BASE STATION AND METHOD FOR CONFIGURING SUB-FRAMES FOR RELAY-NODE OPERATIONS

• US 20120263135A1
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sassan Ahmadi
• Inventors: Ahmadi, Sassan
• Granted Patent: US 8,634,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2656 for structure of frame, burst
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2025/03426 transmission using multiple-input and multiple-output channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03012 operating in the time domain H04L25/03165, H04L25/03178 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2603 Signal structure ensuring backward compatibility with legacy system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2607 Cyclic extensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/065 using assembly or disassembly of packets

Abstract

A frame structure for support of large delay spread deployment scenarios (e.g., cellular system operation in large cell sizes or low frequency bands) is generally presented. In this regard a method is introduced comprising partitioning a radio frame into a plurality of equal-sized (or non-equal-sized) sub-frames to simplify system implementation. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for base station (eNB) to relay node (RN) (eNB-RN) transmissions in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technique, the method comprising:

configuring sub-frames in accordance with an uplink-downlink configuration and a subframe configuration for an eNB to RN transmission, each sub-frame comprising slots fbr transmitting signals within resource blocks, wherein a cyclic prefix (CP) having a predetermined length is appended to each symbol of the sub-frames; and

transmitting symbols of the sub-frames that are pre-designated for downlink transmission based on the uplink-downlink configuration and the subframe configuration,

wherein the uplink-downlink configuration and the subframe configuration define a frame structure that indicates which sub-frames of a frame are downlink subframes pre-designated for eNB-RN transmissions and which subframes are uplink subframes pre-designated for RN-eNB transmissions.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring the subframes in accordance with a slot configuration, the slot configuration to restrict transmissions to a subset of symbols in a slot.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the slot configuration indicates a start symbol index and an end symbol index for at least one of a first slot and a second slot of a resource block.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the subset of symbols in each slot is limited to either six or seven symbols based on the slot configuration, and

wherein the method further comprises determining the slot configuration based on whether sub-frame boundaries with a RN are time-aligned.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the uplink-downlink configuration and the subframe configuration from a plurality of an uplink-downlink configurations and a plurality of subframe configurations for the eNB to RN transmission.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the uplink-downlink configuration and the subframe configuration further indicates which sub-frames of the frame are not pre-designated for RN operations.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving symbols within the sub-frames from a RN that are pre-designated for uplink transmissions based on the uplink-downlink configuration and the subframe configuration.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein a length of the cyclic prefix is selected based on a delay spread of the channel.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a time division duplex mode for transmitting sub-frames.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a frequency division duplex mode for transmitting sub-frames.

11. A base station configured for relay node (RN) transmissions in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technique, the base station comprising:

processing circuitry to configure sub-frames in accordance with an uplink-downlink configuration and a subframe configuration for a RN transmission, each sub-frame comprising slots for transmitting signals within resource blocks, wherein a cyclic prefix (CP) having a predetermined length is appended to each symbol of the sub-frames; and

physical-layer circuitry to transmit symbols of the sub-frames that are pre-designated for downlink transmission based on the uplink-downlink configuration and the subframe configuration,

wherein the uplink-downlink configuration and the subframe configuration define a frame structure that indicates which sub-frames of a frame are downlink subframes pre-designated for eNB-RN transmissions and which subframes are uplink subframes pre-designated for RN-eNB transmissions.

12. The base station of claim 11 wherein the processing circuitry is to further configure the subframes in accordance with a slot configuration, the slot configuration to restrict transmissions to a subset of symbols in a slot.

13. The base station of claim 12 wherein the slot configuration indicates a start symbol index and an end symbol index for at least one of a first slot and a second slot of a resource block.

14. The base station of claim 13 wherein the subset of symbols in each slot is limited to either six or seven symbols based on the slot configuration, and

wherein the processing circuitry is to determine the slot configuration based on whether sub-frame boundaries with a RN are time-aligned.

15. The base station of claim 14 wherein the first slot and the second slot are configured for transmission in accordance with the Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard.

16. Processing circuitry for configuring sub-frames for base station (eNB) to relay node (RN) (eNB-RN) transmissions in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) technique, the processing circuitry comprising:

circuitry to configure sub-frames in accordance with a slot configuration for an eNB to RN transmission, the slot configuration to restrict transmissions to a subset of symbols in a slot; and

circuitry to configure symbols of the sub-frames for transmission at least in accordance with the slot configuration,

wherein the slot configuration indicates a start symbol index and an end symbol index for at least one of a first slot and a second slot of a resource block.

17. The processing circuitry of claim 16 wherein the subset of symbols in each slot is limited to either six or seven symbols based on the slot configuration.

18. The processing circuitry of claim 17, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the slot configuration based on whether sub-frame boundaries with a RN are time-aligned.

19. The processing of claim 18 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

configure the sub-frames in accordance with an uplink-downlink configuration and a subframe configuration for the eNB to RN transmission, each sub-frame comprising slots for transmitting signals within resource blocks.

20. The processing circuitry of claim 19 wherein the uplink-downlink configuration and the subframe configuration define a frame structure that indicates which sub-frames of a frame are downlink subframes pre-designated for eNB-RN transmissions, which subframes are uplink subframes pre designated for RN-eNB transmissions, and which subframes are not pre-designated for RN operations.

21. A method for transmissions between a base station and a relay station in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing technique, the method comprising:

configuring sub-frames for transmission of symbols from the base station to the relay station in a wireless wide area network in accordance with an uplink-downlink configuration and a sub-frame configuration, each sub-frame of a frame comprising slots for resource blocks;

adding a cyclic prefix to each of the symbols; and

transmitting the symbols in the sub-frames that are pre-designated for downlink transmission based on the uplink-downlink configuration and the sub-frame configuration, wherein the uplink-downlink configuration and the sub-frame configuration define a frame structure to indicate which sub-frames of the frame are downlink sub-frames pre-designated for base station to relay station transmissions and which sub-frames are uplink sub-frames pre-designated for relay station to base station transmissions.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising configuring one or more of the sub-frames to include a subset of the symbols.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the frame structure further includes sub-frames comprising an idle time slot.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein each slot is limited to either six or seven symbols based on a slot configuration.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising determining the uplink-downlink configuration from a plurality of uplink-downlink configurations.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the uplink-downlink configuration and the sub-frame configuration further indicates which sub-frames of the frame are not pre-designated for relay station operations.

27. The method of claim 21 further comprising transmitting configuration information of the frame structure from the base station to the relay station over a control channel.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the frame structure further comprises primary synchronization sequences and secondary synchronization sequences to communicate with a legacy terminal and a non-legacy terminal.

29. The method of claim 23 further comprising using a time division duplex mode for transmitting sub-frames.

30. The method of claim 21 further comprising using a frequency division duplex mode for transmitting sub-frames.

31. A base station configured to transmit signals to a relay station in accordance with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing technique, the base station comprising:

processing circuitry to configure sub-frames in accordance with an uplink-downlink configuration and a sub-frame configuration for transmission in a wireless wide area network, each sub-frame comprising slots for transmitting symbols within resource blocks; and

physical-layer circuitry to transmit symbols, from the base station to the relay station, of the sub-frames pre-designated for downlink transmission based on the uplink-downlink configuration and the sub-frame configuration,

wherein the uplink-downlink configuration and the sub-frame configuration define a frame structure to indicate which sub-frames of a frame are downlink sub-frames pre-designated for base station to relay station transmissions and which sub-frames are uplink sub-frames pre-designated for relay station to base station transmissions.

32. The base station of claim 31 wherein the physical-layer circuitry is adapted to receive symbols using spatial division multiple access communications.

33. The base station of claim 31 wherein the base station is to operate in accordance with the Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard.

34. A base station as in any one of claims 31, 32, and 33, in which the base station further comprises one or more antennas.

35. The base station of claim 31 wherein the physical-layer circuitry is adapted to receive single carrier modulated signals and to transmit multi carrier modulated signals.

36. Processing circuitry for medium access control layer processing comprising circuitry to configure a frame structure for transmission of signals in a wireless wide area network, the frame structure comprising an idle time sub-frame, an uplink sub-frame, and a downlink sub-frame comprising two slots, wherein each slot is configured for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols having a cyclic prefix, wherein a number of OFDM symbols in each slot is determined according to a cycle prefix length, and wherein the frame structure further comprises primary synchronization sequences and secondary synchronization sequences to communicate with a legacy terminal and a non-legacy terminal.

37. The processing circuitry of claim 36 wherein each slot is limited to either six or seven symbols based in a slot configuration.

38. The processing circuitry of claim 37, wherein the processing circuitry is further adapted to communicate with a radio frequency interface.

39. The processing of claim 38 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

configure the sub-frames in accordance with an uplink-downlink configuration tier transmissions between a base station and a relay station, each sub-frame comprising slots for transmitting the signals within resource blocks.

40. The processing circuitry of claim 39 wherein the uplink-downlink configuration and the sub-frame configuration define a frame structure to indicate which sub-frames of a frame are downlink sub-frames pre-designated for base station to relay station transmissions, which sub-frames are uplink sub-frames pre designated for relay station to base station transmissions and which sub-frames are not pre-designated for relay station operations.