Selection of acknowledgment timing in wireless communications

• US 9,220,085 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2012
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: He, Hong, Fwu, Jong-Kae
• Primary Examiner(s): TOWFIGHI, AFSHAWN M
• Application Number:
  US13/997,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20140010128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/12 Arrangements providing for calling or supervisory signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0077 Cooperative coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2646 using feedback from receiver for adjusting OFDM transmission parameters, e.g. transmission timing or guard interval length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2662 Symbol synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2675 Pilot or known symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0078 Timing of allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 : Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 : taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/244 : Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 : TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 : one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 : Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 : Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 : Wireless traffic scheduling
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 : for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 : WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Disclosed is a method including communicating, by a mobile device, with a base station via first and second component carriers having different frequency bands and time division duplexing (TDD) configurations. The method may include receiving one or more downlink transmissions via the second component carrier. The method may include selecting a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) timing sequence based on the TDD configurations of the first and second component carriers. The method may include transmitting one or more positive acknowledgment and/or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) signals, associated with the one or more downlink transmissions, according to the selected HARQ timing sequence. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause a mobile device to:

establish communication with one or more base stations through a primary serving cell (PCell) and a secondary serving (SCell), the PCell being established with a first time-division duplexing (TDD) configuration, the SCell being established with a second TDD configuration;

receive downlink data through the SCell;

select a reference TDD configuration based on the first and second TDD configurations; and

transmit acknowledgement information to be associated with the downlink data according to a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARD) timing of the reference TDD configuration,

wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the mobile device to;

select the TDD configuration of the first component carrier as the reference TDD configuration if downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the second component carrier are a subset of downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the first component carrier unless;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD downlink/uplink (DL/UL) configuration 1 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 or 4;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is 1 or TDD DL/UL configuration 2;

or

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 4 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2; and

select the TDD configuration of the second component carrier as the reference TDD configuration if downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the second component carrier are a superset of downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the first component carrier unless;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 1 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 or 4;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 1 or 2;

or

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 4 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the reference TDD configuration is different from the TDD configuration indicated by a system information block of the SCell.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 2, wherein the system information block is System Information Block 1 (SIB1).

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein:

the first TDD configuration is indicated by System Information Block 1 (SIB1) of PCell; and

the second TDD configuration is indicated by SIB1 of SCell.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the mobile device to:

select the reference TDD configuration whose uplink subframes are the same as uplink subframes common between the first TDD configuration and the second TDD configuration.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the mobile device to:

select TDD DL/UL configuration 4 as the reference TDD configuration, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 1 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3;

select TDD DL/UL configuration 5 as the reference TDD configuration, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3; and

select TDD DL/UL configuration 5 as the reference TDD configuration, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 4.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the mobile device to:

select TDD downlink/uplink (DL/UL) configuration 4 as the reference TDD configuration, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 1;

select TDD DL/UL configuration 5 as the reference TDD configuration, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2; and

select TDD DL/UL configuration 5 as the reference TDD configuration, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 4 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the mobile device to:

transmit a positive or negative acknowledgement according to the HARQ timing of the reference TDD configuration through at least one uplink subframe.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and reference TDD configurations include at least one of TDD downlink/uplink (DL/UL) configurations 0-6.

10. A method, comprising:

communicating, by a mobile device, with one or more base stations via first and second component carriers having different frequency bands and time division duplexing (TDD) configurations, the first component carrier associated with a primary serving cell (PCell) and the second component carrier associated with a secondary serving cell (SCell);

receiving one or more downlink transmissions via the second component carrier;

selecting a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) timing sequence based on the TDD configurations of the first and second component carriers; and

transmitting one or more positive acknowledgment and/or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) signals, associated with the one or more downlink transmissions, according to the selected HARQ timing sequence,

wherein the method further comprises;

selecting the TDD configuration of the first component carrier as the HARQ timing sequence if downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the second component carrier are a subset of downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the first component carrier unless;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD downlink/uplink (DL/UL) configuration 1 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 or 4;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is 1 or TDD DL/UL configuration 2;

or

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 4 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2; and

select the TDD configuration of the second component carrier as the HARQ timing sequence if downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the second component carrier are a superset of downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the first component carrier unless;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 1 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 or 4;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 1 or 2;

or

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 4 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting the HARQ timing sequence includes:

identifying, by the mobile device, each downlink subframe of the first and second component carriers as either a first type of downlink subframe or a second type of downlink subframe, wherein each downlink subframe of one of the first and second component carriers is the first type if a corresponding subframe of the other of the first and second component carriers is also a downlink subframe, wherein each downlink subframe of the one of the first and second component carriers is the second type if a corresponding subframe of the other of the first and second component carriers is an uplink subframe; and

selectively transmitting, by the mobile device, the one or more ACK/NACK signals associated with each downlink subframe based on whether the downlink subframe is identified as the first type of downlink subframe or the second type of downlink subframe.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein selectively transmitting the one or more ACK/NACK signals includes transmitting the one or more ACK/NACK signals according to the TDD configuration of the first component carrier for each downlink subframe identified as the first type of downlink subframe.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein selectively transmitting the one or more ACK/NACK signals includes transmitting the one or more ACK/NACK signals according to the TDD configuration of the second component carrier for each downlink subframe of the second component carrier identified as the second type of downlink subframe and transmitting the one or more ACK/NACK signals according to the TDD configuration of the first component carrier for each downlink subframe of the first component carrier identified as the second type of downlink subframe.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein selectively transmitting the one or more ACK/NACK signals includes transmitting the one or more ACK/NACK signals according to a reference TDD configuration for each downlink subframe of the second component carrier identified as the second type and transmitting the one or more ACK/NACK signals according to the TDD configuration of the first component carrier for each downlink subframe of the first component carrier identified as the second type.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the reference TDD configuration is selected to contain uplink subframes that are the same as subframes that are common to TDD configurations of both the first and second component carriers.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the TDD configurations include one of TDD downlink/uplink configurations 0-6.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a communication module to be at least partially implemented in hardware to;

communicate with one or more base stations via first and second component carriers having different frequency bands and time division duplexing (TDD) configurations, wherein the first component carrier corresponds to a primary serving cell and the second component carriers corresponds to a secondary serving cell; and

receive one or more downlink transmissions via the second component carrier; and

a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) module to be at least partially implemented in hardware to;

select a HARQ timing sequence based on the TDD configurations of the first and second component carriers; and

generate one or more positive acknowledgment and/or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) signals, to be associated with the one or more downlink transmissions,

wherein the communication module is further configured to transmit the one or more ACK/NACK signals according to the selected HARQ timing sequence, and

wherein the HARQ module is further to;

select the TDD configuration of the first component carrier as the HARQ timing sequence if downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the second component carrier are a subset of downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the first component carrier unless;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD downlink/uplink (DL/UL) configuration 1 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 or 4;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is 1 or TDD DL/UL configuration 2;

or

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 4 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2; and

select the TDD configuration of the second component carrier as the reference TDD configuration if downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the second component carrier are a superset of downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the first component carrier unless;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 1 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 or 4;

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 1 or 2;

or

the TDD configuration of the first component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 4 and the TDD configuration of the second component carrier is TDD DL/UL configuration 2.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the HARQ module is further configured to:

select the HARQ timing sequence that includes uplink subframes that are the same as uplink subframes common between the TDD configurations of the first and second component carriers.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the HARQ timing sequence is based on a reference TDD configuration that is different from the TDD configurations of the first and second component carriers.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the HARQ timing sequence is based on a reference TDD configuration, and the HARQ module is configured to:

select the TDD configuration of the first component carrier as the reference TDD configuration if all downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the second component carrier are a subset of all downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the first component carrier.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the HARQ timing sequence is based on a reference TDD configuration, and the HARQ module is configured to:

select the TDD configuration of the second component carrier as the reference TDD configuration if all downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the second component carrier are a superset of all downlink subframes of the TDD configuration of the first component carrier.

22. The apparatus claim 17, wherein each of the TDD configurations includes one of TDD downlink/uplink (DL/UL) configurations 0-6.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile phone, a netbook, a laptop, an electronic tablet, or a data system of a vehicle.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus comprises a touch screen display.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the HARQ module is further to:

select TDD DL/UL configuration 4 as the HARQ timing sequence if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 1 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3;

select TDD DL/UL configuration 5 as the HARQ timing sequence if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 or TDD DL/UL configuration 4;

select TDD DL/UL configuration 4 as the HARQ timing sequence if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 1; and

select TDD DL/UL configuration 5 as the HARQ timing sequence if the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 or TDD DL/UL configuration 4.