HARQ process number management for downlink carrier aggregation

• US 8,942,190 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wireless Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: McBeath, Sean, Cai, Zhijun, Yu, Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): LIU, JUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/723,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20100254328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,782 Days
• Field of Search: 370/203, 370204-215, 370229-253, 370310-337, 370/395.3, 370/395.4, 370/395.41, 370/395.42, 370/395.5, 370/395.52, 370431-457, 370458-463, 370464-497, 370498-522, 370523-529
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1822 involving configuration of automatic repeat request [ARQ] with parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/26 Systems using multi-frequency codes H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A method for use with a mobile user agent, the method for managing Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) processes in a multi carrier communication system that uses HARQ process indicators (HPIs) to manage HARQ processes, the method comprising the steps of designating a first subset of the HPIs as shared HPIs wherein each shared HPI designates a HARQ process irrespective of which of a plurality of system carrier frequencies are used to transmit a traffic packet, designating a second subset of the HPIs as non-carrier-shared HPIs wherein each non-carrier-shared HPI, in conjunction with the carrier frequency used to transmit a traffic packet, designates a carrier frequency unique HARQ process, receiving an HPI at the mobile user agent, receiving a first traffic packet via a carrier frequency at the user agent that is associated with the HPI, where the HPI is a first subset HPI using the HPI to identify a HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet irrespective of the carrier frequency used to transmit the traffic packet and providing the traffic packet to the identified HARQ process and where the HPI is a second subset HPI using the HPI and the carrier frequency on which the first traffic packet was received to identify a carrier frequency specific HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet and providing the first traffic packet to the carrier frequency specific HARQ process.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

starting, by a user agent supporting multiple carriers in a wireless communication network, a timer;

monitoring, by the user agent, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) of at least two assigned carriers of the multiple carriers, the at least two assigned carriers being rendered active by an access device in the network;

determining, by the user agent, whether a downlink control information (DCI) packet has been received on any of the at least one assigned carrier; and

if a DCI packet has been received on any of the at least two assigned carriers, restarting the timer; and

determining a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process index (HPI) based on the received DCI packet;

identifying a downlink resource based on the received DCI packet;

receiving a downlink transmission using the identified downlink resource; and

associating the received downlink transmission with a buffer corresponding to a combination of the HPI and the assigned carrier on which the downlink transmission was received.

2. The method of claims 1, wherein monitoring the PDCCH comprises monitoring the PDCCH until the timer expires.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising continuing, by the user agent, to monitor the PDCCH if the DCI packet has been received on any of the at least two assigned carriers before the timer expires.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring, by the user agent, a PDCCH of an anchor carrier of the multiple carriers, wherein the anchor carrier is the only carrier routinely monitored by the user agent.

5. A user agent for use in a wireless communication network, the user agent comprising:

a processor configured to;

start a timer; and

monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) of at least two assigned carriers of multiple carriers in the wireless communication network, the at least two assigned carriers being rendered active by an access device in the network;

determine whether a downlink control information (DCI) packet has been received on any of the at least two assigned carriers; and

if a DCI packet has been received on any of the at least moat least two assigned carriers, restart the timer;

determine a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process index (HPI) based on the received DCI packet;

identify a downlink resource based on the received DCI packet;

receive a downlink transmission using the identified downlink resource; and

associate the received downlink transmission with a buffer corresponding to a combination of the HPI and the assigned carrier on which the downlink transmission was received.

6. The user agent of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to monitor the PDCCH until the timer expires.

7. The user agent of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to continue to monitor the PDCCH if the DCI packet has been received on any of the at least two assigned carrier before the timer expires.

8. The user agent of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to monitor a PDCCH of an anchor carrier of the multiple carriers, wherein the anchor carrier is the only carrier routinely monitored by the user agent.