METHOD AND DEVICE FOR COMMUNICATION IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20130165183A1
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Sunell Kai-Erik
• Inventors: Gerstenberger, Dirk, Daniel, Larsson, Kai-Erk, Sunell, Henning, Wiemann
• Application Number:
  US13/393,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20130165183A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0079 Formats for control data H04L1/16 takes precedence; training sequences H04L25/00 and H04L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1819 with retransmission of additional or different redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1835 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1864 ARQ related signaling H04L1/1607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1896 ARQ related signaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9005 using dynamic buffer space allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

The embodiments herein relate to a method in a user equipment (605) for communicating with a base station (603) in a communications network (600). The user equipment (605) is configured to communicate with the base station (603) according to a selectable of at least two user equipment categories. The user equipment (605) selects one of the at least two user equipment categories if information indicating the one of the user equipment categories is received from the base station (603). The user equipment (605) selects a default of the user equipment categories if no information indicating which of the user equipment categories is received from the base station (603). The user equipment (605) determines a soft buffer size according to the selected user equipment category. The user equipment (605) communicates with the base station (603) according to the selected user equipment category and applying the determined soft buffer size.

Claims

1. A method in a user equipment for communicating with a base station in a communications network, wherein the user equipment is configured to communicate with the base station according to a selectable of at least two user equipment categories, the method comprising:

selecting one of the at least two user equipment categories if information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories is received from the base station;

selecting a default of the at least two user equipment categories if no information indicating which of the at least two user equipment categories is received from the base station;

determining a soft buffer size of a soft buffer comprised in the user equipment according to the selected user equipment category; and

communicating with the base station according to the selected user equipment category and applying the determined soft buffer size.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the default of the at least two user equipment categories is preconfigured in the user equipment, and wherein the user equipment communicates with the base station according to the default of the at least two user equipment categories at least until information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories is received from the base station, which received information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment category overrides the default of the at least two user equipment categories.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories is received via a radio resource control, referred to as RRC, protocol.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories is received via broadcast from the base station.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending information about the at least two user equipment categories to the base station.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining the soft buffer size comprised in the user equipment is based on a transmission mode;

and wherein the user equipment is configured with the transmission mode for a downlink communication from the base station to the user equipment.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the transmission mode is transmission mode 9.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the default of the at least two user equipment categories is the earliest of the at least two user equipment categories to have been released by standard.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least two user equipment categories are associated with at least one of release 8/9 of long term evolution, referred to as LTE, and release 10 of LTE.

10. A method in a base station for communicating with a user equipment in a communications network, the base station being configured to communicate with the user equipment according to a selectable of at least two user equipment categories, the method comprising:

determining a soft buffer size of a soft buffer comprised in the user equipment based on information indicating one of the at least two user equipment categories; and

communicating with the user equipment according to the one of the at least two user equipment categories and applying the determined soft buffer size.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

receiving information about the at least two user equipment categories from the user equipment.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining that the communicating with the user equipment should be according to the one of the at least two user equipment categories.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

sending information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories to the user equipment.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the determining the soft buffer size comprised in the user equipment is based on a transmission mode, which transmission mode is used for communicating with the user equipment.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the transmission mode is transmission mode 9.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories is sent via a radio resource control, referred to as RRC, protocol.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories is sent via broadcast to the user equipment.

18. The method according to claim 10, wherein the at least two user equipment categories are associated with at least one of release 8/9 of long term evolution, referred to as LTE, and release 10 of LTE.

19. A user equipment for communicating with a base station in a communications network, the user equipment being configured to communicate with the base station according to a selectable of at least two user equipment categories, the user equipment comprising:

a selecting unit configured to;

select one of the at least two user equipment categories if information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories is received from the base station; and

to

select a default of the at least two user equipment categories if no information indicating which of the at least two user equipment categories is received from the base station;

a determining unit configured to determine a soft buffer size of a soft buffer comprised in the user equipment according to the selected user equipment category; and

a communicating unit configured to communicate with the base station according to the selected user equipment category and applying the determined soft buffer size.

20. The user equipment according to claim 19, wherein the default of the at least two user equipment categories is preconfigured in the user equipment, and wherein the communicating unit is further is configured to communicate with the base station according to the default of the at least two user equipment categories at least until information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories is received from the base station, which received information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories overrides the default of the at least two user equipment categories.

21. The user equipment according to claim 19, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories via a Radio Resource Control, referred to as RRC, protocol.

22. The user equipment according to claim 19, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories via broadcast from the base station.

23. The user equipment according to claim 19, further comprising:

a sender configured to send information about the at least two user equipment categories to the base station.

24. The user equipment according to claim 19, wherein the determining unit is further configured to determine the soft buffer size is based on a transmission mode, and wherein the user equipment is configured with the transmission mode for a downlink communication from the base station to the user equipment.

25. The user equipment according to claim 24, wherein the transmission mode is transmission mode 9.

26. The user equipment according to claim 19, wherein the default of the at least two user equipment categories is the earliest of the at least two user equipment categories to have been released by standard.

27. The user equipment according to claim 19, wherein the at least two user equipment categories are associated with at least one of release 8/9 of long term evolution, referred to as LTE, and release 10 of LTE.

28. A base station for communicating with a user equipment in a communications network, the base station being configured to communicate with the user equipment according to a selectable of at least two user equipment categories, the base station comprising:

a determining unit configured to determine a soft buffer size of a soft buffer comprised in the user equipment based on information indicating one of the at least two user equipment categories; and

a communicating unit configured to communicate with the user equipment according to the one of the at least two user equipment categories and applying the determined soft buffer size.

29. The base station according to claim 28, further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive information about the at least two user equipment categories from the user equipment.

30. The base station according to claim 28, wherein the determining unit is further configured to determine that the communicating with the user equipment should be according to the one of the at least two user equipment categories.

31. The base station according to claim 28, further comprising:

a sender configured to send information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories to the user equipment.

32. The base station according to claim 28, wherein the determining unit is further configured to determine a soft buffer size comprised in the user equipment based on a transmission mode, which transmission mode is used for communicating with the user equipment.

33. The base station according to claim 32, wherein the transmission mode is transmission mode 9.

34. The base station according to claim 28, wherein the sending unit is further configured to send information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories via a radio resource control, referred to as RRC, protocol.

35. The base station according to claim 28, wherein the sending unit is further configured to send information indicating the one of the at least two user equipment categories via broadcast to the user equipment.

36. The base station according to claim 28, wherein the at least two user equipment categories are associated with at least one of release 8/9 of long term evolution, referred to as LTE, and release 10 of LTE.