Systems and methods for uplink signaling using time-frequency resources

• US 9,288,024 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Novak, Robert, Fong, Mo-Han, Vrzic, Sophie, Yuan, Jun, Yu, Dong-Sheng, Ma, Jianglei
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUSA, ABDELNABI O
• Application Number:
  US13/617,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20130010748A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/330
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0866 using a dedicated channel for access

Abstract

Methods, base stations and access terminals for uplink signalling are provided. Resource request channel characteristics such as location in time-frequency, sequence, time slot, are assigned to each access terminal to distinguish their resource requests from the resource requests of other access terminals. Access terminals make requests using a resource request on a resource request channel having the assigned characteristics. The base station can then determine which access terminal transmitted 0 the resource request based on the resource request channel characteristics of the resource request channel upon which the resource>request was received. The base station then transmits a response to the request which may for example be a new resource allocation, a default allocation or a renewal of a previous allocation.

Claims

1. A method for reception of uplink signaling at a base station from an access terminal of a plurality of access terminals, the method comprising:

at the base station;

using an uplink signaling scheme in which;

a) a signaling location allocated for uplink signaling comprises at least one tile comprising a contiguous set of time-frequency resources within a transmission resource;

b) each tile of the at least one tile comprises at least two sections;

c) for each of the at least two sections of each tile, a respective set of sequences for transmission on that section of the corresponding tile is allocated;

assigning the access terminal a sequence from each of the sets of sequences; and

receiving from the access terminal the uplink signaling comprising a transmission on each section of the at least one tile using corresponding sequences assigned to the access terminal for each section of the at least one tile,

wherein a time-frequency location of the at least one tile in the transmission resource and/or the sequence from each of the sets of sequences is used by the base station to identify from which access terminal the transmission originates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of tiles in the plurality of tiles repeats for tiles in the plurality of tiles to exploit frequency diversity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of tiles in the plurality of tiles varies from tile to tile in the plurality of tiles.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the uplink signaling comprises receiving a resource request, and wherein the transmission resource comprises a control resource.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the base station;

receiving access requests and/or resource requests from the access terminal independently for each of a plurality of services.

6. A base station configured for receiving uplink signaling from an access terminal of a plurality of access terminals, the base station comprising:

a transceiver for performing wireless communication with the plurality of access terminals;

processing hardware coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processing hardware is configured to cause the base station to;

use an uplink signaling scheme in which;

a) a signaling location allocated for the uplink signaling comprises at least one tile comprising a contiguous set of time-frequency resources within a transmission resource;

b) each tile of the at least one tile comprises at least two sections;

c) for each of the at least two sections of each tile, a respective set of sequences for transmission on that section of the corresponding tile is allocated;

assign the access terminal a sequence from each of the sets of sequences; and

receive from the access terminal the uplink signaling comprising a transmission on each section of the at least one tile using the corresponding sequences assigned to the access terminal for each section of the at least one tile,

wherein a time-frequency location of the at least one tile in the transmission resource and/or the sequence from each of the sets of sequences is used by the base station to identify from which access terminal the transmission originates.

7. The base station of claim 6, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of tiles in the plurality of tiles repeats for tiles in the plurality of tiles to exploit frequency diversity.

8. The base station of claim 6, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of tiles in the plurality of tiles varies from tile to tile in the plurality of tiles.

9. The base station of claim 6, wherein receiving the uplink signaling comprises receiving a resource request and the transmission resource comprises a control resource.

10. The base station of claim 6, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to cause the base station to:

receive access requests and/or resource requests from the access terminal independently for each of a plurality of services.

11. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for receiving uplink signaling from an access terminal of a plurality of access terminals by a base station, wherein the program instructions are executable by one or more processors of the base station to cause the base station to:

use an uplink signaling scheme in which;

a) a signaling location allocated for the uplink signaling comprises at least one tile comprising a contiguous set of time-frequency resources within a transmission resource;

b) each tile of the at least one tile comprises at least two sections;

c) for each of the at least two sections of each tile, a respective set of sequences for transmission on that section of the corresponding tile is allocated;

assign the access terminal a sequence from each of the sets of sequences; and

receive from the access terminal the uplink signaling comprising a transmission on each section of the at least one tile using the corresponding sequences assigned to the access terminal for each section of the at least one tile,

wherein a time-frequency location of the at least one tile in the transmission resource and/or the sequence from each of the sets of sequences is used by the base station to identify from which access terminal the transmission originates.

12. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of the tiles in the plurality of tiles repeats for tiles in the plurality of tiles to exploit frequency diversity.

13. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of tiles in the plurality of tiles varies from tile to tile in the plurality of tiles.

14. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the uplink signaling comprises receiving a resource request and the transmission resource comprises a control resource.

15. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the base station to:

receive access requests and/or resource requests from the access terminal independently for each of a plurality of services.

16. A method for transmitting uplink signaling from a wireless device of a plurality of wireless devices to a base station, the method comprising:

by the wireless device;

using an uplink signaling scheme in which;

a) a signaling location allocated for the uplink signaling comprises at least one tile comprising a contiguous set of time-frequency resources within a transmission resource;

b) each tile of the at least one tile comprises at least two sections;

c) for each of the at least two sections of each tile, a respective set of sequences for transmission on that section of the corresponding tile is allocated;

receiving from the base station an assignment of a sequence from each of the sets of sequences; and

transmitting to the base station the uplink signaling comprising a transmission on each section of the at least one tile using the corresponding sequences assigned to the wireless device for each section of the at least one tile,

wherein a time-frequency location of the at least one tile in the transmission resource and/or the sequence from each of the sets of sequences is used by the base station to identify from which wireless device the transmission originates.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of tiles in the plurality of tiles repeats for tiles in the plurality of tiles to exploit frequency diversity.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of tiles in the plurality of tiles varies from tile to tile in the plurality of tiles.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the uplink signaling comprises transmitting a resource request, and wherein the transmission resource comprises a control resource.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

by the wireless device;

transmitting access requests and/or resource requests independently for each of a plurality of services.

21. A mobile station, comprising:

a transceiver for transmitting and receiving radio frequency signals;

processing hardware coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processing hardware is configured to cause the mobile station to;

use an uplink signaling scheme in which;

a) a signaling location allocated for uplink signaling comprises at least one tile comprising a contiguous set of time-frequency resources within a transmission resource;

b) each tile of the at least one tile comprises at least two sections;

c) for each of the at least two sections of each tile, a respective set of sequences for transmission on that section of the corresponding tile is allocated;

receive from a base station an assignment of a sequence from each of the sets of sequences; and

transmit to the base station the uplink signaling comprising a transmission on each section of the at least one tile using the corresponding sequences assigned to the mobile station for each section of the at least one tile,

wherein a time-frequency location of the at least one tile in the transmission resource and/or the sequence from each of the sets of sequences is used by the base station to identify from which mobile station the transmission originates.

22. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of tiles in the plurality of tiles repeats for tiles in the plurality of tiles to exploit frequency diversity.

23. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of tiles in the plurality of tiles varies from tile to tile in the plurality of tiles.

24. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein transmitting the uplink signaling comprises transmitting a resource request, and wherein the transmission resource comprises a control resource.

25. The mobile station of claim 21, wherein the processing hardware is further configured to cause the mobile station to:

transmit access requests and/or resource requests independently for each of a plurality of services.

26. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for transmission of an uplink signaling to a base station, wherein the program instructions are executable by one or more processors to cause a wireless device to:

use an uplink signaling scheme in which;

a) a signaling location allocated for the uplink signaling comprises at least one tile comprising a contiguous set of time-frequency blocks within a transmission resource;

b) each tile of the at least one tile comprises at least two sections;

c) for each of the at least two sections of each tile, a respective set of sequences for transmission on that section of the corresponding tile is allocated;

receive from the base station an assignment of a sequence from each of the sets of sequences; and

transmit to the base station the uplink signaling comprising a transmission on each section of the at least one tile using the corresponding sequences assigned to the wireless device for each section of the at least one tile,

wherein a time-frequency location of the at least one tile in the transmission resource and/or the sequence from each of the sets of sequences is used by the base station to identify from which wireless device the transmission originates.

27. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 26, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of tiles in the plurality of tiles repeats for tiles in the plurality of tiles to exploit frequency diversity.

28. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 26, wherein each signaling location comprises a plurality of tiles that are distributed in frequency, and a mapping of sequences to sections of tiles in the plurality of tiles varies from tile to tile in the plurality of tiles.

29. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 26, wherein transmitting the uplink signaling comprises transmitting a resource request, and wherein the transmission resource comprises a control resource.

30. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 26, wherein the program instructions are further executable to cause the wireless device to:

transmit access requests and/or resource requests independently for each of a plurality of services.