SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MIXED GRANT-FREE AND GRANT-BASED UPLINK TRANSMISSIONS

• US 20180176945A1
• Filed: 08/10/2017
• Published: 06/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: CAO, YU, ZHANG, LIQING, MA, JIANGLEI
• Granted Patent: US 10,869,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1822 involving configuration of automatic repeat request [ARQ] with parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1864 ARQ related signaling H04L1/1607 takes precedence
• 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: H04L 1/1893 Physical mapping arrangements physical resource mapping in general H04L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• 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 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

There may be situations in which it is beneficial for a user equipment to switch between grant-free uplink wireless transmissions and grant-based uplink wireless transmissions. Systems and methods are disclosed that help facilitate grant-based and grant-free uplink wireless communications, and the switching between the two. For example, systems and methods for mitigating collision between a granted uplink wireless transmission and a grant-free uplink wireless transmission are disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method performed by a base station comprising:

receiving a grant-free uplink transmission from a user equipment;

in response to receiving the grant-free uplink transmission, generating a scheduling grant for the user equipment;

transmitting the scheduling grant to at least the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the grant-free uplink transmission includes an indicator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indicator indicates that the user equipment has additional data to send to the base station.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the indicator indicates that the user equipment has data to send to the base station, and the indicator indicates that the data is low latency data.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising unsuccessfully decoding data in the grant-free uplink transmission, and wherein the scheduling grant is sent to schedule a retransmission of the data using grant-based transmission.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the retransmission and performing decoding by soft-combining the retransmission and the grant-free uplink transmission.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising successfully decoding data in the grant-free uplink transmission, and wherein the scheduling grant is sent to schedule a new transmission of additional data.

8. A base station comprising:

a receiver to receive a grant-free uplink transmission from a user equipment;

a resource allocator to, in response to receiving the grant-free uplink transmission, generate a scheduling grant for the user equipment;

a transmitter to transmit the scheduling grant to at least the user equipment.

9. The base station of claim 8, wherein the grant-free uplink transmission includes an indicator.

10. The base station of claim 9, wherein the indicator indicates that the user equipment has additional data to send to the base station.

11. The base station of claim 9, wherein the indicator indicates that the user equipment has data to send to the base station, and the indicator indicates that the data is low latency data.

12. The base station of claim 8, wherein the resource allocator is to, upon unsuccessful decoding of data in the grant-free uplink transmission, schedule a retransmission of the data using grant-based transmission.

13. The base station of claim 12, further comprising a message decoder to receive the retransmission and perform decoding by soft-combining the retransmission and the grant-free uplink transmission.

14. The base station of claim 8, wherein the resource allocator is to, upon successful decoding of data in the grant-free uplink transmission, schedule a new transmission of additional data.

15. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) comprising:

sending a grant-free uplink transmission to a base station;

in response to sending the grant-free uplink transmission, receiving a scheduling grant from the base station;

sending a granted uplink transmission to the base station according to the scheduling grant.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the granted uplink transmission is a retransmission of data sent in the grant-free uplink transmission.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the granted uplink transmission sends additional data to the base station that is not a retransmission of data sent in the grant-free uplink transmission.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the grant-free uplink transmission includes an indicator.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the indicator indicates that the user equipment has additional data to send to the base station.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the indicator indicates that the user equipment has data to send to the base station, and the indicator indicates that the data is low latency data.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the grant-free uplink transmission comprises a scheduling request.

22. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a transmitter to send a grant-free uplink transmission to a base station;

a receiver to receive a scheduling grant that is sent from the base station in response to the grant-free uplink transmission;

the transmitter further to send a granted uplink transmission to the base station according to the scheduling grant.

23. The UE of claim 22, wherein the granted uplink transmission is a retransmission of data sent in the grant-free uplink transmission.

24. The UE of claim 22, wherein the granted uplink transmission sends additional data to the base station that is not a retransmission of data sent in the grant-free uplink transmission.

25. The UE of claim 22, wherein the grant-free uplink transmission includes an indicator.

26. The UE of claim 25, wherein the indicator indicates that the user equipment has additional data to send to the base station.

27. The UE of claim 25, wherein the indicator indicates that the user equipment has data to send to the base station, and the indicator indicates that the data is low latency data.

28. The UE of claim 22, wherein the grant-free uplink transmission comprises a scheduling request.