Enhanced uplink rate indicator

• US 8,315,240 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2006
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jin, Hui, Richardson, Tom, Laroia, Rajiv, Li, Junyi
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniel, Jr., Willie J
• Application Number:
  US11/486,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20070076807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,321 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/344
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• 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 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/023 Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals multicarrier modulation H04L27/2601
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/04 the signals being represented by different amplitudes or polarities, e.g. quadriplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 distributing total power among users or channels

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to providing uplink data rate option information in an uplink traffic channel segment. A wireless terminal may indicate a data rate option being used for the segment via an energy pattern applied to the tone-symbols of the segment. To indicate a first data rate option, additional energy may be applied to a first set of tone-symbols of the segment. To indicate a second rate option, additional energy may be applied to a second set of tone-symbols of the segment, the second set being different from the first set. According to some aspects, each implemented energy pattern may be represented by a pattern, which has a slope (e.g., in a logical, pre-hopped representation of the channel segment), where some of the patterns have positive slope and some of the patterns have negative slope. The use of positive and negative slopes facilitates the representation of more data rate options than would be possible if only one type of slope (positive or negative) for the energy pattern were utilized.

Claims

1. A method of indicating an uplink data rate for a first transmission segment in an OFDM wireless communication environment, comprising operating a communications device to perform the steps of:

determining a first rate option to be used in the first transmission segment;

encoding information bits to coded bits and mapping coded bits to modulation symbols in accordance with the first rate option;

identifying a first predetermined subset and a second predetermined subset of tone-symbols in the first transmission segment as a function of the first rate option, wherein a tone-symbol is a tone in an OFDM symbol period and tones are indexed in a logical order;

mapping the modulation symbols to the tone-symbols of the first transmission segment;

power-scaling a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the first predetermined subset with a first parameter;

power-scaling a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the second predetermined subset with a second parameter, the second parameter being different from the first parameter;

transmitting the first transmission segment;

wherein said first transmission segment includes multiple tone-symbols in each of a plurality of consecutive symbol transmission time periods; and

wherein said first predetermined subset of tone-symbols includes more tone-symbols than said second predetermined subset of tone-symbols.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising modulating a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol to a physical frequency in accordance with a logical tone index of the tone-symbol and a logical-to-physical tone mapping function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a ratio of the second parameter and the first parameter is a predetermined number.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined number is a constant in the range of 1 dB and 3 dB.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the predetermined number is a function of the first rate option and in the range of 1 dB and 3 dB.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the ratio is between approximately 2.0 dB and approximately 3.0 dB when the first rate option corresponds to a QPSK modulation scheme, and the ratio is between approximately 1.5 dB and approximately 2.5 dB when the first rate option corresponds to a 16-point QAM modulation scheme.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the number of tone-symbols in the second predetermined subset is a constant in any OFDM symbols.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the tone-symbols in the second predetermined subset has a sloped pattern in the segment.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a second rate option to be used in a second transmission segment;

encoding information bits to coded bits and mapping coded bits to modulation symbols in accordance with the second rate option;

identifying a third predetermined subset and a fourth predetermined subset of tone-symbols in the second transmission segment as a function of the second rate option, tone-symbols in the fourth predetermined subset having a sloped pattern in the second transmission segment;

mapping the modulation symbols to the tone-symbols of the second transmission segment;

power scaling a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the third predetermined subset with a third parameter;

power scaling a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the fourth predetermined subset with a fourth parameter, the fourth parameter being different from the third parameter, wherein a ratio of the fourth parameter to the third parameter is a fixed number; and

transmitting the second transmission segment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a slope of the second predetermined subset is the same as a slope of the fourth predetermined subset, and wherein the second and the fourth predetermined subsets have different shifts.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a slope of the second predetermined subset is different from a slope of the fourth predetermined subset.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined subset includes a first tone-symbol in an OFDM symbol and the second predetermined subset includes a second tone-symbol in said OFDM symbol, said first and second tone-symbols being different tone-symbols.

13. The method of claim 1,

wherein said modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the first predetermined subset which is power-scaled with a first parameter corresponds to an OFDM symbol;

and

wherein power-scaling a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the second predetermined subset includes providing a power boost to said modulation symbol mapped to the tone-symbol of the second predetermined subset over an amount of power provided by power-scaling with the first parameter, said modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the second predetermined subset corresponding to said OFDM symbol.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein a tone-symbol corresponding to said first predetermined subset of tone-symbols and a tone-symbol corresponding to said second predetermined subset of tone-symbols is included in a set of tone-symbols corresponding to a single OFDM symbol transmission time period.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein tone-symbols in the first predetermined subset and tone-symbols in the second predetermined subset communicate information bits encoded and modulated in accordance with the same rate option, said same rate option being said first rate option.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said second predetermined subset of tone symbols form a pattern in said first transmission segment, said pattern indicating said first rate option.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the tone-symbols in the second predetermined subset have a sloped pattern in the first transmission segment.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein:

the processor determines a second rate option to be used in a second transmission segment, and identifies third and fourth predetermined subsets of tone-symbols in the second transmission segment, as a function of the second rate option, tone-symbols in the fourth predetermined subset having a sloped pattern in the second transmission segment;

the encoder encodes information bits to coded bits, maps coded bits to modulation symbols in accordance with the second rate option, and maps the modulation symbols to the tone-symbols of the second transmission segment; and

the transmitter power-scales a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the third predetermined subset with a third parameter, power-scales a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the fourth predetermined subset with a fourth parameter, the fourth parameter being different from the third parameter, wherein a ratio of the fourth parameter to the third parameter is a fixed number, and transmits the second transmission segment.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the slope of the second predetermined subset is the same as the slope of the fourth predetermined subset, and the second and the fourth predetermined subsets have different shifts.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the slope of the second predetermined subset is different from the slope of the fourth predetermined subset.

17. An apparatus that facilitates indicating an uplink data rate for transmission segments in an OFDM wireless communication environment, comprising:

a processor that determines a first rate option to be used in a first transmission segment, and identifies a first predetermined subset and a second predetermined subset of tone-symbols in the first transmission segment as a function of the first rate option, wherein a tone-symbol is a tone in an OFDM symbol period and tones are indexed in a logical order;

an encoder that encodes information bits to coded bits, maps coded bits to modulation symbols in accordance with the first rate option, and maps the modulation symbols to the tone-symbols of the first transmission segment;

a transmitter that power-scales a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the first predetermined subset with a first parameter, power-scales a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the second predetermined subset with a second parameter, the second parameter being different from the first parameter, and transmits the first transmission segment

wherein said first transmission segment includes multiple tone-symbols in each of a plurality of consecutive symbol transmission time periods; and

wherein said first predetermined subset of tone-symbols includes more tone-symbols than said second predetermined subset of tone-symbols.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the encoder modulates a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol to a physical frequency in accordance with a logical tone index of the tone-symbol and a logical-to-physical tone mapping function.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a ratio of the second parameter and the first parameter is a predetermined number.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the predetermined number is a constant in the range of 1 dB and 3 dB.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the predetermined number is a function of the first rate option and in the range of 1 dB and 3 dB.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the ratio is between approximately 2.0 dB and approximately 3.0 dB when the first rate option corresponds to a QPSK modulation scheme, and the ratio is between approximately 1.5 dB and approximately 2.5 dB when the first rate option corresponds to a 16-point QAM modulation scheme.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the number of tone-symbols in the second predetermined subset is a constant in any OFDM symbols.

28. An apparatus that facilitates indicating an uplink data rate for transmission segments in an OFDM wireless communication environment, comprising:

means for determining a rate option to be used in a first transmission segment;

means for encoding information bits to coded bits and mapping coded bits to modulation symbols in accordance with the first rate option;

means for identifying a first predetermined subset and a second predetermined subset of tone-symbols in the first transmission segment as a function of the first rate option, wherein a tone-symbol is a tone in an OFDM symbol period and tones are indexed in a logical order;

means for mapping the modulation symbols to the tone-symbols of the first transmission segment;

means for power-scaling a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the first predetermined subset with a first parameter;

means for power-scaling a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the second predetermined subset with a second parameter, the second parameter being different from the first parameter;

means for transmitting the first transmission segment;

wherein said first transmission segment includes multiple tone-symbols in each of a plurality of consecutive symbol transmission time periods; and

wherein said first predetermined subset of tone-symbols includes more tone-symbols than said second predetermined subset of tone-symbols.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising modulating a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol to a physical frequency in accordance with a logical tone index of the tone-symbol and a logical-to-physical tone mapping function.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein a ratio of the second parameter and the first parameter is a predetermined number.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the predetermined number is a constant in the range of 1 dB and 3 dB.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the predetermined number is a function of the first rate option and in the range of 1 dB and 3 dB.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the ratio is between approximately 2.0 dB and approximately 3.0 dB when the first rate option corresponds to a QPSK modulation scheme, and the ratio is between approximately 1.5 dB and approximately 2.5 dB when the first rate option corresponds to a 16-point QAM modulation scheme.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the number of tone-symbols in the second predetermined subset is a constant in any OFDM symbols.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the tone-symbols in the second predetermined subset has a sloped pattern in the segment.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising:

means for determining a second rate option to be used in a second transmission segment;

means for encoding information bits to coded bits and mapping coded bits to modulation symbols in accordance with the second rate option;

means for identifying a third predetermined subset and a fourth predetermined subset of tone-symbols in the second transmission segment as a function of the second rate option, tone-symbols in the fourth predetermined subset having a sloped pattern in the second transmission segment;

means for mapping the modulation symbols to the tone-symbols of the second transmission segment;

means for power scaling a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the third predetermined subset with a third parameter;

means for power scaling a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the fourth predetermined subset with a fourth parameter, the fourth parameter being different from the third parameter, wherein the ratio of the fourth parameter to the third parameter is a fixed number;

means for transmitting the second transmission segment

wherein said first transmission segment includes multiple tone-symbols in each of a plurality of consecutive symbol transmission time periods; and

wherein said first predetermined subset of tone-symbols includes more tone-symbols than said second predetermined subset of tone-symbols.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein a slope of the second predetermined subset is the same as a slope of the fourth predetermined subset, and the second and the fourth predetermined subsets have different shifts.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein a slope of the second predetermined subset is different from a slope of the fourth predetermined subset.

39. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying computer-executable instructions which when executed by a processor, control a communications apparatus to operate in accordance with said computer-executable instructions, said computer executable instructions comprising:

instructions for controlling said apparatus to determine a first rate option to be used in a first transmission segment;

instructions for controlling said apparatus to encode information bits to coded bits and mapping coded bits to modulation symbols in accordance with the first rate option;

instructions for controlling said apparatus to identify a first predetermined subset and a second predetermined subset of tone-symbols in the first transmission segment as a function of the first rate option, wherein a tone-symbol is a tone in an OFDM symbol period and tones are indexed in a logical order;

instructions for controlling said apparatus to map the modulation symbols to the tone-symbols of the first transmission segment;

instructions for controlling said apparatus to power-scale a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the first predetermined subset with a first parameter;

instructions for controlling said apparatus to power-scale a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the second predetermined subset with a second parameter, the second parameter being different from the first parameter;

instructions for controlling said apparatus to transmit the first transmission segment;

wherein said first transmission segment includes multiple tone-symbols in each of a plurality of consecutive symbol transmission time periods; and

wherein said first predetermined subset of tone-symbols includes more tone-symbols than said second predetermined subset of tone-symbols.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein said computer executable instructions further comprise instructions for controlling said apparatus to modulate a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol to a physical frequency in accordance with a logical tone index of the tone-symbol and a logical-to-physical tone mapping function.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein a ratio of the second parameter and the first parameter is a predetermined number.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the predetermined number is a constant in the range of 1 dB and 3 dB.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the predetermined number is a function of the first rate option and in the range of 1 dB and 3 dB.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the ratio is between approximately 2.0 dB and approximately 3.0 dB when the first rate option corresponds to a QPSK modulation scheme, and the ratio is between approximately 1.5 dB and approximately 2.5 dB when the first rate option corresponds to a 16-point QAM modulation scheme.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the number of tone-symbols in the second predetermined subset is a constant in any OFDM symbols.

46. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 45, wherein the tone-symbols in the second predetermined subset has a sloped pattern in the segment.

47. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 46, wherein said computer-executable instructions further comprise:

instructions for controlling said apparatus to determine a second rate option to be used in a second transmission segment;

instructions for controlling said apparatus to encode information bits to coded bits and mapping coded bits to modulation symbols in accordance with the second rate option;

instructions for controlling said apparatus to identify a third predetermined subset and a fourth predetermined subset of tone-symbols in the second transmission segment as a function of the second rate option, wherein a tone-symbol is a tone in an OFDM symbol period and tones are indexed in a logical order and tone-symbols in the fourth predetermined subset has a sloped pattern in the second transmission segment;

instructions for controlling said apparatus to map the modulation symbols to the tone-symbols of the second transmission segment;

instructions for controlling said apparatus to power scale a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the third predetermined subset with a third parameter;

instructions for controlling said apparatus to power scale a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the fourth predetermined subset with a fourth parameter, the fourth parameter being different from the third parameter, wherein a ratio of the fourth parameter to the third parameter is a fixed number; and

instructions for controlling said apparatus to transmit the second transmission segment.

48. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein a slope of the second predetermined subset is the same as a slope of the fourth predetermined subset, and the second and the fourth predetermined subsets have different shifts.

49. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein a slope of the second predetermined subset is different from a slope of the fourth predetermined subset.

50. A communications device comprising:

a processor that executes computer-executable instructions for indicating an uplink data rate for transmission segments in an OFDM wireless communication environment, said processor being configured to control said communications device to;

determine a first rate option to be used in a first transmission segment;

encode information bits to coded bits and mapping coded bits to modulation symbols in accordance with the first rate option;

identify a first predetermined subset and a second predetermined subset of tone-symbols in the first transmission segment as a function of the first rate option, wherein a tone-symbol is a tone in an OFDM symbol period and tones are indexed in a logical order;

map the modulation symbols to the tone-symbols of the first transmission segment;

power-scale a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the first predetermined subset with a first parameter;

power-scale a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the second predetermined subset with a second parameter, the second parameter being different from the first parameter; and

transmit the first transmission segment;

wherein said first transmission segment includes multiple tone-symbols in each of a plurality of consecutive symbol transmission time periods;

wherein said first predetermined subset of tone-symbols includes more tone-symbols than said second predetermined subset of tone-symbols; and

a memory coupled to said processor.

51. The processor of claim 50, wherein the processor is further configured to modulate a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol to a physical frequency in accordance with a logical tone index of the tone-symbol and a logical-to-physical tone mapping function.

52. The processor of claim 50, wherein a ratio of the second parameter and the first parameter is a predetermined number.

53. The processor of claim 52, wherein the predetermined number is a constant in the range of 1 dB and 3 dB.

54. The processor of claim 52, wherein the predetermined number is a function of the first rate option and in the range of 1 dB and 3 dB.

55. The processor of claim 54, wherein the ratio is between approximately 2.0 dB and approximately 3.0 dB when the first rate option corresponds to a QPSK modulation scheme, and the ratio is between approximately 1.5 dB and approximately 2.5 dB when the first rate option corresponds to a 16-point QAM modulation scheme.

56. The processor of claim 52, wherein the number of tone-symbols in the second predetermined subset is a constant in any OFDM symbols.

57. The processor of claim 56, wherein the tone-symbols in the second predetermined subset has a sloped pattern in the first transmission segment.

58. The processor of claim 57, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a second rate option to be used in a second transmission segment;

encode information bits to coded bits and mapping coded bits to modulation symbols in accordance with the second rate option;

identify a third predetermined subset and a fourth predetermined subset of tone-symbols in the second segment as a function of the second rate option, tone-symbols in the fourth predetermined subset having a sloped pattern in the second transmission segment;

map the modulation symbols to the tone-symbols of the second transmission segment;

power scale a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the third predetermined subset with a third parameter;

power scale a modulation symbol mapped to a tone-symbol of the fourth predetermined subset with a fourth parameter, the fourth parameter being different from the third parameter, wherein a ratio of the fourth parameter to the third parameter is a fixed number; and

transmit the second transmission segment.

59. The processor of claim 58, wherein a slope of the second predetermined subset is the same as a slope of the fourth predetermined subset, and the second and the fourth predetermined subsets have different shifts.

60. The processor of claim 58, wherein a slope of the second predetermined subset is different from a slope of the fourth predetermined subset.