DYNAMIC ALLOCATION OF SUBFRAME SCHEDULING FOR TIME DIVISON DUPLEX OPERATION IN A PACKET-BASED WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20110211503A1
• Filed: 10/28/2009
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Che, Xiang Guang, Kolding, Troels Emil
• Granted Patent: US 9,584,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/280
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2656 for structure of frame, burst
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0005 Time-frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0096 Indication of changes in allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

Systems and methods for enabling the dynamic allocation of certain sub frames as downlink or uplink resources in a time division duplexed over the air communications system. A base station or eNB may allocate certain subframes within a repeating radio frame of a TDD configuration as either DL or UL subframes for communicating to user equipment or UE devices to increase efficient use of system resources based on the data to be transmitted. Methods for determining the capabilities of a selected UE and based on the determining step, dynamically allocating certain subframes are disclosed. The methods and systems are compatible with user equipment that does not support the dynamic allocation of subframes.

Claims

1-35. -35. (canceled)

36. A method, comprising:

receiving dynamic subframe allocations over an air interface for one or more flexible subframes;

forming a periodic subframe pattern including the flexible subframe allocations used to receive and transmit packets over the air interface; and

wherein time division duplex signals are transmitted and received over a radio frequency air interface using a defined frame having a periodic subframe pattern including downlink and uplink subframes.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein receiving the dynamic subframe allocation further comprises:

receiving information that indicates that certain subframes are protected subframes; and

assigning downlink and uplink subframe allocations to the flexible subframes using implicit rules.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein receiving dynamic subframe allocation further comprises receiving allocations for flexible subframes in a protected downlink subframe that occurs earlier in time in the periodic subframe pattern.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein receiving dynamic allocation further comprises receiving allocations for flexible uplink subframes in a protected downlink subframe that occurs earlier in the periodic subframe pattern.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein receiving dynamic allocation for flexible downlink subframes further comprises receiving allocation within the downlink subframe and performing a blind decoding on the received allocation.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein receiving dynamic allocations for flexible subframes further comprises receiving allocations within the flexible subframe and performing a blind decoding on the received allocation.

42. The method of claim 36, further comprising supporting hybrid automatic retransmission requests and for a dynamically allocated downlink subframe, selecting an appropriate uplink subframe later in the periodic frame for transmitting a retransmission request.

43. The method of claim 36 further comprising:

receiving in a protected subframe a dynamic allocation for flexible uplink subframes;

receiving in a flexible subframe a dynamic allocation for flexible downlink subframes; and

performing a blind decoding on the flexible subframe allocations.

44. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and memory including computer program instructions, the memory and the computer program instructions configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive dynamic subframe allocations over an air interface;

form a time division duplex periodic frame using a periodic subframe pattern and using the received dynamic subframe allocation; and

use the formed time division duplex periodic frame to receive time division duplex downlink packets and to transmit time division duplex uplink packets over the air interface.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine protected subframes and flexible subframes within the time division duplex frame based on an implicit rule.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive allocations for flexible subframes transmitted in a protected downlink subframe that occurs earlier in time in the periodic subframe pattern.

47. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive allocations for flexible uplink subframes transmitted in a protected downlink subframe that occurs earlier in the periodic subframe pattern.

48. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive dynamic subframe allocations within a flexible downlink subframe and configured to perform a blind decoding on the received allocation.

49. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive dynamic subframe allocations within a flexible subframe and configured to perform a blind decoding on the received dynamic subframe allocation.

50. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to assign downlink and uplink subframe allocations to the flexible subframes using implicit rules.

51. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and memory including computer program instructions, the memory and the computer program instructions configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

support the use of dynamically allocated uplink and downlink subframes within defined time division duplex frames for packet communications with user equipment devices;

determine, from a selected time division duplex frame configuration, that certain subframes within the periodic time division duplex frame are protected subframes, and that certain subframes within the periodic time division duplex frame are flexible uplink and flexible downlink subframes;

determine a dynamic allocation of the flexible uplink and flexible downlink subframes; and

transmit the dynamic allocation to a user equipment device over the air interface.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine protected subframes and flexible subframes within the time division duplex frame based on an implicit rule.

53. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to transmit allocations for flexible subframes in a protected downlink subframe that occurs earlier in the periodic subframe pattern.

54. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to transmit allocations for flexible uplink subframes in a protected downlink subframe that occurs earlier in the periodic subframe pattern.

55. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to transmit allocations for flexible downlink subframes in a downlink subframe.