DOWNLINK CONTROL FORMAT INDICATOR

• US 20150103715A1
• Filed: 09/24/2014
• Published: 04/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Wanshi, Xu, Hao, Gaal, Peter, Luo, Tao, Yerramalli, Srinivas, Ji, Tingfang, Damnjanovic, Aleksandar, Wei, Yongbin, Bhushan, Naga, Malladi, Durga Prasad, Sukhavasi, Ravi Teja
• Application Number:
  US14/494,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20150103715A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0082 at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/14 Spectrum sharing arrangements between different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/02 Hybrid access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication. In one method, a control format indicator value for a frame may be received over a physical carrier in a shared spectrum. Based on the control format indicator value, a number of subframes of the frame to be used by a base station for downlink transmissions over the physical carrier may be determined. The control format indicator value may indicate an end of transmission, if data is to be transmitted during the frame, a number of subframes to be used for transmission, or whether the current subframe is the final subframe used for transmission. In some cases, a user equipment (UE) may use the control format indicator value to determine a sleep schedule. Further, ACK/NACK transmissions by a UE may be scheduled based on the control format indicator value.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, over a physical carrier in a shared spectrum, a control format indicator value for a frame; and

determining, based on the control format indicator value, a number of subframes of the frame to be used by a node for downlink transmissions over the physical carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a sleep schedule of a user equipment (UE) for the frame based on the control format indicator value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scheduling acknowledgment (ACK)/negative-acknowledgment (NACK) transmissions by a user equipment (UE) based on the control format indicator value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control format indicator value is received during a first subframe of the frame.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the control format indicator value is received during a first symbol of the first subframe of the frame.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the control format indicator value is received during a last subframe of a previous frame.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the control format indicator value is received during a first symbol of a subframe of the frame.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a bitwidth of the control format indicator value is based on a structure of the frame.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the control format indicator value indicates at least one of an end of transmission, if data is to be transmitted during the frame, a number of subframes of the frame to be used for transmission, and a final subframe for transmission.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the control format indicator value is received as a part of at least one of a Channel Usage Pilot Signal (CUPS), Channel Usage Beacon Signal (CUBS), cell-specific reference signal (CRS), enhanced CRS (eCRS), transmission format indicator channel (TFICH), enhanced TFICH (eTFICH), physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), and enhanced PCFICH (EPCFICH).

11. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

receive, over a physical carrier in a shared spectrum, a control format indicator value for a frame; and

determine, based on the control format indicator value, a number of subframes of the frame to be used by a node for downlink transmissions over the physical carrier.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a sleep schedule of a user equipment (UE) for the frame based on the control format indicator value.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

schedule acknowledgment (ACK)/negative-acknowledgment (NACK) transmissions by a user equipment (UE) based on the control format indicator value.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control format indicator value is received during a first subframe of the frame.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control format indicator value is received during a last subframe of a previous frame.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control format indicator value is received during a first symbol of a subframe of the frame.

17. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

determining a number of subframes of a frame to be used by a node for downlink transmissions over a physical carrier in a shared spectrum; and

transmitting, over the physical carrier, a control format indicator value for the frame based on the determined number of subframes of the frame.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving acknowledgment (ACK)/negative-acknowledgment (NACK) transmissions by a user equipment (UE) based on the control format indicator value.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the control format indicator value is transmitted during a first subframe of the frame.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the control format indicator value is transmitted during a first symbol of the first subframe of the frame.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the control format indicator value is transmitted during a last subframe of a previous frame.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the control format indicator value is transmitted during a first symbol of a subframe of the frame.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein a bitwidth of the control format indicator value is based on a structure of the frame.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the control format indicator value indicates at least one of an end of transmission, if data is to be transmitted during the frame, a number of subframes of the frame to be used for transmission, and a final subframe for transmission.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the control format indicator value is transmitted as a part of at least one of a Channel Usage Pilot Signal (CUPS), Channel Usage Beacon Signal (CUBS), cell-specific reference signal (CRS), enhanced CRS (eCRS), transmission format indicator channel (TFICH), enhanced TFICH (eTFICH), physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), and enhanced PCFICH (EPCFICH).

26. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine a number of subframes of a frame to be used by a node for downlink transmissions over a physical carrier in a shared spectrum; and

transmit, over the physical carrier, a control format indicator value for the frame based on the determined number of subframes of the frame.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive acknowledgment (ACK)/negative-acknowledgment (NACK) transmissions by a user equipment (UE) based on the control format indicator value.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the control format indicator value is transmitted during a first subframe of the frame.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the control format indicator value is transmitted during a last subframe of a previous frame.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the control format indicator value is transmitted during a first symbol of a subframe of the frame.