ACKNAK Repetition Schemes in Wireless Networks

• US 20090207793A1
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Shen, Zukang, Bertrand, Pierre, Muharemovic, Tarik
• Granted Patent: US 8,184,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/001 applied to control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1685 the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1692 Physical properties of the supervisory signal, e.g. acknowledgement by energy bursts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1858 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of acknowledgement message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

ACK/NAK repetition may be necessary to provide sufficient coverage for cell edge UEs. For a coverage limited UE, a NodeB may inform the UE that ACK/NAK repetition is needed. Such information can be explicitly signaled to the UE via DL control channels or conveyed through higher layer signaling. Further, a specific resource for ACK/NAK repetition and the number of repeated transmissions of ACK/NAK are further signaled to the UE.

Claims

1. A method for providing feedback information in a wireless communication system, comprising:

receiving an indication to repeat a type of feedback information; and

receiving an allocation of resource S1 in uplink for use to repeat the feedback information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a number N, wherein the transmission of the feedback information comprises N transmission instances.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating the feedback information; and

transmitting the feedback information in M transmission instances using the allocated uplink resource S1, where 1≦

M≦

N.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a block of data on a downlink shared data channel;

decoding the received data;

generating either a positive acknowledgement when the received data is decoded correctly or a negative acknowledgement when the data is decoded incorrectly as the feedback information; and

transmitting the feedback information N times using the allocated uplink resource S1.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transmission of the feedback information occurs in N consecutive uplink subframes.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprises:

receiving an allocation of resources for a downlink shared data channel through a downlink control channel;

receiving a block of data on the allocated downlink shared data channel;

decoding the received data; and

generating either a positive acknowledgement when the received data is decoded correctly or a negative acknowledgement when the data is decoded incorrectly as the feedback information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprises:

deriving an uplink resource S2 for transmission of the feedback information using the downlink control channel information;

transmitting the feedback information once using the uplink resource S2; and

transmitting the feedback information N−

1 times using the uplink resource S1.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmission of the feedback information occurs in N consecutive uplink subframes.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the feedback information using uplink resource S2 occurs in the first of the N consecutive uplink subframes;

and wherein transmitting the feedback information N−

1 times using the uplink resource S1 occur in the last N−

1 subframes of the N consecutive uplink subframes.

10. An apparatus for use in a wireless network, comprising:

processing circuitry coupled to receiver circuitry and to transmitter circuitry;

wherein the receiver circuitry is operable to receive an indication to repeat a type of feedback information, an allocation of resource S1 in uplink for use to repeat the feedback information, and an indication of a number N, wherein the transmission of the feedback information comprises N transmission instances;

wherein the processing circuitry is operable to generate the feedback information; and

wherein the transmitting circuitry is operable to transmit the feedback information in M transmission instances using the allocated uplink resource S1, where 1≦

M≦

N.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the receiver circuitry is further operable to receive an allocation of resources for a downlink shared data channel through a downlink control channel, and to receive a block of data on the allocated downlink shared data channel;

the processing circuitry is further operable to decode the received data and to generate as the feedback information either a positive acknowledgement when the received data is decoded correctly or a negative acknowledgement when the data is decoded incorrectly, and further operable to derive an uplink resource S2 for transmission of the feedback information using the downlink control channel information; and

the transmitter circuitry is further operable to transmit the feedback information once using the uplink resource S2 and to transmit the feedback information N−

1 times using the uplink resource S1.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the feedback information is transmitted using uplink resource S2 in the first of N consecutive uplink subframes, and the feedback information is transmitted N−

1 times using the uplink resource S1 in the last N−

1 subframes of the N consecutive uplink subframes.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 being a cellular telephone.

14. A method for receiving feedback in a wireless communication system, comprising:

determining a user equipment (UE) should repeat feedback information;

transmitting to the UE an indication to repeat a type of feedback information; and

transmitting to the UE an allocation of resource S1 for use in uplink to repeat the feedback information.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting to the UE an indication of a number N, wherein the transmission of the feedback information comprises N transmission instances.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting to the UE a block of data on a downlink shared data channel; and

receiving from the UE the feedback information transmitted N times using the allocated uplink resource S1, wherein the feedback information is either a positive acknowledgement when the transmitted block of data is decoded correctly by the UE or a negative acknowledgement when the block of data is decoded incorrectly by the UE.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the reception of the feedback information occurs in N consecutive uplink subframes.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting to the UE an allocation of resources for a downlink shared data channel through a downlink control channel, wherein the downlink control channel implies an uplink resource S2;

transmitting to the UE a block of data on the allocated downlink shared data channel; and

receiving from the UE the feedback information once using the allocated uplink resource S2 and N−

1 times using the allocated uplink resource S1, wherein the feedback information is either a positive acknowledgement when the transmitted block of data is decoded correctly by the UE or a negative acknowledgement when the block of data is decoded incorrectly by the UE.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the reception of the feedback information occurs in N consecutive uplink subframes.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving the feedback information using uplink resource S2 occurs in the first of the N consecutive uplink subframes;

and wherein receiving the feedback information N−

1 times using the uplink resource S1 occur in the last N−

1 subframes of the N consecutive uplink subframes.