Method of downlink HARQ operation at an expiry of time alignment timer

• US 8,681,704 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Sung-Jun, Yi, Seung-June, Lee, Young-Dae, Chun, Sung-Duck
• Primary Examiner(s): Gidado, Rasheed
• Application Number:
  US13/545,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20120275440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 370/336, 370/328, 370/329, 370/331, 370/332, 370/349, 370/345, 714/748, 714/749
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1838 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications such as streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream receiver H04N21/44004
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1848 Time-out mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a method of processing data for a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) operation in a wireless communication system includes: receiving control signaling from a network; receiving data based on the received control signaling; generating a positive response message (ACK) if the received data is successfully decoded or a negative response message (NACK) if the received data is not successfully decoded, wherein the generated ACK or the generated NACK is not transmitted to the network when a timer is expired or not running; and combining the received data with data currently in a buffer after the timer is stopped or expired.

Claims

1. A method of processing data for a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) operation in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving control signaling from a network;

receiving data based on the received control signaling;

generating a positive response message (ACK) if the received data is successfully decoded or a negative response message (NACK) if the received data is not successfully decoded, wherein the generated ACK or the generated NACK is not transmitted to the network when a timer is expired or not running, wherein the timer is a Time Alignment Timer (TAT) which is used to control how long a User Equipment (UE) is considered uplink time aligned; and

combining the received data with data currently in a buffer after the timer is stopped or expired.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signaling is a downlink assignment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the downlink assignment includes at least downlink scheduling information, a Cell-Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI), or a Semi-persistent Scheduling C-RNTI.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the received data is a transport block (TB).

5. A user equipment (UE) using a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) operation in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising:

a receiver configured to receive control signaling from a network and to receive data based on the received control signaling; and

a controller configured to;

start a timer;

generate a positive response message (ACK) if the received data is successfully decoded or a negative response message (NACK) if the received data is not successfully decoded, wherein the generated ACK or the generated NACK is not provided to a physical layer for transmission to the network when the timer is expired or stopped, wherein the timer is a Time Alignment Timer (TAT) which is used to control how long the UE is considered uplink time aligned; and

combine the received data with data currently in a buffer after the timer is stopped or expired.

6. The UE of claim 5, wherein the timer is started when a Timing Advance Command (TAC) is received.

7. The UE of claim 5, wherein the control signaling is a downlink assignment.

8. The UE of claim 7, wherein the downlink assignment includes at least downlink scheduling information, a Cell-Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI), or a Semi-Persistent Scheduling C-RNTI.

9. The UE of claim 5, wherein the received data is a transport block (TB).