DEVICES FOR RECONFIGURING A SUBFRAME ALLOCATION

• US 20130083736A1
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yin, Zhanping, Yamada, Shohei
• Granted Patent: US 8,934,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

An evolved Node B (eNB) for reconfiguring a subframe allocation is described. The eNB includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The eNB determines whether to adjust a subframe allocation. If it is determined to adjust the subframe allocation, then the eNB determines whether to adjust the subframe allocation with a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration or a physical (PHY) layer reconfiguration. The eNB also adjusts the subframe allocation for the PHY layer reconfiguration. The eNB further adjusts the subframe allocation according to a standard configuration for the RRC reconfiguration.

Claims

1. An evolved Node B (eNB) for reconfiguring a subframe allocation, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to;

determine whether to adjust a subframe allocation, and if it is

determined to adjust the subframe allocation, then;

determine whether to adjust the subframe allocation with a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration or a physical (PHY) layer reconfiguration;

adjust the subframe allocation for the PHY layer reconfiguration; and

adjust the subframe allocation according to a standard configuration for the RRC reconfiguration.

2. The eNB of claim 1, wherein determining whether to adjust the subframe allocation, determining whether to adjust the subframe allocation with the RRC reconfiguration or the PHY layer reconfiguration, adjusting the subframe allocation for the PHY layer reconfiguration and adjusting the subframe allocation according to a standard configuration for the RRC reconfiguration comprise:

entering a state with a standard uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration;

initializing a counter;

determining whether to allocate an additional downlink subframe; and

transitioning to a standard UL-DL configuration with one or more additional downlink subframes if possible if it is determined to allocate the additional downlink subframe.

3. The eNB of claim 2, wherein if it is determined to not allocate the additional downlink subframe, then the instructions are further executable to:

determine whether to allocate an additional uplink subframe based on a traffic load, and if it is determined to allocate the additional uplink subframe, then;

determine whether the counter is less than a maximum allowed number of special subframe type 2 subframes, and if it is determined that the counter is less than the maximum allowed number of special subframe type 2 subframes, then;

transition to a state with an additional special subframe type 2; and

increment the counter.

4. The eNB of claim 3, wherein if it is determined that the counter is not less than the maximum allowed number of special subframe type 2 subframes, then the instructions are further executable to:

determine whether an uplink subframe can be allocated by RRC reconfiguration; and

transition to a standard UL-DL configuration with one or more additional uplink subframes if the uplink subframe can be allocated by RRC reconfiguration.

5. The eNB of claim 3, wherein if it is determined to not allocate the additional uplink subframe, then the instructions are further executable to:

determine whether the counter has a value greater than zero, and if the counter has a value greater than zero, then;

determine whether the number of special subframe type 2 subframes can be reduced, and if the number of subframe type 2 subframes can be reduced, then;

transition to a state with fewer special subframe type 2 subframes; and

decrement the counter.

6. The eNB of claim 1, wherein adjusting the subframe allocation for the PHY layer reconfiguration comprises:

determining whether to add or remove a special subframe type 2;

adding the special subframe type 2 and starting a timer if it is determined to add the special subframe type 2; and

removing the special subframe type 2 if it is determined to remove the special subframe type 2.

7. The eNB of claim 6, wherein if it is determined to add the special subframe type 2, then the instructions are further executable to do one of the group consisting of clearing another timer, freezing the other timer and continuing the other timer.

8. The eNB of claim 6, wherein if it is determined to remove the special subframe type 2, then the instructions are further executable to do one of the group consisting of clearing the timer, starting another timer, resuming the other timer and continuing the other timer.

9. The eNB of claim 1, wherein determining whether to adjust the subframe allocation is based on a traffic load.

10. The eNB of claim 1, wherein adjusting the subframe allocation for the PHY layer reconfiguration and adjusting the subframe allocation according to the standard configuration for the RRC reconfiguration comprises transitioning between states.

11. The eNB of claim 1, wherein adjusting the subframe allocation according to the standard configuration for the RRC reconfiguration is based on a timer.

12. The eNB of claim 1, wherein the eNB is initialized in favor of downlink allocation.

13. A User Equipment (UE) for reconfiguring a subframe allocation, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to;

receive physical (PHY) layer signaling in a downlink subframe where an uplink (UL) grant is not permitted in standard configurations;

determine whether an error is detected; and

convert a downlink subframe to a special subframe type 2 based on the PHY layer signaling if no error is detected.

14. The UE of claim 13, wherein determining whether an error is detected is based on a set of downlink subframes that are allowed to be converted to special subframe type 2 subframes.

15. The UE of claim 13, wherein determining whether an error is detected is based on a set of allowed transitional states.

16. A communication device for reconfiguring a subframe allocation, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable to;

reconfigure a subframe allocation based on a definition, wherein the definition comprises;

a set of allowed downlink subframes for conversion;

orders for subframe conversion;

a configuration of transitional states; and

a set of allowed transitional states.

17. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the communication device is an evolved Node B (eNB).

18. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the communication device is a User Equipment (UE).

19. A method for reconfiguring a subframe allocation, comprising:

determining whether to adjust a subframe allocation, and if it is determined to adjust the subframe allocation, then;

determining whether to adjust the subframe allocation with a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration or a physical (PHY) layer reconfiguration;

adjusting the subframe allocation for the PHY layer reconfiguration; and

adjusting the subframe allocation according to a standard configuration for the RRC reconfiguration.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining whether to adjust the subframe allocation, determining whether to adjust the subframe allocation with the RRC reconfiguration or the PHY layer reconfiguration, adjusting the subframe allocation for the PHY layer reconfiguration and adjusting the subframe allocation according to a standard configuration for the RRC reconfiguration comprise:

entering a state with a standard uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration;

initializing a counter;

determining whether to allocate an additional downlink subframe; and

transitioning to a standard UL-DL configuration with one or more additional downlink subframes if possible if it is determined to allocate the additional downlink subframe.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein if it is determined to not allocate the additional downlink subframe, then the method further comprises:

determining whether to allocate an additional uplink subframe based on a traffic load, and if it is determined to allocate the additional uplink subframe, then;

determining whether the counter is less than a maximum allowed number of special subframe type 2 subframes, and if it is determined that the counter is less than the maximum allowed number of special subframe type 2 subframes, then;

transitioning to a state with an additional special subframe type 2; and

incrementing the counter.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein if it is determined that the counter is not less than the maximum allowed number of special subframe type 2 subframes, then the method further comprises:

determining whether an uplink subframe can be allocated by RRC reconfiguration; and

transitioning to a standard UL-DL configuration with one or more additional uplink subframes if the uplink subframe can be allocated by RRC reconfiguration.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein if it is determined to not allocate the additional uplink subframe, then the method further comprises:

determining whether the counter has a value greater than zero, and if the counter has a value greater than zero, then;

determining whether the number of special subframe type 2 subframes can be reduced, and if the number of subframe type 2 subframes can be reduced, then;

transitioning to a state with fewer special subframe type 2 subframes; and

decrementing the counter.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein adjusting the subframe allocation for the PHY layer reconfiguration comprises:

determining whether to add or remove a special subframe type 2;

adding the special subframe type 2 and starting a timer if it is determined to add the special subframe type 2; and

removing the special subframe type 2 if it is determined to remove the special subframe type 2.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein if it is determined to add the special subframe type 2, then the method further comprises doing one of the group consisting of clearing another timer, freezing the other timer and continuing the other timer.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein if it is determined to remove the special subframe type 2, then the method further comprises doing one of the group consisting of clearing the timer, starting another timer, resuming the other timer and continuing the other timer.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein determining whether to adjust the subframe allocation is based on a traffic load.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein adjusting the subframe allocation for the PHY layer reconfiguration and adjusting the subframe allocation according to the standard configuration for the RRC reconfiguration comprises transitioning between states.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein adjusting the subframe allocation according to the standard configuration for the RRC reconfiguration is based on a timer.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein an evolved NodeB (eNB) is initialized in favor of downlink allocation.

31. A method for reconfiguring a subframe allocation on a User Equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving physical (PHY) layer signaling in a downlink subframe where an uplink (UL) grant is not permitted in standard configurations;

determining whether an error is detected; and

converting a downlink subframe to a special subframe type 2 based on the PHY layer signaling if no error is detected.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein determining whether an error is detected is based on a set of downlink subframes that are allowed to be converted to special subframe type 2 subframes.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein determining whether an error is detected is based on a set of allowed transitional states.

34. A method for reconfiguring a subframe allocation on a communication device, comprising:

reconfiguring a subframe allocation based on a definition, wherein the definition comprises;

a set of allowed downlink subframes for conversion;

orders for subframe conversion;

a configuration of transitional states; and

a set of allowed transitional states.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the communication device is an evolved Node B (eNB).

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the communication device is a User Equipment (UE).