Acknowledgement of control messages in a wireless communication system

• US 8,477,684 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Khandekar, Aamod, Gorokhov, Alexei, Agrawal, Avneesh, Rangan, Sundeep, Das, Arnab
• Primary Examiner(s): MITCHELL, NATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/943,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20080151829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,051 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/335
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

Techniques for sending control messages are described. In an aspect, assignment messages may be acknowledged based on either linked or dedicated acknowledgement (ACK) resources. A terminal may receive an assignment message from a base station, determine whether to acknowledge the assignment message, and determine ACK resources to use to acknowledge the assignment message. The ACK resources may be linked to a control block on which the assignment message was received, linked to resources given by the assignment message, or assigned to the terminal. The terminal may send the acknowledgement on the ACK resources. In another aspect, a control message may be acknowledged based on ACK resources determined based on the control message or the control block. The ACK resources may be linked to resources assigned by the control message or linked to the control message. The terminal may send an acknowledgement for the control message on the ACK resources.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive an assignment message, on a control block associated with one type of a plurality of types of logical resources, for a terminal from a base station, to determine whether to acknowledge the assignment message based on the type of logical resources associated with the control block on which the assignment message was received, and if the assignment message is to be acknowledged, to determine acknowledgement (ACK) resources to use to acknowledge the assignment message; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send an acknowledgment for the assignment message on ACK resources linked to the logical resources associated with the control block on which the assignment message was received.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send an acknowledgment for the assignment message on ACK resources linked to resources assigned by the assignment message.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send an acknowledgment on ACK resources assigned to the terminal.

35. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with common logical resources and not to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with shared logical resources.

5. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

receiving an assignment message, on a control block associated with one type of a plurality of types of logical resources, for a terminal from a base station;

determining whether to acknowledge the assignment message based on the type of logical resources associated with the control block on which the assignment message was received; and

determining acknowledgement (ACK) resources to use to acknowledge the assignment message if the assignment message is to be acknowledged.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

sending an acknowledgment for the assignment message on ACK resources linked to the logical resources associated with the control block on which the assignment message was received.

36. The method of claim 5, further comprising acknowledging the assignment message when the control block is associated with common logical resources and not acknowledging the assignment message when the control block is associated with shared logical resources.

7. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving an assignment message, on a control block associated with one type of a plurality of types of logical resources, for a terminal from a base station;

means for determining whether to acknowledge the assignment message based on the type of logical resources associated with the control block on which the assignment message was received; and

means for determining acknowledgement (ACK) resources to use to acknowledge the assignment message if the assignment message is to be acknowledged.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for sending an acknowledgment for the assignment message on ACK resources linked to the logical resources associated with the control block on which the assignment message was received.

37. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for acknowledging the assignment message when the control block is associated with common logical resources and not acknowledging the assignment message when the control block is associated with shared logical resources.

9. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to receive an assignment message, on a control block associated with one type of a plurality of types of logical resources, for a terminal from a base station;

code for causing the at least one computer to determine whether to acknowledge the assignment message based on the type of logical resources associated with the control block on which the assignment message was received; and

code for causing the at least one computer to determine acknowledgement (ACK) resources to use to acknowledge the assignment message if the assignment message is to be acknowledged.

38. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with common logical resources and not to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with shared logical resources.

10. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to send an assignment message to a terminal, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the assignment message on a control block associated with one type of a plurality of types logical resources, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive an acknowledgement for the assignment message based on the type of logical resources associated with the control block; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the acknowledgment on ACK resources linked to logical resources associated with the control block.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the acknowledgment on ACK resources linked to resources assigned by the assignment message.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the acknowledgment on ACK resources assigned to the terminal.

39. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with common logical resources and not to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with shared logical resources.

14. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive a control message on a control block associated with one type of a plurality of types of logical resources, and to determine acknowledgement (ACK) resources based on the type of logical resources associated with the control block; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the ACK resources are linked to the logical resources associated with the control block.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the acknowledgement if the control block is associated with a set of logical resources for which acknowledgements are to be sent.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the acknowledgement if the control message is an assignment message.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the acknowledgement if the control message is of a type for which acknowledgement is to be sent.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to monitor a first set of logical resources used by a base station to send control messages to be acknowledged, and to send an acknowledgement for the control message if the control block is associated with the first set of logical resources.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is configured to monitor a second set of logical resources used by the base station to send control messages not to be acknowledged, and to send no acknowledgement for the control message if the control block is associated with the second set of logical resources.

40. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with common logical resources and not to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with shared logical resources.

21. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

receiving a control message on a control block associated with one type of a plurality of types of logical resources,

determining acknowledgement (ACK) resources based on the type of logical resources associated with the control block; and

sending an acknowledgement for the control message on the ACK resources.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the ACK resources are linked to logical resources associated with the control block.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the sending the acknowledgement comprises sending the acknowledgement if the control block is associated with a set of logical resources for which acknowledgements are to be sent.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

monitoring at least one first set of logical resources used by a base station to send control messages to be acknowledged; and

sending the acknowledgement for the control message if the control block is associated with the first set of logical resources.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

monitoring at least one second set of logical resources used by the base station to send control messages not to be acknowledged, and

sending no acknowledgement for the control message if the control block is associated with the second set of logical resources.

41. The method of claim 21, further comprising acknowledging the assignment message when the control block is associated with common logical resources and not acknowledging the assignment message when the control block is associated with shared logical resources.

26. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving a control message on a control block associated with one type of a plurality of types of logical resources,

means for determining acknowledgement (ACK) resources based on the type of logical resources associated with the control block; and

means for sending an acknowledgement for the control message on the ACK resources.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the ACK resources are linked to the control block.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for sending the acknowledgement comprises means for sending the acknowledgement if the control block is associated with a set of logical resources for which acknowledgements are to be sent.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

means for monitoring at least one first set of logical resources used by a base station to send control messages to be acknowledged; and

means for sending the acknowledgement for the control message if the control block is associated with the first set of logical resources.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

means for monitoring at least one second set of logical resources used by the base station to send control messages not to be acknowledged, and

means for sending no acknowledgement for the control message if the control block is associated with the second set of logical resources.

42. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

means for acknowledging the assignment message when the control block is associated with common logical resources and not acknowledging the assignment message when the control block is associated with shared logical resources.

31. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to receive a control message on a control block associated with one type of a plurality of types of logical resources;

code for causing the at least one computer to determine acknowledgement (ACK) resources based on the type of logical resources associated with the control block; and

code for causing the at least one computer send an acknowledgement for the control message on the ACK resources.

43. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises code for causing the at least one computer to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with common logical resources and not to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with shared logical resources.

32. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to send a control message on a control block associated with one type of a plurality of types of logical resources, and to receive an acknowledgement for the control message on acknowledgement (ACK) resources determined based on the type of logical resources associated with the control block; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send control messages on at least one first control block linked to ACK resources, and to receive acknowledgements for the control messages sent on the at least one first control blocks via the linked ACK resources.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send control messages on at least one second control block not linked to ACK resources, and to receive no acknowledgements for the control messages sent on the at least one second control blocks.

44. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the at least one processor is configured to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with common logical resources and not to acknowledge the assignment message when the control block is associated with shared logical resources.