements including a third plurality of selectively assignable resource element patterns;

wherein the first control channel resource elements including a second grant resource that indicates a selectively assignable resource element pattern of the third plurality of selectively assignable resource element patterns of the third shared channel resource elements that includes information generated by the wireless communication device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the information directed for the wireless communication device of the second subframe, the information directed for the wireless communication device of the third subframe, and the information generated by the wireless communication device each include voice information for a first voice call.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the information directed for the wireless communication device of the second subframe and the information directed for the wireless communication device of the third subframe each include voice information for a first voice call.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving by the wireless communication device, a fourth subframe at a fourth time, the fourth subframe including data information, the fourth time being a second interval from the first time, the second interval being less than the first interval;

receiving by the wireless communication device, a fifth subframe at a fifth time, the fifth subframe including data information, the fifth time being at a third interval from the second time, the third interval being less than the first interval and equal to the second interval;

receiving by the wireless communication device, a sixth subframe at a sixth time, the sixth subframe including data information, the sixth time being at a fourth interval from the third time, the fourth interval being less than the first interval and equal to the third interval;

wherein the second and the third subframe each include voice information for a first voice call.

15. A method of receiving information by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of wireless subframes at a periodic interval, wherein an interval duration of the periodic interval is greater than a duration of each of the plurality of wireless subframes; and

determining for each wireless subframe of the plurality whether the wireless subframe includes a grant resource that indicates that a resource unit pattern of a plurality of selectively assignable resource unit patterns of resource units of the subframe includes information for the communication device.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving an earlier wireless subframe before the receiving the plurality of wireless subframes, the earlier wireless subframe including a grant resource providing an indication of the interval duration.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein:

prior to the receiving of each of the plurality of wireless subframes, the method further including placing receiving circuitry of the wireless communication device in the operating mode;

subsequent to the receiving of each of the plurality wireless subframes and before receiving the next wireless subframe of the plurality of wireless subframes, placing the receiving circuitry in a low power mode.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein:

if a wireless subframe of the plurality includes a grant resource that indicates that a resource unit pattern of a plurality of selectively assignable resource unit patterns of resource units of the subframe includes information for the communication device, then decoding the resource unit pattern to obtain information;

the information obtained is for a single voice call.

19. A method of transmitting information, the method comprising:

transmitting a plurality of wireless subframes at a periodic interval, wherein each of the plurality of wireless subframes is intended to be received by a wireless communication device, wherein an interval duration of the periodic interval is greater than a duration of each of the plurality of wireless subframes, each subframe of the plurality of wireless subframes including a plurality of selectively assignable resource element patterns, each subframe of the plurality of wireless subframes including a plurality of grant resources;

wherein if a subframe includes information for the wireless communication device, a grant resource of the plurality of grant resources indicates which resource element pattern of the plurality of selectively assignable resource element patterns of that subframe includes information for the wireless communication device.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

transmitting an earlier wireless subframe before the transmitting the plurality of wireless subframes, the earlier wireless subframe including an indication of the periodic interval.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein a first resource pattern of the plurality of selectively assignable resource patterns includes information for a first wireless communication device and not for a second wireless communication device and a second resource pattern of the plurality of selectively assignable resource patterns includes information for the second wireless communication device and not the first wireless communication device.