Methods and apparatus of implementing and/or using a dedicated control channel
First Claim
1. A method of operating a base station comprising:
- allocating a first control subchannel to a first wireless terminal, said first control subchannel including a first set of control channel segments during a first time period, said first set including a first number of control channel segments;
allocating a second control subchannel to a second wireless terminal, said second control subchannel including a second set of control channel segments during said first time period, said second set including a second number of control channel segments which is less than said first number,wherein the first control subchannel allocated to the first wireless terminal uses control channel segments corresponding to a first set of resources and the second control subchannel allocated to the second wireless terminal uses control channel segments corresponding to a second set of resources different from the first set of resources; and
transmitting a mode control signal to said first wireless terminal, said mode control signal commanding said first wireless terminal to switch from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation, wherein during the second mode of operation, said first set of resources comprises a different amount of control channel segments per unit time than during said first mode of operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Wireless terminals and base stations support multiple modes of control channel operation wherein wireless terminals are allocated different amounts of uplink resources for reporting control information. A set of control channel segments is utilized by a wireless terminal to communicate uplink control information reports to its serving base station attachment point. Full tone and split-tone modes of control channel operation are supported. In full tone mode, a single wireless terminal is allocated each of the control channel segments associated with a single logical tone. In split tone mode, control channel segments associated with a single logical tone are allocated between different wireless terminals, with each of the multiple wireless terminals receiving a different non-overlapping subset of the control channel segments. Logical control channel tones can be dynamically reallocated for full-tone mode use or split tone mode use.
440 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method of operating a base station comprising:
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allocating a first control subchannel to a first wireless terminal, said first control subchannel including a first set of control channel segments during a first time period, said first set including a first number of control channel segments; allocating a second control subchannel to a second wireless terminal, said second control subchannel including a second set of control channel segments during said first time period, said second set including a second number of control channel segments which is less than said first number, wherein the first control subchannel allocated to the first wireless terminal uses control channel segments corresponding to a first set of resources and the second control subchannel allocated to the second wireless terminal uses control channel segments corresponding to a second set of resources different from the first set of resources; and transmitting a mode control signal to said first wireless terminal, said mode control signal commanding said first wireless terminal to switch from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation, wherein during the second mode of operation, said first set of resources comprises a different amount of control channel segments per unit time than during said first mode of operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions for use in a base station, the computer executable instructions, when executed by a computer, causing the following to occur:
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allocating a first control subchannel to a first wireless terminal, said first control subchannel including a first set of control channel segments during a first time period, said first set including a first number of control channel segments; allocating a second control subchannel to a second wireless terminal, said second control subchannel including a second set of control channel segments during said first time period, said second set including a second number of control channel segments which is less than said first number, wherein the first control subchannel allocated to the first wireless terminal uses control channel segments corresponding to a first set of resources and the second control subchannel allocated to the second wireless terminal uses control channel segments corresponding to a second set of resources different from the first set of resources; and transmitting a mode control signal to said first wireless terminal, said mode control signal commanding said first wireless terminal to switch from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation, wherein during the second mode of operation, said first set of resources comprises a different amount of control channel segments per unit time than during said first mode of operation.
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21. A base station comprising:
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means for allocating a first control subchannel to a first wireless terminal, said first control subchannel including a first set of control channel segments during a first time period, said first set including a first number of control channel segments; means for allocating a second control subchannel to a second wireless terminal, said second control subchannel including a second set of control channel segments during said first time period, said second set including a second number of control channel segments which is less than said first number, wherein the first control subchannel allocated to the first wireless terminal uses control channel segments corresponding to a first set of resources and the second control subchannel allocated to the second wireless terminal uses control channel segments corresponding to a second set of resources different from the first set of resources; and means for transmitting a mode control signal to said first wireless terminal, said mode control signal commanding said first wireless terminal to switch from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation, wherein during the second mode of operation, said first set of resources comprises a different amount of control channel segments per unit time than during said first mode of operation.
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22. A base station comprising:
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at least one module configured for allocating a first control subchannel to a first wireless terminal, said first control subchannel including a first set of control channel segments during a first time period, said first set including a first number of control channel segments, and allocating a second control subchannel to a second wireless terminal, said second control subchannel including a second set of control channel segments during said first time period, said second set including a second number of control channel segments which is less than said first number, wherein the first control subchannel allocated to the first wireless terminal uses control channel segments corresponding to a first set of resources and the second control subchannel allocated to the second wireless terminal uses control channel segments corresponding to a second set of resources different from the first set of resources; and a transmitter for transmitting control channel allocation information, the transmitter further configured to transmit a mode control signal to said first wireless terminal, said mode control signal commanding said first wireless terminal to switch from a first mode of operation to a second mode of operation, wherein during the second mode of operation, said first set of resources comprises a different amount of control channel segments per unit time than during said first mode of operation. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification