COMMUNICATING CONTROL INFORMATION FOR INDEPENDENT LINKS

• US 20180054811A1
• Filed: 07/25/2017
• Published: 02/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Luo, Tao, Montojo, Juan, Kadous, Tamer, Li, Junyi, Zhang, Xiaoxia, Sun, Jing, Yoo, Taesang, Mallik, Siddhartha
• Granted Patent: US 10,554,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/09 Error detection only, e.g. using cyclic redundancy check [CRC] codes or single parity bit
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/24 with feedback of measurements to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/216 Code division or spread-spectrum multiple access [CDMA, SSMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0668 by dynamic selection of recovery network elements, e.g. replacement by the most appropriate element after failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 : Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 : Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/16 : Deriving transmission power values from another channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 : taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 : taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 : distributing total power among users or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/386 : centralized, e.g. when the radio network controller or equivalent takes part in the power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/42 : in systems with time, space, frequency or polarisation diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 : at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/54 : Signalisation aspects of the TPC commands, e.g. frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/56 : Detection of errors of TPC bits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 : based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 : Wireless traffic scheduling
• 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 72/52 : based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/53 : based on regulatory allocation policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/54 : based on quality criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 : Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 : Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 : between access points

Abstract

Various aspects of the disclosure relate to communicating control information for independent links. For example, control information for one link may be sent via at least one other link. In some aspects, the independent links may involve a first device (e.g., a user equipment) communicating via different independent links with different devices (e.g., transmit receive points (TRPs) or sets of TRPs). In some scenarios, one link may carry control information for multiple links. For example, one link may indicate the existence of or traffic on at least one other link. As another example, one link may transmit feedback for multiple links. In some scenarios, each link may be provisioned (e.g., as a primary link or a secondary link) to carry specific types of control information for one or more links.

Claims

1. A method of communication for an apparatus, comprising:

communicating data via a first wireless communication link; and

communicating control information for a second wireless communication link via a control channel of the first wireless communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the control information comprises an indication that the second wireless communication link exists.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the control information comprises an indication that the second wireless communication link is active.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the control information comprises hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the second wireless communication link.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first wireless communication link is provisioned to carry a first type of control information; and

the second wireless communication link is provisioned to carry a second type of control information that is different from the first type of control information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on at least one indication, whether to communicate control information for a group of independent links via the control channel of the first wireless communication link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating first transport blocks via the first wireless communication link,

wherein the first transport blocks are processed independently of second transport blocks communicated via the second wireless communication link.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein error processing of the first transport blocks is independent of error processing of the second transport blocks.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein cyclic redundancy check (CRC) processing of the first transport blocks is independent of CRC processing of the second transport blocks.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the communication of the first transport blocks is via a first beam; and

the communication of the second transport blocks is via a second beam.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the control information to another apparatus that is configured to communicate via the second wireless communication link.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating other data via the second wireless communication link.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the communication via the first wireless communication link uses a first radio frequency (RF) chain of the apparatus; and

the communication via the second wireless communication link uses a second RF chain of the apparatus.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the communication via the first wireless communication link uses a first antenna sub-array of the apparatus; and

the communication via the second wireless communication link uses a second antenna sub-array of the apparatus.

16. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to;

communicate data via a first wireless communication link; and

communicate control information for a second wireless communication link via a control channel of the first wireless communication link.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the control information comprises an indication that the second wireless communication link exists.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the control information comprises an indication that the second wireless communication link is active.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

determine, based on at least one indication, whether to communicate control information for a group of independent links via the control channel of the first wireless communication link.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

send the control information to another apparatus that is configured to communicate via the second wireless communication link.

21. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for communicating data via a first wireless communication link; and

means for communicating control information for a second wireless communication link via a control channel of the first wireless communication link.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining, based on at least one indication, whether to communicate control information for a group of independent links via the control channel of the first wireless communication link.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for sending the control information to another apparatus that is configured to communicate via the second wireless communication link.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, including code to:

communicate data via a first wireless communication link; and

communicate control information for a second wireless communication link via a control channel of the first wireless communication link.

25. A method of communication for an apparatus, comprising:

communicating first control information via a first control channel of a first wireless communication link; and

communicating second control information via a second control channel of a second wireless communication link, wherein the first control channel is independent of the second control channel.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

communicating first transport blocks via the first wireless communication link; and

communicating second transport blocks via the second wireless communication link; and

processing the first transport blocks independently of the second transport blocks.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the processing comprises error processing.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the processing comprises cyclic redundancy check (CRC) processing.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein:

the communication of the first transport blocks is via a first beam; and

the communication of the second transport blocks is via a second beam.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the communication via the first wireless communication link uses a first radio frequency (RF) chain of the apparatus; and

the communication via the second wireless communication link uses a second RF chain of the apparatus.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the communication via the first wireless communication link uses a first antenna sub-array of the apparatus; and

the communication via the second wireless communication link uses a second antenna sub-array of the apparatus.

32. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to;

communicate first control information via a first control channel of a first wireless communication link; and

communicate second control information via a second control channel of a second wireless communication link, wherein the first control channel is independent of the second control channel.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

communicate first transport blocks via the first wireless communication link;

communicate second transport blocks via the second wireless communication link; and

process the first transport blocks independently of the second transport blocks.

34. An apparatus for communication, comprising:

means for communicating first control information via a first control channel of a first wireless communication link; and

means for communicating second control information via a second control channel of a second wireless communication link, wherein the first control channel is independent of the second control channel.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein:

the means for communicating first control information is further configured to communicate first transport blocks via the first wireless communication link;

the means for communicating second control information is further configured to communicate second transport blocks via the second wireless communication link; and

the apparatus further comprises means for processing the first transport blocks independently of the second transport blocks.

36. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, including code to:

communicate first control information via a first control channel of a first wireless communication link; and

communicate second control information via a second control channel of a second wireless communication link, wherein the first control channel is independent of the second control channel.