HARQ PROCESS NUMBER MANAGEMENT FOR DOWNLINK CARRIER AGGREGATION

• US 20100254328A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: McBeath, Sean, Yu, Yi, Cai, Zhijun
• Granted Patent: US 8,942,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• 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 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/26 Systems using multi-frequency codes H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A method for use with a mobile user agent, the method for managing Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) processes in a multi carrier communication system that uses HARQ process indicators (HPIs) to manage HARQ processes, the method comprising the steps of designating a first subset of the HPIs as shared HPIs wherein each shared HPI designates a HARQ process irrespective of which of a plurality of system carrier frequencies are used to transmit a traffic packet, designating a second subset of the HPIs as non-carrier-shared HPIs wherein each non-carrier-shared HPI, in conjunction with the carrier frequency used to transmit a traffic packet, designates a carrier frequency unique HARQ process, receiving an HPI at the mobile user agent, receiving a first traffic packet via a carrier frequency at the user agent that is associated with the HPI, where the HPI is a first subset HPI using the HPI to identify a HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet irrespective of the carrier frequency used to transmit the traffic packet and providing the traffic packet to the identified HARQ process and where the HPI is a second subset HPI using the HPI and the carrier frequency on which the first traffic packet was received to identify a carrier frequency specific HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet and providing the first traffic packet to the carrier frequency specific HARQ process.

Claims

1. A method for use with a mobile user agent, the method for managing Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) processes in a multi carrier communication system that uses HARQ process indicators (HPIs) to manage HARQ processes, the method comprising the steps of, within the mobile user agent:

designating a first subset of the HPIs as shared HPIs wherein each shared HPI designates a HARQ process irrespective of which of a plurality of system carrier frequencies are used to transmit a traffic packet; and

designating a second subset of the HPIs as non-carrier-shared HPIs wherein each non-carrier-shared HPI, in conjunction with the carrier frequency used to transmit a traffic packet, designates a carrier frequency unique HARQ process.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

receiving an HPI at the mobile user agent;

receiving a first traffic packet via a carrier frequency at the user agent that is associated with the HPI;

where the HPI is a first subset HPI;

(i) using the HPI to identify a HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet irrespective of the carrier frequency used to transmit the traffic packet; and

(ii) providing the first traffic packet to the identified HARQ process;

where the HPI is a second subset HPI;

(i) using the HPI and the carrier frequency on which the first traffic packet was received to identify a carrier frequency specific HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet; and

(ii) providing the first traffic packet to the carrier frequency specific HARQ process.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first traffic packet is received on a first carrier frequency and a first HPI associated with the first traffic packet includes a first subset HPI, the method further including the steps of receiving a second traffic packet at the mobile user agent on a second carrier frequency where an HPI associated with the second traffic packet is the first HPI and, providing the second traffic packet to the HARQ process that received the first traffic packet.

4. The method of claim 3 further including the steps of:

receiving third and fourth traffic packets via the first and second carrier frequencies, respectively, where each of the third and fourth traffic packets are associated with a third HPI and wherein the third HPI is a second subset HPI; and

providing the third and fourth traffic packets to separate HARQ processes.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the system uses four carrier frequencies and the HPIs include eight distinct HPIs.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first subset includes two HPIs and the second subset includes six HPIs.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of, prior to the steps of designating, receiving an HPI configuration message at the user agent indicating shared and non-shared HPI, the steps of designating including using the HPI configuration message information to designate the shared and non-shared HPI in a user agent HARQ process buffer.

8. A method performed by a user agent, the method comprising:

a. designating one carrier as an anchor carrier;

b. designating a plurality of carriers as assigned carriers, wherein at least one of the plurality of assigned carriers is designated as an inactive carrier; and

c. receiving a command on a control channel of the anchor carrier, the command resulting in changing the designation of at least one of the at least one inactive assigned carriers to an active assigned carrier.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the command is a PDCCH for a DCI packet including a particular HPI.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of changing the designation of the active assigned carrier to an inactive assigned carrier after a timer expires.

11. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of, prior to the steps of designating, receiving an HPI configuration message at the user agent indicating anchor and assigned carriers, the steps of designating including using the HPI configuration message information to designate the anchor and assigned carriers.

12. A method to be performed by a user agent, the method comprising the steps of:

a. performing capability negotiations with an access device using three bit HPI to identify a DCI format/communication protocol and corresponding maximum HPI bit count; and

b. where the maximum HPI bit count is greater than three, communicating using the maximum HPI bit count.

13. A mobile user agent for use in a multi-carrier communication system comprising:

a processor programmed to perform the steps of;

designating a first subset of the HPIs as shared HPIs wherein each shared HPI designates a HARQ process irrespective of which of a plurality of system carrier frequencies are used to transmit a traffic packet; and

designating a second subset of the HPIs as non-carrier-shared HPIs wherein each non-carrier-shared HPI, in conjunction with the carrier frequency used to transmit a traffic packet, designates a carrier frequency unique HARQ process.

14. The user agent of claim 13 wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of:

receiving an HPI at the mobile user agent;

receiving a first traffic packet via a carrier frequency at the user agent that is associated with the HPI;

where the HPI is a first subset HPI;

(i) using the HPI to identify a HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet irrespective of the carrier frequency used to transmit the traffic packet; and

(ii) providing the first traffic packet to the identified HARQ process;

where the HPI is a second subset HPI;

(i) using the HPI and the carrier frequency on which the first traffic packet was received to identify a carrier frequency specific HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet; and

(ii) providing the first traffic packet to the carrier frequency specific HARQ process.

15. The user agent of claim 14 wherein the first traffic packet is received on a first carrier frequency and a first HPI associated with the first traffic packet includes a first subset HPI, the processor further programmed to perform the steps of receiving a second traffic packet at the mobile user agent on a second carrier frequency where an HPI associated with the second traffic packet is the first HPI and, providing the second traffic packet to the HARQ process that received the first traffic packet.

16. A user agent for use in a communication network, the user agent comprising:

a processor programmed to perform the steps of;

a. designating one carrier as an anchor carrier;

b. designating a plurality of carriers as assigned carriers, wherein at least one of the plurality of assigned carriers is designated as an inactive carrier; and

c. receiving a command on a control channel of the anchor carrier, the command resulting in changing the designation of at least one of the at least one inactive assigned carriers to an active assigned carrier.

17. The user agent of claim 16 wherein the command is a PDCCH for a DCI packet including a particular HPI.

18. The user agent of claim 16 wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of changing the designation of the active assigned carrier to an inactive assigned carrier after a timer expires.

19. A user agent for use in a communication system wherein the user agent comprises:

a processor programmed to perform the steps of;

a. performing capability negotiations with an access device using three bit HPI to identify a DCI format/communication protocol and corresponding maximum HPI bit count; and

b. where the maximum HPI bit count is greater than three, communicating using the maximum HPI bit count.