METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ALLOCATING RESOURCES FOR AN ENHANCED PHYSICAL HYBRID AUTOMATIC REPEAT REQUEST INDICATOR CHANNEL

• US 20160345303A1
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nazar, Shahrokh Nayeb, Lee, Moon-il, Pelletier, Benoit
• Granted Patent: US 10,743,297 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1858 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of acknowledgement message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• 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 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for allocating resources for an enhanced physical hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) channel (E-PHICH). A subset of an enhanced physical downlink control channel (E-PDCCH) may be allocated for use by the E-PHICH. The E-PDCCH may be defined by at least one of enhanced resource element groups (eREGs) and enhanced control channel elements (eCCEs). Each eCCE may be formed by grouping a plurality of eREGs. Each eREG may contain at least one resource element (RE). Alternatively, a subset of eREGs may be allocated as E-PHICH resources. E-PDCCH physical resource block (PRB) pairs may be selected as a resource for the E-PHICH. An indication of the number of the eCCEs may be broadcast to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU).

Claims

1. A method of allocating resources for an enhanced physical hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) channel (E-PHICH), the method comprising:

allocating a subset of an enhanced physical downlink control channel (E-PDCCH) for use by the E-PHICH, wherein the E-PDCCH is defined by at least one of enhanced resource element groups (eREGs) and enhanced control channel elements (eCCEs), each eCCE is formed by grouping a plurality of eREGs, and each eREG containing at least one resource element (RE).

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting E-PDCCH physical resource block (PRB) pairs as a resource for the E-PHICH.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

broadcasting an indication of the number of the eCCEs allocated for use by the E-PHICH to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU).

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating the number of the eCCEs allocated for use by the E-PHICH in each of a plurality of subframes.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

configuring the eCCEs via higher layer signaling.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting HARQ positive acknowledgement (ACK)/negative acknowledgement (NACK) information bits via the E-PHICH in accordance with a repetition factor.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein two ACK/NACK information bits are transmitted per E-PHICH.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the E-PHICH contains localized or distributed resource blocks (RBs).

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

a wireless transmit/receive unit determining an E-PHICH region.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein a starting resource block (RB) location and the number of RBs allocated to E-PHICH transmission are indicated when the E-PHICH contains localized RBs.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein a bitmap indicating resource blocks (RBs) of resource block groups (RBGs) are indicated when the E-PHICH contains distributed RBs.

12. A method of allocating resources for an enhanced physical hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) channel (E-PHICH), the method comprising:

allocating a subset of an enhanced physical downlink control channel (E-PDCCH) for use by the E-PHICH; and

selecting E-PDCCH physical resource block (PRB) pairs as a resource for the E-PHICH,

wherein a number of the E-PDCCH PRB pairs are allocated in a subframe and a subset of the number of the E-PDCCH PRB pairs are allocated for use by the E-PHICH.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the E-PDCCH is defined by at least one of enhanced resource element groups (eREGs) and enhanced control channel elements (eCCEs), each eCCE is formed by grouping a plurality of eREGs, and each eREG containing at least one resource element (RE).

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

configuring the eCCEs via higher layer signaling.

15. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an enhanced physical hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) channel (E-PHICH), wherein a subset of an enhanced physical downlink control channel (E-PDCCH) is allocated for use by the E-PHICH, the E-PDCCH is defined by at least one of enhanced resource element groups (eREGs) and enhanced control channel elements (eCCEs), and each eCCE is formed by grouping a plurality of eREGs, each eREG containing at least one resource element (RE).

16. The WTRU of claim 15, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a broadcast indicating the number of the eCCEs allocated for use by the E-PHICH.

17. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the E-PHICH contains localized or distributed resource blocks (RBs).

18. The WTRU of claim 15 further comprising a processor configured to determine an E-PHICH region.