TERMINAL, NETWORK NODE, SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR SOFT BUFFER HANDLING IN CARRIER AGGREGATION

• US 20150333891A1
• Filed: 07/01/2014
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivo Mobile Communication Co., Ltd. (Vivo Communication Technology Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Cheng, Jung-Fu, Gerstenberger, Dirk, Larsson, Daniel, Skrby, Christian, Baldemair, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,172,520 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1822 involving configuration of automatic repeat request [ARQ] with parallel processes
• 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 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource

Abstract

A terminal (e.g., mobile communication device, UE) and a method are described herein for allocating a soft buffer after interacting with a network node (e.g., base station, eNB). In addition, a network node (e.g., base station, eNB) and a method are described herein that facilitates robust operations during a reconfiguration period while a terminal allocates a soft buffer located therein.

Claims

1-5. -5. (canceled)

6. A terminal that allocates a soft buffer located therein after interacting with a network node, the terminal comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to enable following;

analyze a reconfiguration message received from the network node, wherein the reconfiguration message indicates a new reconfiguration of component carriers or a transmission mode of one or more component carriers that will be used by the network node; and

allocate the soft buffer based on the analysis of the reconfiguration message by;

equally dividing a size of the soft buffer into sub-buffers based on a number of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Requests (HARQ) processes; and

subdividing each sub-buffer based on a total number of codewords to be transmitted over all configured or activated component carriers.

7. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the allocation of the soft buffer results in a sub-buffer size for a codeword given by following equation:

8. The terminal of claim 6, wherein if the reconfiguration message indicates that the network node is configured to use a one component carrier and a single-codeword Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission then the allocated soft buffer has eight equally sized sub-buffers.

9. The terminal of claim 6, wherein if the reconfiguration message indicates that the network node is configured to use a one component carrier and a dual-codeword Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission then the allocated soft buffer has sixteen equally sized sub-buffers.

10. The terminal of claim 6, wherein if the reconfiguration message indicates that the network node is configured to use a two component carrier and a single-codeword Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission then the allocated soft buffer has sixteen equally sized sub-buffers.

11. The terminal of claim 6, wherein if the reconfiguration message indicates that the network node is configured to use a two component carrier where one component carrier is configured for single-codeword Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmissions and the other component carrier is configured for dual-codeword PDSCH transmission then the allocated soft buffer has twenty-four equally sized sub-buffers.

12. The terminal of claim 6, wherein if the reconfiguration message indicates that the network node is configured to use a two component carrier and dual-codeword Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission then the allocated soft buffer has thirty-two equally sized sub-buffers.

13. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to send, to the network node, a reconfiguration confirmation message indicating that the soft buffer has been allocated based on the received reconfiguration message.

14. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the terminal is a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Release 10 terminal.

15. A method in a terminal for allocating a soft buffer located therein after interacting with a network node, the method comprising:

analyzing a reconfiguration message received from the network node, where the reconfiguration message indicates a new reconfiguration of component carriers or a transmission mode of one or more component carriers that will be used by the network node; and

allocating the soft buffer based on the new reconfiguration message by;

equally dividing a size of the soft buffer into sub-buffers based on a number of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Requests (HARQ) processes; and

subdividing each sub-buffer based on a total number of codewords to be transmitted over all configured or activated component carriers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the allocation of the soft buffer results n a sub-buffer size for a codeword given by following equation:

17. The method of claim 15, wherein if the reconfiguration message indicates that the network node is configured to use a one component carrier and a single-codeword Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission then the allocated soft buffer has eight equally sized sub-buffers.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein if the reconfiguration message indicates that the network node is configured to use a one component carrier and a dual-codeword Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission then the allocated soft buffer has sixteen equally sized sub-buffers.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein if the reconfiguration message indicates that the network node is configured to use a two component carrier and a single-codeword Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission then the allocated soft buffer has sixteen equally sized sub-buffers.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein if the reconfiguration message indicates that the network node is configured to use a two component carrier where one component carrier is configured for single-codeword Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmissions and the other component carrier is configured for dual-codeword PDSCH transmission then the allocated soft buffer has twenty-four equally sized sub-buffers.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein if the reconfiguration message indicates that the network node is configured to use a two component carrier and dual-codeword Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission then the allocated soft buffer has thirty-two equally sized sub-buffers.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of sending, to the network node, a reconfiguration confirmation message indicating that the soft buffer has been allocated based on the received reconfiguration message.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the ter a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Release 10 terminal.

24. A network node that interacts with a terminal, the network node comprising:

a processor; and

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to enable following;

transmit a reconfiguration message to the terminal, wherein the reconfiguration message indicates a new reconfiguration of component carriers or a transmission mode of one or more component carriers that will be used by the network node to interact with the terminal; and

,

understand that the terminal will allocate a soft buffer located therein based on the reconfiguration message as follows;

equally divide a size of the soft buffer into sub-buffers based on a number of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Requests (HARQ) processes; and

,

subdivide each sub-buffer based on a total number of codewords to be transmitted over all configured or activated component carriers.

25. The network node of claim 24, wherein the processor further executes the processor-executable instructions to refrain from transmitting coded bits that the terminal cannot store or that would corrupt the soft buffer while waiting to receive a reconfiguration confirmation message which indicates that the terminal has allocated the soft buffer based on the received reconfiguration message.

26. A method in a network node that interacts with a terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting a reconfiguration message to the terminal, wherein the reconfiguration message indicates a new reconfiguration of component carriers or a transmission mode of one or more component carriers that will be used by the network node to interact with the terminal; and

,

understanding that the terminal will allocate a soft buffer located therein based on the reconfiguration message as follows;

equally divide a size of the soft buffer into sub-buffers based on a number of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Requests (HARQ) processes; and

,

subdivide each sub-buffer based on a total number of codewords to be transmitted over all configured or activated component carriers.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

refraining from transmitting coded bits that the terminal cannot store or that would corrupt the soft buffer while waiting to receive a reconfiguration confirmation message which indicates that the terminal has allocated the soft buffer based on the received reconfiguration message.