HARQ-ACK SIGNAL TRANSMISSION IN RESPONSE TO DETECTION OF CONTROL CHANNEL TYPE IN CASE OF MULTIPLE CONTROL CHANNEL TYPES

• US 20130230030A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: PAPASAKELLARIOU, Aris, CHO, Joon-Young
• Granted Patent: US 9,271,271 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1896 ARQ related signaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described for a User Equipment (UE) to transmit and for a base station to receive a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest ACKnowledgement (HARQ-ACK) signal in a resource of a Physical Uplink Control CHannel (PUCCH). The HARQ-ACK signal is transmitted from the UE in response to a detection of a PDCCH transmitted from the base station and conveying a DCI format that, depending on the PDCCH type, can include a HARQ-ACK PUCCH Resource Offset (HPRO) information field. The UE and the NodeB determine the PUCCH resource depending on the PDCCH type and, if the DCI format includes the HPRO, also depending on a PDCCH transmission type.

Claims

1. A method for a User Equipment (UE) to transmit a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest ACKnowledgement (HARQ-ACK) signal in a Physical Uplink Control CHannel (PUCCH) in response to a detection of a first Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) or a second PDCCH transmitted from a base station in a Transmission Time Interval (TTI), the method comprising the steps of:

detecting, by the UE, the first PDCCH over a first number of Control Channel Elements (CCEs) of a first type or the second PDCCH over a second number of CCEs of a second type, wherein the first PDCCH conveys a first Downlink Control Information (DCI) format comprising information fields, and wherein the second PDCCH conveys a second DCI format comprising all information fields of the first DCI format and further comprising a HARQ-ACK PUCCH Resource Offset (HPRO) information field;

determining, by the UE, a first PUCCH resource, n_PUCCH, as n_PUCCH=n_CCE+N_PUCCH, when the UE detects the first PDCCH, wherein n_CCE is a first CCE used for the first DCI format in the first PDCCH, and N_PUCCH is a first offset assigned to the UE from the base station via higher layer signaling;

determining, by the UE, a second PUCCH resource, n_PUCCH2, as n_PUCCH2=n_ECCE+f(HPRO)+N_PUCCH^E, when the UE detects the second PDCCH, wherein n_ECCE is a first CCE used for the second DCI format of the second PDCCH, f(HPRO) is a mapping function that provides an integer based on the HPRO information field, and N_PUCCH^E is a second offset assigned to the UE from the base station via higher layer signaling; and

transmitting, by the UE, the HARQ-ACK signal in the determined first or second PUCCH resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the HPRO information field comprises two bits.

3. The method of claim 1, when a minimum number of the CCEs of first type and second type used by the base station to transmit the first or second PDCCH in the TTI is two, the first or second PUCCH resource is determined by replacing n_ECCE with └

n_ECCE/2┘

, where └

┘

denotes a ‘

floor’

function that rounds a number to its immediately lower integer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein first PUCCH resources corresponding to first PDCCHs at least partially overlap second PUCCH resources corresponding to second PDCCHs.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein collisions among the first PUCCH resources corresponding to the first PDCCHs and the second PUCCH resources corresponding to the second PDCCHs are avoided through the use of the HPRO information field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the UE detects the second PDCCH and the HARQ-ACK signal is transmitted from two antennas, a first antenna uses the second PUCCH resource, n_PUCCH2, and a second antenna uses a third PUCCH resource determined as n_PUCCH3=n_ECCE+1+f(HPRO)+N_PUCCH^E.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein possible values for the first number of the CCEs of the first type for the first PDCCH are different than possible values for the second number of the CCEs of the second type for the second PDCCH.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first DCI format and the second DCI format comprise Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) bits that are scrambled with a same type of a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI).

9. A method for a base station (NodeB) to receive a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest ACKnowledgement (HARQ-ACK) signal in a Physical Uplink Control CHannel (PUCCH), the HARQ-ACK signal transmitted from a User Equipment (UE) in response to a detection of a first Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) or a second PDCCH in a Transmission Time Interval (TTI), the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, by the NodeB, the first PDCCH over a first number of Control Channel Elements (CCEs) of a first type or the second PDCCH over a second number of CCEs of second type, wherein the first PDCCH conveys a first Downlink Control Information (DCI) format comprising information fields, and wherein the second PDCCH conveys a second DCI format comprising all information fields of the first DCI format and further comprising a HARQ-ACK PUCCH Resource Offset (HPRO) information field;

determining, by the NodeB, a first PUCCH resource, n_PUCCH, as n_PUCCH=n_CCE+N_PUCCH, when the NodeB transmits the first PDCCH, wherein n_CCE is a first CCE used for the first DCI format in the first PDCCH, and N_PUCCH is a first offset;

determining, by the NodeB, a second PUCCH resource, n_PUCCH2, as n_PUCCH2=n_ECCE+f(HPRO)+N_PUCCH^E, when the NodeB transmits the second PDCCH, wherein n_ECCE is a first CCE used for the second DCI format of the second PDCCH, f(HPRO) is a mapping function that provides an integer based on the HPRO information field, and N_PUCCH^E is a second offset; and

receiving, by the NodeB, the HARQ-ACK signal in the determined first or second PUCCH resource.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the HPRO information field comprises two elements.

11. The method if claim 9, wherein, when a minimum number of the CCEs of the first type or second type used by the base station to transmit the first or second PDCCH in the TTI is two, the first or second PUCCH resource is determined by replacing n_ECCE with └

n_ECCE/2┘

, where └

┘

denotes a ‘

floor’

function that rounds a number to its immediately lower integer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein first PUCCH resources corresponding to first PDCCHs at least partially overlap with second PUCCH resources corresponding to second PDCCHs.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein collisions among the first PUCCH resources corresponding to the first PDCCHs and the second PUCCH resources corresponding to the second PDCCHs are avoided through the use of the HPRO field.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein, when the NodeB transmits the second PDCCH and the HARQ-ACK signal is transmitted from two antennas, the second PUCCH resource is used in reception from a first antenna, and a third PUCCH resource is used in reception from a second antenna, wherein the third PUCCH resource is determined as n_PUCCH3=n_ECCE+1+f(HPRO)+N_PUCCH^E.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein possible values for the first number of the CCEs of the first type for the first PDCCH are different than possible values for the second number of the CCEs of the second type for the second PDCCH.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the first DCI format and the second DCI format include Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) bits that are scrambled with a same type of a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI).

17. A User Equipment (UE) apparatus for transmitting a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest ACKnowledgement (HARQ-ACK) signal in a Physical Uplink Control CHannel (PUCCH) in response to a detection of a first Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) or a second PDCCH in a Transmission Time Interval (TTI), the apparatus comprising:

a detector for detecting the first PDCCH over a first number of Control Channel Elements (CCEs) or the second PDCCH over a second number of CCEs, wherein the first PDCCH conveys a first Downlink Control Information (DCI) format comprising information fields, and wherein the second PDCCH conveys a second DCI format comprising all information fields of the first DCI format and further comprising a HARQ-ACK PUCCH Resource Offset (HPRO) information field;

a receiver for receiving a first offset and a second offset;

a computation unit for determining a first PUCCH resource, n_PUCCH, as n_PUCCH=n_CCE+N_PUCCH, when the UE apparatus detects the first PDCCH, wherein n_CCE is a first CCE used for the first DCI format in the first PDCCH, and N_PUCCH is the first offset, or for determining a second PUCCH resource n_PUCCH2, as n_PUCCH2=n_ECCE+f(HPRO)+N_PUCCH^E, when the UE apparatus detects the second PDCCH, wherein n_ECCE is a first CCE used for the second DCI format in the second PDCCH, f(HPRO) is a mapping function that provides an integer based on the HPRO information field, and N_PUCCH^E is the second offset; and

a transmitter for transmitting the HARQ-ACK signal in the determined first or second PUCCH resource.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the HPRO information field comprises two elements.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein, when a minimum number of the CCEs of the first type or second type used to transmit the first or second PDCCH in the TTI is two, the first or second PUCCH resource is determined by replacing n_ECCE with └

n_ECCE/2┘

, where └

┘

denotes a ‘

floor’

function that rounds a number to its immediately lower integer.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein first PUCCH resources corresponding to first PDCCHs at least partially overlap second PUCCH resources corresponding to second PDCCHs.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein collisions among the first PUCCH resources corresponding to the first PDCCHs and the second PUCCH resources corresponding to the second PDCCHs are avoided through the use of the HPRO information field.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein, when the HARQ-ACK is transmitted from two antennas and in response to a detection of the second PDCCH, a first antenna uses the second PUCCH resource, and a second antenna uses a third PUCCH resource determined as n_PUCCH3=n_ECCE+1+f(HPRO)+N_PUCCH^E.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein possible values for the first number of the CCEs of the first type for the first PDCCH are different than possible values for the second number of the CCEs of the first type or second type for the second PDCCH.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first DCI format and the second DCI format comprise Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) bits that are scrambled with a same type of a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI).

25. A base station (NodeB) apparatus for receiving a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest ACKnowledgement (HARQ-ACK) signal in a Physical Uplink Control CHannel (PUCCH), the HARQ-ACK signal transmitted from a User Equipment (UE) in response to a detection of a first Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) or a second PDCCH transmitted from the NodeB apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting a first offset and a second offset, and for transmitting a first PDCCH over a first number of Control Channel Elements (CCEs) or a second PDCCH over a second number of CCEs, wherein the first PDCCH conveys a first Downlink Control Information (DCI) format comprising information fields and the second PDCCH conveys a second DCI format comprising all information fields of the first DCI format and further comprising a HARQ-ACK PUCCH Resource Offset (HPRO) information field;

a computation unit for determining a first PUCCH resource, n_PUCCH, as n_PUCCH=n_CCE+N_PUCCH, when the NodeB apparatus transmits the first PDCCH, wherein n_CCE is a first CCE used for the first DCI format in the first PDCCH, and N_PUCCH is the first offset, or for determining a second PUCCH resource, n_PUCCH2, as n_PUCCH2=n_ECCE+f(HPRO)+N_PUCCH^E, when the NodeB apparatus transmits the second PDCCH, wherein n_ECCE is a first CCE used for the second DCI format in the second PDCCH, f(HPRO) is a mapping function that provides an integer based on the HPRO information field, and N_PUCCH^E is the second offset; and

a receiver for receiving the HARQ-ACK signal in the determined first or second PUCCH resource.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the HPRO information field comprises two elements.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein, when a minimum number of the CCEs of the first type or second type used to transmit the first or second PDCCH in the TTI is two, the first or second PUCCH resource is determined by replacing n_ECCE with └

n_ECCE/2┘

, where └

┘

denotes a ‘

floor’

function that rounds a number to its immediately lower integer.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein first PUCCH resources corresponding to the first PDCCHs at least partially overlap with second PUCCH resources corresponding to the second PDCCHs.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein collisions among the first PUCCH resources corresponding to the first PDCCHs and the second PUCCH resources corresponding to the second PDCCHs are avoided through the use of the HPRO information field.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein, when the HARQ-ACK signal is transmitted from two antennas and in response to a detection of the second PDCCH, the second PUCCH resource is used in reception from a first antenna, and a third PUCCH resource is used in reception from a second antenna, where the third PUCCH resource is determined as n_PUCCH3=n_ECCE+1+f(HPRO)+N_PUCCH^E.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein possible values for the first number of the CCEs of the first type for the first PDCCH are different than possible values for the second number of the CCEs of the first type or second type for the second PDCCH.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first DCI format and the second DCI format include Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) bits that are scrambled with a same type of a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI).