Methods and apparatus of enhanced coding in multi-user communication systems

• US 8,190,163 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Laroia, Rajiv, Srinivasan, Murari, Li, Junyi
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Manoharan, Muthuswamy
• Application Number:
  US10/640,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,212 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/213, 370/315, 370/335, 370/208, 370/329, 455/450, 455/509, 455/515, 455/500, 455/422.1, 375/260, 375/261, 375/264, 375280-281
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2604 Multiresolution systems by means of multiresolution subcarriers H04L27/183, H04L27/3488
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/3488 Multiresolution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/04 the signals being represented by different amplitudes or polarities, e.g. quadriplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/24 using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile

Abstract

Efficient coding and communication is accomplished by transmitting first and second sets of information using a relatively large transmission block including a plurality of minimum transmission units (MTUs), each MTU corresponding to a unique combination of resources. A first set of MTUs is used in conveying the first set of information, the first set including at least a majority of the MTUs in the transmission block. A second set of the MTUs is defined, e.g., selected, for use in conveying the second set of information, the second set of MTUs including less MTUs than the first set and at least some MTUs included in the first set. The first and second sets of information are communicated by transmitting at least some MTUs included in the first and the second sets of MTUs with the corresponding information modulated thereon.

Claims

1. A method of communicating at least a first set of information and a second set of information, the method comprising:

defining a first set of transmission units for use in conveying said first set of information, said first set of transmission units including at least a majority of transmission units of a transmission block, said transmission block including a plurality of transmission units, each transmission resource unit corresponding to a unique combination of resources used for transmission of information, said resources including at least two of time, frequency, phase, and spreading code;

defining a second set of said transmission units for use in conveying said second set of information, said second set of transmission units including less transmission units than the first set, at least some of the transmission units in the first and second sets of transmission units being the same, said transmission units in said second set of transmission units being transmission units in said transmission block; and

using at least one transmitter to transmit the first and second sets of information using transmission units included in said first and second sets of transmission units;

wherein using at least one transmitter to transmit the first and second sets of information includes using transmission units included in said first set of transmission units to transmit a first signal corresponding to the first set of information and using the transmission units in said second set of transmission units to transmit a second signal corresponding to the second set of information; and

wherein said second signal is transmitted at a higher power level than said first signal on a per transmission unit basis, said power level at which the transmission units corresponding to the second signal are transmitted being at least 3 dB greater than the power level at which the transmission units corresponding to the first signal are transmitted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said information is at least one of user data and control information including at least one of acknowledgement information and assignment information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein using at least one transmitter to transmit the first and second sets of information includes using a first transmitter and a second transmitter, said first set of information being transmitted from said first transmitter and said second set of information being transmitted from said second transmitter, said first and second transmitters being different.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said first and second transmitters are mounted on different devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein using at least one transmitter to transmit the first and second sets of information includes transmitting signals corresponding to both said first and second sets of information from a single transmitter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first set of transmission units includes at least 75% of the total number of transmission units in said transmission block.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second set of transmission units has less than half the number of transmission units of the first set of transmission units.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the transmission units included in the second set of transmission units is also included in said first set of transmission units.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein using at least one transmitter to transmit the first and second sets of information includes transmitting said second set of information using each transmission unit in said second set of transmission units, and

transmitting said first set of information using at least some of said first set of transmission units.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least some of said first set of transmission units includes only transmission units not included in said second set of transmission units.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least some of said first set of transmission units includes transmission units in said second set.

12. The method of claim 1,

wherein each transmission unit is a unique combination of transmission resources;

and

wherein at least one of the transmission resources included in the unique combination of transmission resources that forms one of said transmission units, included in both said first and second sets of transmission units, is frequency or phase.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said unique combination of transmission resources that forms said one of said transmission units, included in both said first and second sets of transmission units, further includes time.

14. The method of claim 1,

where transmitting the first and second sets of information includes transmitting:

i) information corresponding to said first set of information and ii) information corresponding to said second set of information, on one of the transmission units which is in both said first and second sets of minimum transmission units.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein each transmission unit in said transmission block corresponds to a different unique combination of transmission resources.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each transmission unit in said transmission block is an OFDM transmission unit.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first and second sets of information using transmission units included in said first and second sets of transmission units includes transmitting at least one symbol on a transmission unit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said transmission unit is an OFDM symbol transmission unit.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmission units are minimum units of transmission resources, each of said transmission units in said transmission block being a different minimum set of transmission resources.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein each of transmission units in said first and second sets of transmission units have a duration which is the same, at least some of said transmission units in the first set of transmission units corresponding to different time periods.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein each of the first and second sets of transmission units are the same size.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein at least some of the first transmission units correspond to different frequencies.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first and second sets of information using transmission units included in said first and second sets of transmission units includes modulating symbols on transmission units included in said first set of transmission units.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein each transmission unit of said transmission block is a combination of a transmission time period and a transmission frequency, each transmission unit corresponding to a different transmission period and transmission frequency combination.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein each transmission unit of said transmission block is a combination of a transmission time and a transmission frequency, at least some transmission units in said transmission block having the same transmission time, no two transmission units in said transmission block having the same transmission time having the same transmission frequency.

26. A method of communicating at least a first set of information and a second set of information, the method comprising:

defining a first set of transmission units for use in conveying said first set of information, said first set of transmission units including at least a majority of transmission units of a transmission block, said transmission block including a plurality of transmission units, each transmission unit corresponding to a unique combination of resources used for transmission of information, said resources including at least two of time, frequency, phase, and spreading code;

defining a second set of said transmission units for use in conveying said second set of information, said second set of transmission units including less transmission units than the first set, at least some of the transmission units in the first and second sets of transmission units being the same, said transmission units in said second set of transmission units being transmission units in said transmission block;

using at least one transmitter to transmit the first and second sets of information using transmission units included in said first and second sets of transmission units;

wherein using at least one transmitter to transmit the first and second sets of information includes transmitting said second set of information using each transmission unit in said second set of transmission units, and transmitting the first set of information includes transmitting said first set of information using at least some of said first set of transmission units;

wherein said at least some of said first set of transmission units includes transmission units in said second set; and

wherein the first and second sets of information are transmitted using at least first and second signals, respectively, and wherein the method further comprises;

combining the first and second signals to form a combined signal prior to using a transmission unit included in said first and second sets of transmission resource units to transmit said combined signal.

27. A method of communicating at least a first set of information and a second set of information, the method comprising:

defining a first set of transmission units for use in conveying said first set of information, said first set of transmission units including at least a majority of transmission units of a transmission block, said transmission block including a plurality of transmission units, each transmission unit corresponding to a unique combination of resources used for transmission of information, said resources including at least two of time, frequency, phase, and spreading code;

defining a second set of said transmission units for use in conveying said second set of information, said second set of transmission units including less transmission units than the first set, at least some of the transmission units in the first and second sets of transmission units being the same, said transmission units in said second set of transmission units being transmission units in said transmission block;

using at least one transmitter to transmit the first and second sets of information using transmission units included in said first and second sets of transmission units;

wherein using at least one transmitter to transmit the first and second sets of information includes using transmission units included in said first set of transmission units to transmit a first signal corresponding to the first set of information and using the transmission units in said second set of transmission units to transmit a second signal corresponding to the second set of information;

wherein said second signal is transmitted at a higher power level than said first signal on a per transmission unit basis; and

wherein the method further includes varying the transmission power level of the transmission units used to transmit said second signal.

28. A method of communicating at least a first set of information and a second set of information, the method comprising:

defining a first set of transmission units for use in conveying said first set of information, said first set of transmission units including at least a majority of transmission units of a transmission block, said transmission block including a plurality of transmission units, each transmission unit corresponding to a unique combination of resources used for transmission of information, said resources including at least two of time, frequency, phase, and spreading code;

defining a second set of said transmission units for use in conveying said second set of information, said second set of transmission units including less transmission units than the first set, at least some of the transmission units in the first and second sets of transmission units being the same, said transmission units in said second set of transmission units being transmission units in said transmission block;

using at least one transmitter to transmit the first and second sets of information using transmission units included in said first and second sets of transmission units;

wherein using at least one transmitter to transmit the first and second sets of information includes using transmission units included in said first set of transmission units to transmit a first signal corresponding to the first set of information and using the transmission units in said second set of transmission units to transmit a second signal corresponding to the second set of information;

wherein said second signal is transmitted at a higher power level than said first signal on a per transmission unit basis; and

wherein the method further includes varying the transmission power level of the transmission units used to transmit said first signal.

29. An apparatus for communicating at least a first set of information and a second set of information, the apparatus comprising:

a tangible non-transitory memory;

a processor coupled to said tangible non-transitory memory, said processor being configured to;

cause said apparatus to determine a first set of transmission units for use in conveying said first set of information, said first set of transmission units including at least a majority of transmission units of a transmission block, said transmission block including a plurality of transmission units, each transmission unit corresponding to a unique combination of resources used for transmission of information, said resources including at least two of time, frequency, phase, and spreading code, and to determine a second set of said transmission units for use in conveying said second set of information, said second set of transmission units including less transmission units than the first set of transmission units, at least some of the transmission resource units in the first and second sets of transmission units being the same; and

cause said apparatus to transmit the first and second sets of information using transmission units included in said first and second sets of transmission units; and

wherein said processor is further configured to cause the apparatus, as part of causing said apparatus to transmit the first and second sets of information, to use transmission units included in said first set of transmission units to transmit a first signal corresponding to the first set of information and use transmission units included in said second set of transmission units to transmit a second signal corresponding to the second set of information; and

wherein said processor is configured to cause the apparatus to transmit the second signal at a higher power level than said first signal on a per transmission unit basis, said power level at which the transmission units corresponding to the second signal are transmitted being at least 3 dB greater than the power level at which the transmission units corresponding to the first signal are transmitted.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said information is at least one of user data and control information including at least one of acknowledgement information and assignment information.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said processor, as part of causing said apparatus to transmit the first and second sets of information, is configured to cause the apparatus to transmit said first and second signals, from a transmitter, used to transmit signals corresponding to both said first and second sets of information.

32. A tangible non-transitory computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for controlling a device to communicate at least a first set of information and a second set of information, the tangible non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for causing said device to define a first set of transmission units for use in conveying said first set of information, said first set of transmission units including at least a majority of transmission units of a transmission block, said transmission block including a plurality of transmission units, each transmission unit corresponding to a unique combination of resources used for transmission of information, said resources including at least two of time, frequency, phase, and spreading code;

instructions for causing said device to define a second set of said transmission units for use in conveying said second set of information, said second set of transmission units including less transmission units than the first set of transmission units, at least some of the transmission units in the first and second sets of transmission units being the same;

instructions for causing said device to transmit the first and second sets of information using transmission units included in said first and second sets of transmission units, said instructions for causing said device to transmit the first and second sets of information including instructions to use transmission units included in said first set of transmission units to transmit a first signal corresponding to the first set of information, and to use the transmission units in said second set of transmission units to transmit a second signal corresponding to the second set of information; and

instructions for causing said device to transmit the second signal at a higher power level than said first signal on a per transmission unit basis, said power level at which the transmission units corresponding to the second signal are transmitted being at least 3 dB greater than the power level at which the transmission units corresponding to the first signal are transmitted.

33. The tangible non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein said information is at least one of user data and control information including at least one of acknowledgement information and assignment information.

34. The tangible non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the instructions for causing said device to transmit the first and second sets of information, includes instructions for causing said device to transmit signals corresponding to said first and second sets of information from a transmitter used to transmit signals corresponding to both said first and second sets of information.

35. An apparatus for communicating at least a first set of information and a second set of information, the apparatus comprising:

means for defining a first set of transmission units for use in conveying said first set of information, said first set of transmission units including at least a majority of transmission units of a transmission block, said transmission block including a plurality of transmission units, each transmission unit corresponding to a unique combination of resources used for transmission of information, said resources including at least two of time, frequency, phase, and spreading code;

means for defining a second set of said transmission units for use in conveying said second set of information, said second set of transmission units including less transmission units than the first set of transmission units, at least some of the transmission units in the first and second sets of transmission units being the same, said transmission units in said second set of transmission units being transmission units in said transmission block;

means for transmitting the first and second sets of information using minimum transmission units included in said first and second sets of minimum transmission units, said transmitting including;

using transmission units included in said first set of transmission units to transmit a first signal corresponding to the first set of information, and using the transmission units in said second set of transmission units to transmit a second signal corresponding to the second set of information; and

transmitting said second signal at a higher power level than said first signal on a per transmission unit basis, said power level at which the transmission units corresponding to the second signal are transmitted being at least 3 dB greater than the power level at which the transmission units corresponding to the first signal are transmitted.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said information is at least one of user data and control information including at least one of acknowledgement information and assignment information.

37. An apparatus for communicating at least a first set of information and a second set of information, the apparatus comprising:

a module for defining a first set of transmission units for use in conveying said first set of information, said first set of transmission units including at least a majority of transmission units of a transmission block, said transmission block including a plurality of transmission units, each transmission unit corresponding to a unique combination of resources used for transmission of information, said resources including at least two of time, frequency, phase, and spreading code;

a module for defining a second set of said transmission units for use in conveying said second set of information, said second set of transmission units including less transmission units than the first set of transmission units, at least some of the transmission units in the first and second sets of transmission units being the same, said transmission units in said second set of transmission units being transmission units in said transmission block;

a transmitter for transmitting the first and second sets of information using transmission units included in said first and second sets of transmission units;

wherein said transmitter is further configured to transmit the first and second sets of information includes using transmission units included in said first set of transmission units to transmit a first signal corresponding to the first set of information and use the transmission units in said second set of transmission units to transmit a second signal corresponding to the second set of information; and

wherein said transmitter is configured to transmit the second signal at a higher power level than said first signal on a per transmission unit basis, said higher power level being at least 3 dB greater than the power level at which the transmission units corresponding to the first signal are transmitted.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said information is at least one of user data and control information including at least one of acknowledgement information and assignment information.