APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COMMUNICATION

• US 20130223255A1
• Filed: 02/27/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Renesas Mobile Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: ENESCU, Mihai, KOIVISTO, Tommi
• Granted Patent: US 9,001,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0029 Reduction of the amount of signalling, e.g. retention of useful signalling or differential signalling power control H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/003 Adaptive formatting arrangements particular to signalling, e.g. variable amount of bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports

Abstract

An apparatus and method for communication are provided. The solution includes controlling the estimation of a radio channel to obtain an estimate of a channel quality, performing quantization of the estimate of the channel quality to obtain a channel quality index, the quantization steps being of non-uniform size and selected on the basis of the accuracy of the estimation on different levels of channel quality, and controlling the transmission of the channel quality index to the communication system.

Claims

1. An apparatus in a first communication system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

controlling the estimation of a radio channel to obtain an estimate of a channel quality;

performing quantization of the estimate of the channel quality to obtain a channel quality index, the quantization steps being of non-uniform size and selected on the basis of the accuracy of the estimation on different levels of channel quality;

controlling the transmission of the channel quality index to the communication system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus being configured to receive from the communication system information on which non-uniform quantization steps to use.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus being configured to:

utilise larger quantization steps for low channel quality values than for high channel quality values.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus being configured to:

utilise quantization steps of 3 to 5 dB for low channel quality values and quantization steps of 1 to 2 dB for high channel quality values.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus being configured to utilise a channel quality index table when performing the quantization, where different index values correspond to different coding and modulation combinations and where the used modulation methods include Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), 16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (16 QAM), 64 QAM and 128 QAM or 256 QAM.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, the apparatus being configured to store more than one channel quality index tables and receive from the communication system information on which table to use when performing quantization.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is user equipment of a LTE or LTE-A communication system.

8. An apparatus in a first communication system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

controlling the reception of a channel quality index transmitted by a transceiver of the communication system, the index describing radio channel quality; and

storing a channel quality index table where different indices correspond to different channel quality values and where the quantization steps dividing quality values to different indices are of non-uniform size and selected on the basis of the accuracy of the estimation on different levels of channel quality.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the apparatus being configured to:

utilise larger quantization steps for low channel quality values than for high channel quality values.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, the apparatus being configured to:

utilise quantization steps of 3 to 5 dB for low channel quality values and quantization steps of 1 to 2 dB for high channel quality values.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, the apparatus being configured to store a channel quality index table where different index values correspond to different coding and modulation combinations and where the used modulation methods include Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) Amplitude Modulation, 16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (16 QAM), 64 QAM and 128 QAM or 256 QAM.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, the apparatus being configured to store more than one channel quality index tables and transmit to the transceiver of the communication system information on which nonuniform quantization steps to use.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is an eNodeB of a LTE or LTE-A communication system.

14. A method in a communication system, comprising:

controlling the estimation of a radio channel to obtain an estimate of a channel quality;

performing quantization of the estimate of the channel quality to obtain a channel quality index, the quantization steps being of non-uniform size and selected on the basis of the accuracy of the estimation on different levels of channel quality;

controlling the transmission of the channel quality index to the communication system.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving from the communication system information on which non-uniform quantization steps to use.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

utilizing larger quantization steps for low channel quality values than for high channel quality values.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

utilizing a channel quality index table when performing the quantization, where different index values correspond to different coding and modulation combinations and where the used modulation methods include Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) Amplitude Modulation, 16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (16 QAM), 64 QAM and 128 QAM or 256 QAM.

18. A method in a communication system, comprising:

controlling the reception of a channel quality index transmitted by a transceiver of the communication system, the index describing radio channel quality; and

storing a channel quality index table where different indices correspond to different channel quality values and where the quantization steps dividing quality values to different indices are of non-uniform size and selected on the basis of the accuracy of the estimation on different levels of channel quality.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising

utilising larger quantization steps for low channel quality values than for high channel quality values.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising

storing a channel quality index table where different index values correspond to different coding and modulation combinations and where the used modulation methods include Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) Amplitude Modulation, 16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (16 QAM), 64 QAM and 128 QAM or 256 QAM.

21. The method of claim 18, the apparatus being configured to store more than one channel quality index tables and transmit to the transceiver of the communication system information on which non-uniform quantization steps to use.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform the steps of:

controlling the estimation of a radio channel to obtain an estimate of a channel quality;

performing quantization of the estimate of the channel quality to obtain a channel quality index, the quantization steps being of non-uniform size and selected on the basis of the accuracy of the estimation on different levels of channel quality; and

controlling the transmission of the channel quality index to the communication system.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform the steps of:

controlling the reception of a channel quality index transmitted by a transceiver of the communication system, the index describing radio channel quality; and

storing a channel quality index table where different indices correspond to different channel quality values and where the quantization steps dividing quality values to different indices are of non-uniform size and selected on the basis of the accuracy of the estimation on different levels of channel quality.