CONTROL OF DATA TRANSMISSION BASED ON HARQ IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20090204867A1
• Filed: 02/10/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ho, Sai Yiu Duncan
• Granted Patent: US 8,656,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/749
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1822 involving configuration of automatic repeat request [ARQ] with parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements

Abstract

Techniques for controlling data transmission in a wireless communication system based on hybrid automatic retransmission (HARQ) are described. In one design, a user equipment (UE) may determine the number of HARQ processes (Z) supported by the UE, e.g., based on the amount of resources available at the UE. The UE may send information indicative of the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE to a Node B. The UE may thereafter receive data from the Node B on up to Z HARQ processes. In one design, the UE may receive data for non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic on up to Z HARQ processes and may receive data for guaranteed bit rate (GBR) traffic on up to all HARQ processes available in the system. In another design, the UE may receive data for both GBR traffic and non-GBR traffic on up to Z HARQ processes.

Claims

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

determining number of hybrid automatic retransmission (HARQ) processes supported by a user equipment (UE);

sending information indicative of the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE to a Node B; and

receiving data from the Node B on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE comprises determining the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE based on total number of HARQ processes available in the system, an overall peak rate for all available HARQ processes, and a peak rate supported by the UE.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE comprises

determining resources available at the UE for non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic, and

determining the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE based on the resources available for non-GBR traffic.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE further comprises

determining resources used for guaranteed bit rate (GBR) traffic, and

determining the resources available for non-GBR traffic based on the resources used for GBR traffic and total resources at the UE.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending information indicative of the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE comprises

generating a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element carrying the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE, and

sending the MAC control element to the Node B.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data comprises receiving data for non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic from the Node B on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the receiving data further comprises receiving data for guaranteed bit rate (GBR) traffic from the Node B on up to all HARQ processes available in the system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving data comprises receiving data for both guaranteed bit rate (GBR) traffic and non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

9. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to determine number of hybrid automatic retransmission (HARQ) processes supported by a user equipment (UE), to send information indicative of the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE to a Node B, and to receive data from the Node B on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine resources available at the UE for non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic, and to determine the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE based on the resources available for non-GBR traffic.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element carrying the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE, and to send the MAC control element to the Node B.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive data for non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic from the Node B on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive data for both guaranteed bit rate (GBR) traffic and non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

14. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for determining number of hybrid automatic retransmission (HARQ) processes supported by a user equipment (UE);

means for sending information indicative of the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE to a Node B; and

means for receiving data from the Node B on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for determining the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE comprises

means for determining resources available at the UE for non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic, and

means for determining the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE based on the resources available for non-GBR traffic.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for sending information indicative of the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE comprises

means for generating a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element carrying the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE, and

means for sending the MAC control element to the Node B.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for receiving data comprises means for receiving data for non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic from the Node B on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the means for receiving data comprises means for receiving data for both guaranteed bit rate (GBR) traffic and non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

19. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code stored on the medium for causing at least one computer to determine number of hybrid automatic retransmission (HARQ) processes supported by a user equipment (UE),

code stored on the medium for causing the at least one computer to send information indicative of the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE to a Node B, and

code stored on the medium for causing the at least one computer to receive data from the Node B on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

20. A method of sending data in a wireless communication system, comprising:

receiving information indicative of number of hybrid automatic retransmission (HARQ) processes supported by a user equipment (UE); and

sending data from a Node B to the UE on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

limiting number of HARQ processes to use to send data to the UE based on the number of supported HARQ processes until information indicative of an updated number of supported HARQ processes is received from the UE.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

limiting number of HARQ processes to use to send data to the UE based on the number of supported HARQ processes for a predetermined period of time.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the receiving information indicative of the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE comprises receiving a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element carrying the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the sending data comprises sending data for non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic from the Node B to the UE on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the sending data further comprises sending data for guaranteed bit rate (GBR) traffic from the Node B to the UE on up to all HARQ processes available in the system.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the sending data comprises sending data for both guaranteed bit rate (GBR) traffic and non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic from the Node B to the UE on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

27. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive information indicative of number of hybrid automatic retransmission (HARQ) processes supported by a user equipment (UE), and to send data from a Node B to the UE on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a Medium Access Control (MAC) control element carrying the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send data for non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic from the Node B to the UE on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send data for both guaranteed bit rate (GBR) traffic and non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic from the Node B to the UE on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

31. A method of exchanging data in a wireless communication system, comprising:

determining number of hybrid automatic retransmission (HARQ) processes supported by a user equipment (UE); and

exchanging data on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the exchanging data comprises receiving data from a Node B on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the exchanging data comprises sending data from the UE to a Node B on up to the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the determining the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE comprises determining the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE based on resources available at the UE for non-guaranteed bit rate (non-GBR) traffic.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein the determining the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE comprises determining the number of HARQ processes supported by the UE based on negative acknowledgements (NAKs) received from the UE for prior transmissions of data sent to the UE.