Systems and methods for dynamically configuring a flexible subframe

• US 9,036,580 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2013
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yin, Zhanping, Yamada, Shohei
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLS, DONALD L
• Application Number:
  US13/744,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20140198733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/143 for modulated signals H04L5/1469 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) for dynamically configuring a flexible subframe is described. The UE includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The UE determines that a subframe is a flexible subframe. The UE determines whether a downlink is indicated for the flexible subframe. The UE sets the flexible subframe as a downlink subframe if a downlink is indicated.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) for dynamically configuring a flexible subframe, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein instructions stored in the memory are executable to;

determine that a subframe is a flexible subframe, wherein determining whether a subframe is a flexible subframe comprises determining whether a subframe type is different in a first reference uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration and a second reference UL-DL configuration;

determine whether a downlink is indicated for the flexible subframe by a physical layer signaling, wherein determining whether a downlink is indicated for the flexible subframe comprises monitoring for an indication subframe that is previous to the flexible subframe;

avoid monitoring the flexible subframe when a downlink is not indicated for the flexible subframe; and

set the flexible subframe as a downlink subframe if a downlink is indicated by the physical layer signaling.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable to monitor for one or more of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) for a downlink for the flexible subframe in the flexible subframe if a downlink is indicated.

3. The UE of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable to avoid monitoring for one or more of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) for a downlink in the flexible subframe if a downlink is not indicated.

4. The UE of claim 1, wherein the indication subframe is a closest downlink subframe before the flexible subframe.

5. A user equipment (UE) for dynamically configuring a flexible subframe, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein instructions stored in the memory are executable to;

determine that a subframe is a flexible subframe, wherein determining whether a subframe is a flexible subframe comprises determining whether a subframe type is different in a first reference uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration and a second reference UL-DL configuration;

monitor for one or more of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) for a downlink for the flexible subframe, wherein monitoring for one or more of a PDCCH and an EPDCCH comprises monitoring for one or more of a PDCCH and an EPDCCH in a scheduling subframe that is previous to the flexible subframe;

avoid monitoring for one or more of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) for a downlink in the flexible subframe if a downlink is not indicated; and

determine whether a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) is scheduled for the flexible subframe.

6. The UE of claim 5, wherein the scheduling subframe is a closest downlink subframe before the flexible subframe.

7. An evolved Node B (eNB) for dynamically configuring a flexible subframe as a downlink subframe, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein instructions stored in the memory are executable to;

determine that a subframe is a flexible subframe by a physical layer signaling, wherein determining whether a subframe is a flexible subframe comprises determining whether a subframe type is different in a first reference up-link-downlink (UL-DL) configuration and a second reference UL-DL configuration; and

indicate by a physical layer signaling a downlink for the flexible subframe via an indication subframe that is previous to the flexible subframe.

8. The eNB of claim 7, wherein the indication subframe is a closest downlink subframe before the flexible subframe.

9. The eNB of claim 7, wherein the instructions are further executable to schedule a downlink for the flexible subframe via a scheduling subframe that is previous to the flexible subframe.

10. The eNB of claim 9, wherein indicating the downlink and scheduling the downlink are performed by a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) in the scheduling subframe.

11. The eNB of claim 9, wherein indicating the downlink comprises sending a downlink indication in the indication subframe, and wherein scheduling the downlink is performed by a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) in the flexible subframe.

12. The eNB of claim 9, wherein scheduling a downlink is based on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) scheduling timing.

13. The eNB of claim 9, wherein scheduling a downlink comprises sending a subframe offset value that indicates a number of subframes between the indication subframe and the flexible subframe.

14. A method for dynamically configuring a flexible subframe by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

determining, by the UE, that a subframe is a flexible subframe, wherein determining whether a subframe is a flexible subframe comprises determining whether a subframe type is different in a first reference uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration and a second reference UL-DL configuration;

determining, by the UE, whether a downlink is indicated for the flexible subframe by a physical layer signaling, wherein determining whether a downlink is indicated for the flexible subframe comprises monitoring for an indication subframe that is previous to the flexible subframe;

avoiding monitoring the flexible subframe when a downlink is not indicated for the flexible subframe; and

setting, by the UE, the flexible subframe as a downlink subframe if a downlink is indicated by the physical layer signaling.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising monitoring for one or more of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) for a downlink for the flexible subframe in the flexible subframe if a downlink is indicated.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising avoiding monitoring for one or more of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) for a downlink in the flexible subframe if a downlink is not indicated.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the indication subframe is a closest downlink subframe before the flexible subframe.

18. A method for dynamically configuring a flexible subframe by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

determining that a subframe is a flexible subframe, wherein determining whether a subframe is a flexible subframe comprises determining whether a subframe type is different in a first reference uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration and a second reference UL-DL configuration;

monitoring for one or more of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) for a downlink for the flexible subframe, wherein monitoring for one or more of a PDCCH and an EPDCCH comprises monitoring for one or more of a PDCCH and an EPDCCH in a scheduling subframe that is previous to the flexible subframe;

avoiding monitoring for one or more of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) for a downlink in the flexible subframe if a downlink is not indicated; and

determining whether a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) is scheduled for the flexible subframe.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the scheduling subframe is a closest downlink subframe before the flexible subframe.

20. A method for dynamically configuring a flexible subframe as a downlink subframe by an evolved Node B (eNB), comprising:

determining, by the eNB, that a subframe is a flexible subframe by a physical layer signaling, wherein determining whether a subframe is a flexible subframe comprises determining whether a subframe type is different in a first reference uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration and a second reference UL-DL configuration;

indicating by a physical layer signaling, by the eNB, a downlink for the flexible subframe via an indication subframe that is previous to the flexible subframe.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the indication subframe is a closest downlink subframe before the flexible subframe.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising scheduling a downlink for the flexible subframe via a scheduling subframe that is previous to the flexible subframe.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein indicating the downlink and scheduling the downlink are performed by a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) in the scheduling subframe.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein indicating the downlink comprises sending a downlink indication in the indication subframe, and wherein scheduling the downlink is performed by a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) in the flexible subframe.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein scheduling a downlink is based on a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) scheduling timing.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein scheduling a downlink comprises sending a subframe offset value that indicates a number of subframes between the indication subframe and the flexible subframe.