METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING TRANSMISSION OF TTI BUNDLES VIA A LTE DOWNLINK CHANNEL

• US 20150036476A1
• Filed: 07/31/2013
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rolling Wireless SA RL
• Original Assignee: Sierra Wireless Incorporated
• Inventors: VOS, Gustav Gerald
• Granted Patent: US 9,769,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/216
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1877 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications like streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream control arrangements H04N21/44004
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A method and system for facilitating communication between an Evolved Node B (eNB) and a user equipment (UE) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. In particular the technology addresses downlink transmission via potentially large TTI bundles. The eNB transmits a downlink grant message to the UE, indicating a pending TTI bundle for downlink transmission. The UE transmits an acknowledgement message to the eNB if the DL grant message is successfully received and decoded. The eNB aborts transmission of the TTI bundle if it fails to timely receive the acknowledgement and may reassign the network resources scheduled for use in the transmission. In some embodiments, the eNB may introduce a delay between the downlink grant message and the TTI bundle.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating communication between an Evolved Node B (eNB) and a user equipment (UE) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the method comprising:

a. transmitting a downlink (DL) grant message from the eNB to the UE, the DL grant message indicative of a pending TTI bundle for transmission from the eNB to the UE;

b. transmitting an acknowledgement message from the UE to the eNB when the DL grant message is successfully received and decoded by the UE; and

c. aborting transmission of the TTI bundle from the eNB to the UE when successful receipt by the eNB of the acknowledgement message fails to occur within an expected time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the DL grant message comprises a request for the UE to transmit the acknowledgement message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising commencing transmission of the TTI bundle prior to an ending of the expected time interval, wherein aborting transmission of the TTI bundle comprises interrupting transmission of the TTI bundle.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising commencing transmission of the TTI bundle after an ending of the expected time interval, wherein aborting transmission of the TTI bundle comprises refraining from commencing transmission of the TTI bundle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the DL grant message is indicative of a time at which transmission of the TTI bundle is scheduled to commence.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, following aborting transmission of the TTI bundle, reallocating resources which had been allocated for use in transmitting the TTI bundle.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising rescheduling transmission of the TTI bundle following aborting transmission of the TTI bundle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the expected time interval corresponds to a time interval during which the acknowledgement message would have likely been received by the eNB were it transmitted from the UE.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising refraining from transmitting the acknowledgement message from the UE to the eNB when the DL grant message fails to be successfully received and decoded by the UE.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising refraining from aborting transmission of the TTI bundle from the eNB to the UE when successful receipt by the eNB of the acknowledgement message occurs within the expected time interval.

11. A system comprising an Evolved Node B (eNB) and a user equipment (UE) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the system comprising:

a. a downlink (DL) grant acknowledgement module of the UE, the DL grant acknowledgement module configured to transmit an acknowledgement message from the UE to the eNB in response to a downlink (DL) grant message being successfully received and decoded, the DL grant message transmitted from the eNB to the UE and indicative of a pending TTI bundle for transmission from the eNB to the UE;

b. a transmission abort module of the eNB, the transmission abort module configured to abort transmission of the TTI bundle from the eNB to the UE when successful receipt by the eNB of the acknowledgement message fails to occur within an expected time interval.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the DL grant message comprises a request for the UE to transmit the acknowledgement message.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the eNB is configured to commence transmission of the TTI bundle prior to an ending of the expected time interval, and wherein the transmission abort module is configured to abort transmission of the TTI bundle by interrupting transmission of the TTI bundle.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the eNB is configured to commence transmission of the TTI bundle after an ending of the expected time interval, and wherein the transmission abort module is configured to abort transmission of the TTI bundle by causing the eNB to refrain from commencing transmission of the TTI bundle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the DL grant message is indicative of a time at which transmission of the TTI bundle is scheduled to commence.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the eNB is further configured, following aborting transmission of the TTI bundle, to reallocate resources which had been allocated for use in transmitting the TTI bundle.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the eNB is further configured to reschedule transmission of the TTI bundle following aborting transmission of the TTI bundle.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the expected time interval corresponds to a time interval during which the acknowledgement message would have likely been received by the eNB were it transmitted from the UE.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the DL grant acknowledgement module is further configured to refrain from transmitting the acknowledgement message from the UE to the eNB when the DL grant message fails to be successfully received and decoded by the UE.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the transmission abort module is further configured to refrain from aborting transmission of the TTI bundle from the eNB to the UE when successful receipt by the eNB of the acknowledgement message occurs within the expected time interval.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium storing computer executable statements and instructions thereon that, when executed by a computer, perform operations for facilitating communication between an Evolved Node B (eNB) and a user equipment (UE) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the operations comprising:

a. transmitting a downlink (DL) grant message from the eNB to the UE, the DL grant message indicative of a pending TTI bundle for transmission from the eNB to the UE;

b. transmitting an acknowledgement message from the UE to the eNB when the DL grant message is successfully received and decoded by the UE;

c. aborting transmission of the TTI bundle from the eNB to the UE when successful receipt by the eNB of the acknowledgement message fails to occur within an expected time interval.