System and method for hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) functionality in a relay node

• US 8,402,334 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Yu, Yi, Womack, James Earl, Cai, Zhijun
• Primary Examiner(s): Riad, Amine
• Application Number:
  US12/337,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20100153806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 714/763, 714/749
• US Class Current: 714/749
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15542 Selecting at relay station its transmit and receive resources selection of wireless resources by user or terminal H04W72/02; arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path by two-dimensional division of the resources H04L5/0003, or by allocating sub-channels H04L5/003
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1816 with retransmission of the same, encoded, message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A relay node. The relay node includes a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) entity providing a first HARQ functionality. The relay node further includes a second HARQ entity providing a second HARQ functionality.

Claims

1. A relay node device that promotes data communication between an access node and a user agent, the relay node device comprising:

at least one processor to manage;

a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) entity providing a first HARQ functionality in connection with the access node; and

a second HARQ entity providing a second HARQ functionality in connection with the user agent.

2. The relay node device of claim 1, wherein the relay node device is configured to receive a medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) from the access node, and wherein the first HARQ entity is configured to perform HARQ functionality with respect to the MAC PDU.

3. The relay node device of claim 1, wherein the relay node device is configured to transmit a medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) to the access node, and wherein the first HARQ entity is configured to perform HARQ functionality with respect to the MAC PDU.

4. The relay node device of claim 1, wherein the relay node device is configured to transmit a medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) to the user agent, and wherein the second HARQ entity is configured to perform HARQ functionality with respect to the MAC PDU.

5. The relay node device of claim 1, wherein the relay node device is configured to receive a medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) from the user agent, and wherein the second HARQ entity is configured to perform HARQ functionality with respect to the MAC PDU.

6. The relay node device of claim 2, wherein the relay node device is further configured to perform a cyclic redundant check (CRC) and to transmit a non-acknowledgement/acknowledgement (NACK/ACK) signal to the access node.

7. The relay node device of claim 6, wherein the relay node device is further configured to schedule and send the MAC PDU to the user agent.

8. The relay node device of claim 7, wherein the relay node device is further configured to receive a non-acknowledgement/acknowledgement (NACK/ACK) from the user agent.

9. The relay node device of claim 8, wherein the relay node device is further configured, responsive to receiving the non-acknowledgement signal (NACK), to perform a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retransmission.

10. The relay node device of claim 8, wherein the relay node device is configured to avoid retransmission to the access node when an ACK is received.

11. The relay node device of claim 2, wherein the relay node device is configured to avoid transmitting the MAC PDU to the user agent unless the MAC PDU is free of errors when received from the access node.

12. The relay node device of claim 2, wherein the relay node device is configured to break apart the MAC PDU to create smaller transport block sizes (TBS).

13. The relay node device of claim 8, wherein the relay node device is further configured to maintain a fixed timing between transmission of the MAC PDU and the NACK/ACK.

14. A device comprising:

a relay node that promotes data communication between an access node and a user agent, wherein the relay node is configured to;

receive a medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) from the access node;

demodulate and decode the MAC PDU without performing a cyclic redundancy check (CRC);

forward the MAC PDU to the user agent; and

after receiving a non-acknowledgement/acknowledgement signal (NACK/ACK) from the user agent, forward the NACK/ACK to the access node.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the relay node is further configured to:

after forwarding the NACK/ACK to the access node, receive a retransmission from the access node; and

forward the retransmission to the user agent.

16. A method implemented in a relay node that promotes data communication between an access node and a user agent, the relay node comprising a first hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) entity having a first HARQ functionality, the method comprising:

receiving a medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) at the first HARQ entity; and

performing, with the first HARQ entity, a first HARQ functionality with respect to the MAC PDU.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving the medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) from the access node.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting the medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) to the access node; and

the first HARQ entity performing HARQ functionality with respect to the MAC PDU.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the relay node further comprises a second HARQ entity having a second HARQ functionality, the method further comprising:

transmitting the medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) to the user agent; and

the second HARQ entity performing second HARQ functionality with respect to the MAC PDU.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the relay node further comprises a second HARQ entity having a second HARQ functionality, the method further comprising:

receiving a medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU) from the user agent; and

the second HARQ entity performing second HARQ functionality with respect to the MAC PDU.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

scheduling the MAC PDU; and

sending the MAC PDU.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a non-acknowledgement/acknowledgement (NACK/ACK) signal.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

responsive to receiving the non-acknowledgement signal (NACK), performing a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retransmission.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein a retransmission is avoided when an ACK is received.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein transmission of the MAC PDU to the user agent is avoided unless the MAC PDU is free of errors when received at the first HARQ entity.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

breaking apart the MAC PDU to create smaller transport block sizes (TBS).

27. The method of claim 16, further comprising;

maintaining a fixed timing between transmission of the MAC PDU and the NACK/ACK.

28. A method implemented in a relay node that promotes data communication between an access node and a user agent, the method comprising:

receiving a medium access control packet data unit (MAC PDU);

demodulating and decoding the MAC PDU without performing a cyclic redundancy check (CRC);

forwarding the MAC PDU; and

after receiving a non-acknowledgement/acknowledgement signal (NACK/ACK), forwarding the NACK/ACK signal.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

after forwarding the NACK/ACK, receiving a retransmission; and

forwarding the retransmission.