Method and apparatus for high rate packet data transmission

• US 8,077,655 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Padovani, Roberto, Bender, Paul E., Black, Peter J., Grob, Matthew S., Hinderling, Jurg K., Sindhushayana, Nagabhushana T., Wheatley, Charles E. III
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUNKULH, BOB A
• Application Number:
  US11/540,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20070025268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/264 for data rate control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1809 Selective-repeat protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1829 Arrangements specially adapted for the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

In a data communication system capable of variable rate transmission, high rate packet data transmission improves utilization of the forward link and decreases the transmission delay. Data transmission on the forward link is time multiplexed and the base station transmits at the highest data rate supported by the forward link at each time slot to one mobile station. The data rate is determined by the largest C/I measurement of the forward link signals as measured at the mobile station. Upon determination of a data packet received in error, the mobile station transmits a NACK message back to the base station. The NACK message results in retransmission of the data packet received in error. The data packets can be transmitted out of sequence by the use of sequence number to identify each data unit within the data packets.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a communication system, comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of future transmission activity messages, each message corresponding to at least one transmitter and comprising information on future transmission activity or interference for the at least one transmitter at a future time after transmission of the message;

means for obtaining the information from each of the received messages;

means for determining a quality of a link in the communication system, based in part on the information on future transmission activity or interference obtained from the received messages; and

means for transmitting a quality indicator indicative of the quality of the link.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each future transmission activity message indicates whether a transmission activity occurs at a future time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each future transmission activity message indicates whether a transmission activity occurs at a next half frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each future transmission activity message is repeated for a plurality of successive time slots.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the future transmission activity messages broadcast interference information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for determining further comprises means for computing Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) for the link.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the C/I is computed in accordance with:

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each future transmission activity message comprises a bit being set to a first logic level to indicate a transmission activity at a future time or to a second logic level to indicate no transmission activity at a future time.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the bit is transmitted during a first time period, and indicates whether a transmission activity occurs during a second time period subsequent to the first time period.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the bit is repeated for a plurality of successive time slots.

11. The apparatus of any of claims 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 8, wherein the apparatus is a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program configured to increase data throughput and efficiency in the communication system, when coupled to a computing device.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quality indicator comprises a requested data rate.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quality indicator comprises a Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) index.

14. A method in a communication system, comprising:

receiving a plurality of future transmission activity messages, each message corresponding to at least one transmitter and comprising information on future transmission activity or interference for the at least one transmitter at a future time after transmission of the message;

obtaining the information from each of the received messages;

determining a quality of a link in the communication system, based in part on the information on future transmission activity or interference obtained from the received messages; and

transmitting a quality indicator indicative of the quality of the link.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each future transmission activity message indicates whether a transmission activity occurs at a future time.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each future transmission activity message indicates whether a transmission activity occurs at a next half frame.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein each future transmission activity message is repeated for a plurality of successive time slots.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the future transmission activity messages broadcast interference information.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining a quality of a link comprises computing Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) for the link.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the C/I is computed in accordance with:

21. The method of claim 14, wherein each future transmission activity message comprises a bit, and wherein a first bit logic level indicates a transmission activity at a future time, and a second bit logic level indicates no transmission activity at a future time.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the bit is transmitted during a first time period, and indicates whether a transmission activity occurs during a second time period subsequent to the first time period.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the bit is repeated for a plurality of successive time slots.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for increasing data throughput and efficiency in a communication system, comprising:

instructions for receiving a plurality of future transmission activity messages, each message corresponding to at least one transmitter and comprising information on future transmission activity or interference for the at least one transmitter at a future time after transmission of the message;

instructions for obtaining the information from each of the received messages;

instructions for determining a quality of a link in the communication system, based in part on the information on future transmission activity or interference obtained from the received messages; and

instructions for transmitting a quality indicator indicative of the quality of the link.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program of claim 24, wherein each future transmission activity message indicates whether a transmission activity occurs at a future time.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program of claim 25, wherein each future transmission activity message indicates whether a transmission activity occurs at a next half frame.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program of claim 24, wherein the future transmission activity messages broadcast interference information.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program of claim 24, wherein the quality of the link comprises Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) for the link.

29. An apparatus for a communication system, comprising:

at least one processor configured to

receive a plurality of future transmission activity messages, each message corresponding to at least one transmitter and comprising information on future transmission activity or interference for the at least one transmitter at a future time after transmission of the message;

obtain the information from each of the received messages;

determine a quality of a link in the communication system, based in part on the information on future transmission activity or interference obtained from the received messages; and

transmit a quality indicator indicative of the quality of the link.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein each future transmission activity message indicates whether a transmission activity occurs at a future time.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein each future transmission activity message indicates whether a transmission activity occurs at a next half frame.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein each future transmission activity message is repeated for a plurality of successive time slots.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the future transmission activity messages broadcast interference information.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the at least one processor is configured to compute Carrier-to-Interference (C/I) for the link.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the C/I is computed in accordance with:

36. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein each future transmission activity message comprises a bit being set to a first logic level to indicate a transmission activity at a future time or to a second logic level to indicate no transmission activity at a future time.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the bit is transmitted during a first time period, and indicates whether a transmission activity occurs during a second time period subsequent to the first time period.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the bit is repeated for a plurality of successive time slots.