Use of discrete portions of frequency bandwidth to distinguish between ACK and NACK transmissions
First Claim
1. A method operable in a system in which a first node and second node communicate with each other over an air interface spanning a frequency bandwidth that includes at least two distinct portions including a first portion and a second portion, the method comprising:
- engaging by the first node in a transmission of data to the second node and then receiving by the first node from the second node, in one of the portions of the frequency bandwidth, an acknowledgement for the transmission;
making a determination by the first node, based on which of the portions of the frequency bandwidth the first node received the acknowledgement in, whether the received acknowledgement is a positive acknowledgement or rather a negative acknowledgement, wherein (a) if the first node received the acknowledgement in the first portion rather than in the second portion, then, based on the first node having received the acknowledgement in the first portion, the determination is that the acknowledgement is a positive acknowledgement and (b) if the first node received the acknowledgment in the second portion rather than the first portion, then, based on the first node having received the acknowledgement in the second portion, the determination is that the acknowledgement is a negative acknowledgement; and
controlling by the first node, based on the determination, whether to engage in a re-transmission over the air interface to the second node.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The air interface between a first node and a second node will span a frequency bandwidth defining two distinct portions, and acknowledgement message transmission such as Hybrid-ARQ message transmission will make use of those distinct portions to distinguish ACKs from NACKs. In particular, ACKs may be restricted to being transmitted within one portion of the frequency bandwidth, while NACKs may be restricted to being transmitted in different portion of the frequency bandwidth. Consequently, when the first node transmits data to the second node and receives an acknowledgement message sent in response from the second node, the first node may determine, based on which portion of the frequency bandwidth the first node received the acknowledgement message in, whether the acknowledgement message is an ACK or rather a NACK.
31 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method operable in a system in which a first node and second node communicate with each other over an air interface spanning a frequency bandwidth that includes at least two distinct portions including a first portion and a second portion, the method comprising:
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engaging by the first node in a transmission of data to the second node and then receiving by the first node from the second node, in one of the portions of the frequency bandwidth, an acknowledgement for the transmission; making a determination by the first node, based on which of the portions of the frequency bandwidth the first node received the acknowledgement in, whether the received acknowledgement is a positive acknowledgement or rather a negative acknowledgement, wherein (a) if the first node received the acknowledgement in the first portion rather than in the second portion, then, based on the first node having received the acknowledgement in the first portion, the determination is that the acknowledgement is a positive acknowledgement and (b) if the first node received the acknowledgment in the second portion rather than the first portion, then, based on the first node having received the acknowledgement in the second portion, the determination is that the acknowledgement is a negative acknowledgement; and controlling by the first node, based on the determination, whether to engage in a re-transmission over the air interface to the second node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method operable in a system in which a first node communicates wirelessly with a second node over an air interface that spanning a frequency bandwidth that includes at least two distinct portions, the method comprising:
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making a determination, by the second node, of whether the second node successfully received a transmission of data from the first node; selecting by the second node, based on the determination, one of the portions of frequency bandwidth in which to transmit to the first node an acknowledgement for the transmission, wherein (i) if the determination is that the second node successfully received the transmission, then the second node selects a first one of the portions in which to transmit the acknowledgement, but (ii) if the determination is that the second node did not successfully receive the transmission, then the second node instead selects a second, different, one of the portions in which to transmit the acknowledgement; and transmitting the acknowledgement by the second node to the first node, in the selected portion of the frequency bandwidth. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A base station comprising:
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a wireless transceiver for communicating over an air interface with user equipment devices (UEs) served by the base station, wherein the air interface spans a frequency bandwidth that includes at least two distinct portions, and wherein the wireless transceiver receives data transmissions from the served UEs and transmits acknowledgements in response to the received data transmissions, each acknowledgement being selected from the group consisting of a positive acknowledgement (ACK) and a negative acknowledgement (NACK); and a controller, wherein the controller restricts the wireless transceiver'"'"'s transmission of ACKs to be in a first one of the portions of frequency bandwidth and restricts the wireless transceiver'"'"'s transmission of NACKs to be in a second, different one of the portions of frequency bandwidth, wherein, when the base station transmits an acknowledgement, (i) if the acknowledgement is an ACK, then, based on the acknowledgement being an ACK, the base station transmits the acknowledgement in the first portion of the frequency bandwidth and (ii) if the acknowledgement is a NACK, then, based on the acknowledgement being a NACK, the base station transmits the acknowledgement in the second portion of the frequency bandwidth. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification