Multi-carrier CQI feedback method and apparatus

• US 9,191,847 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Parkvall, Stefan, Dahlman, Erik, Gransson, Bo, Bergstrm, Joakim
• Primary Examiner(s): Pasia, Redentor
• Application Number:
  US14/307,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20140293817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 517 Days
• Field of Search: 370/248, 370/252, 370254-255, 370328-329, 370/330, 370/335, 370/342, 370/437, 370/441, 370/464, 370478-479, 709227-228, 455/422.1, 455/510, 455/513, 455/522, 455/115.1, 455/115.3, 375/130, 375/133
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0029 Reduction of the amount of signalling, e.g. retention of useful signalling or differential signalling power control H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

A radio base station transmits data symbols to a mobile terminal on multiple frequency carriers, e.g., in accordance with the MC-WCDMA or cdma2000 3x air interface protocols. The radio base station instructs the mobile terminal to report channel quality measurements obtained by the terminal for the multiple carriers over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals. According to one embodiment, the mobile terminal reports channel quality by receiving data symbols transmitted on a plurality of frequency carriers in a multi-carrier CDMA environment and measuring channel quality for the different frequency carriers. The mobile terminal reports individual ones of the channel quality measurements over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals.

Claims

1. In a mobile terminal, a method of reporting channel quality comprising:

receiving data symbols transmitted on a plurality of frequency carriers in a multi-carrier environment;

measuring channel quality for different frequency carriers;

reporting the channel quality measurements over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals;

receiving a physical layer or MAC layer signaling message from a radio base station directing the mobile terminal to stop reporting one or more channel quality measurements of one or more frequency carriers for one or more reporting intervals over the same uplink channel; and

stopping, responsive to said physical layer or MAC layer signaling message, reporting one or more channel quality measurements for one or more frequency carriers for one or more reporting intervals before channel quality measurements for the different frequency carriers are subsequently reported over the same uplink channel during consecutive reporting intervals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the channel quality measurements over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals comprises reporting only the channel quality measurements that satisfy a threshold criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the channel quality measurements over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals comprises reporting the channel quality measurements during consecutive reporting intervals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the channel quality measurements over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals comprises stopping reporting channel quality measurements for one or more consecutive reporting intervals between successively reported channel quality measurements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting ones of the channel quality measurements over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals comprises:

mapping the best channel quality measurement to a channel quality indicator index;

determining a delta from the channel quality indicator index for one or more of the remaining frequency carriers based on the corresponding channel quality measurement; and

reporting the channel quality indicator index and the deltas over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein reporting the channel quality measurements over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals comprises:

ranking the channel quality measurements; and

reporting the channel quality measurements in an order based on rank.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising reporting a frequency carrier identity associated with each reported channel quality measurement.

8. A mobile terminal comprising a baseband processor configured to:

process received data symbols transmitted on a plurality of frequency carriers in a multi-carrier environment;

measure channel quality for different frequency carriers; and

report the channel quality measurements over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals;

receive a physical layer or MAC layer signaling message from a radio base station directing the mobile terminal to stop reporting one or more channel quality measurements of one or more frequency carriers for one or more reporting intervals over the same uplink channel; and

stop, responsive to said physical layer or MAC layer signaling message, reporting one or more channel quality measurements for one or more frequency carriers for one or more reporting intervals before channel quality measurements for the different frequency carriers are subsequently reported over the same uplink channel during consecutive reporting intervals.

9. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the baseband processor is configured to report only the channel quality measurements that satisfy a threshold criteria.

10. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the baseband processor is configured to report the channel quality measurements during consecutive reporting intervals.

11. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the baseband processor is configured to stop reporting channel quality measurements for one or more consecutive reporting intervals between successively reported channel quality measurements.

12. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the baseband processor is configured to:

map the best channel quality measurement to a channel quality indicator index;

determine a delta from the channel quality indicator index for one or more of the remaining frequency carriers based on the corresponding channel quality measurement; and

report the channel quality indicator index and the deltas over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 8, wherein the baseband processor is further configured to rank the channel quality measurements and report the channel quality measurements in order based on rank.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 13, wherein the baseband processor is further configured to report a frequency carrier identity associated with each reported channel quality measurement.

15. A method of allocating radio resources, comprising:

transmitting data symbols to a mobile terminal on a plurality of frequency carriers in a multi-carrier environment;

directing the mobile terminal to report channel quality measurements for different frequency carriers over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals;

directing the mobile terminal, via a physical layer or MAC layer signaling message, to stop reporting channel quality measurements for one or more reporting intervals for one or more frequency carriers over the same uplink channel before channel quality measurements for the different frequency carriers are subsequently reported by the mobile terminal over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals; and

adjusting radio resource allocation based at least in part on channel quality reports received from the mobile terminal over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein directing the mobile terminal to report channel quality measurements for the different frequency carriers over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals comprises directing the mobile terminal to report only the channel quality measurements that satisfy a threshold criteria.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein directing the mobile terminal to report channel quality measurements for the different frequency carriers over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals comprises directing the mobile terminal to report the channel quality measurements during consecutive reporting intervals.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein directing the mobile terminal to report channel quality measurements for the different frequency carriers over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals comprises directing the mobile terminal to stop reporting channel quality measurements for one or more consecutive reporting intervals between successively reported channel quality measurements.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein directing the mobile terminal to report channel quality measurements for the different frequency carriers over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals comprises directing the mobile terminal to:

map the best channel quality measurement to a channel quality indicator index;

determine a delta from the channel quality indicator index for one or more of the remaining frequency carriers based on the corresponding channel quality measurement; and

report the channel quality indicator index and the deltas over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein directing the mobile terminal to report channel quality measurements for the different frequency carriers over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals comprises directing the mobile terminal to rank the channel quality measurements and report the channel quality measurements in an order based on rank.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising directing the mobile terminal to report a frequency carrier identity associated with each reported channel quality measurement.

22. A radio access network comprising a base station configured to:

transmit data symbols to a mobile terminal on a plurality of frequency carriers in a multi-carrier environment;

direct the mobile terminal to report channel quality measurements for different frequency carriers over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals;

direct the mobile terminal, via a physical layer or MAC layer signaling message, to stop reporting channel quality measurements for one or more reporting intervals for one or more frequency carriers over the same uplink channel before channel quality measurements for the different frequency carriers are subsequently reported by the mobile terminal over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals; and

adjust radio resource allocation based at least in part on channel quality reports received from the mobile terminal over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals.

23. The radio access network of claim 22, wherein the base station is configured to direct the mobile terminal to report only the channel quality measurements that satisfy a threshold criteria.

24. The radio access network of claim 22, wherein the base station is configured to direct the mobile terminal to report the channel quality measurements during consecutive reporting intervals.

25. The radio access network of claim 22, wherein the base station is configured to direct the mobile terminal to stop reporting channel quality measurements for one or more consecutive reporting intervals between successively reported channel quality measurements.

26. The radio access network of claim 22, wherein the base station is configured to direct the mobile terminal to:

map the best channel quality measurement to a channel quality indicator index;

determine a delta from the channel quality indicator index for one or more of the remaining frequency carriers based on the corresponding channel quality measurement; and

report the channel quality indicator index and the deltas over the same uplink channel during successive reporting intervals.

27. The radio access network of claim 22, wherein the base station is configured to direct the mobile terminal to rank the channel quality measurements and report the channel quality measurements in an order based on rank.

28. The radio access network of claim 27, wherein the base station is further configured to direct the mobile terminal to report a frequency carrier identity associated with each reported channel quality measurement.