Downlink assignment indicator design for multi-carrier wireless communication

• US 9,350,581 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2010
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Wanshi, Montojo, Juan, Damnjanovic, Jelena M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander O
• Application Number:
  US12/791,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20110128922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,184 Days
• Field of Search: 370/330, 370/329, 370/337, 370/348, 370/349, 370/444, 370/447, 370/343, 370/345, 370/347, 370/338, 370/336, 370/389, 370/401, 370/400, 370/442, 370/443, 370/445, 370/468, 370/44, 455/450, 455/509
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate various techniques for enhanced downlink assignment index (DAI) signaling in a multi-carrier wireless communication system. As described herein, DAI and/or other indicator signaling transmitted on a first carrier can be configured to carry information relating to a number of downlink transmission assignments applied to at least a second carrier, which in some cases can be disparate from the first carrier. To these ends, described herein are techniques for cross-carrier DAI signaling, multiple DAI signaling, aggregate DAI signaling, and other similar techniques. As additionally described herein, DAI signaling can be related to downlink control transmissions and/or downlink data transmissions in connection with respective techniques that can be applied to the DAI signaling.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying a plurality of carriers configured for communication in a wireless communication system;

determining a number of downlink transmission assignments associated with one or more first carriers in the plurality of carriers; and

configuring, for communication over at least one or more second carriers in the plurality of carriers, at least one indication that specifies the number of downlink transmission assignments associated with at least the one or more first carriers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more second carriers are disparate from the one or more first carriers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one indication comprises downlink assignment index (DAI) signaling.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises configuring the at least one indication to include index information that associates the one or more first carriers with the number of downlink transmission assignments associated with the one or more first carriers.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the index information comprises a carrier index field (CIF).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises configuring the at least one indication to specify one or more of a total number of downlink transmission assignments associated with at least the one or more first carriers or an accumulative number of downlink transmission assignments associated with at least the one or more first carriers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises configuring the at least one indication to specify a combined number of downlink transmission assignments associated with the one or more first carriers and the one or more second carriers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the at least one indication via at least one of a downlink transmission assignment or an uplink transmission assignment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises configuring a plurality of indications to specify numbers of downlink transmission assignments associated with respective carriers in the plurality of carriers, and wherein the respective carriers include the one or more first carriers.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the plurality of indications via at least one control signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the configuring further comprises coding the plurality of indications for transmission on the at least one control signal using at least one of per-indication coding or joint coding.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring comprises configuring the at least one indication to specify a number of downlink transmission assignments associated with substantially all carriers in the plurality of carriers.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises determining at least one of a number of downlink control signal transmission assignments associated with the one or more first carriers or a number of downlink data transmission assignments associated with the one or more first carriers.

14. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores data relating to a plurality of carriers configured for communication in a wireless communication system; and

a processor configured to determine a number of downlink transmission assignments associated with one or more first carriers in the plurality of carriers and to configure, for communication over one or more second carriers in the plurality of carriers, at least one indication that specifies the number of downlink transmission assignments associated with at least the one or more first carriers.

15. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more second carriers are disparate from the one or more first carriers.

16. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to configure the at least one indication to include index information that associates the one or more first carriers with the number of downlink transmission assignments associated with the one or more first carriers.

17. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to configure the at least one indication to specify a combined number of downlink transmission assignments associated with the one or more first carriers and the one or more second carriers.

18. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to configure a plurality of indications to specify numbers of downlink transmission assignments associated with respective carriers in the plurality of carriers, and wherein the respective carriers include the one or more first carriers.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of carriers associated with a wireless communication system, at least one first carrier in the plurality of carriers, and at least one second carrier in the plurality of carriers;

means for obtaining information relating to a number of downlink transmission assignments applied to the at least one first carrier; and

means for generating a downlink assignment index (DAI) for transmission on the at least one second carrier that specifies the number of downlink transmission assignments applied to the at least one first carrier.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one first carrier is disparate from the at least one second carrier.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for generating comprises means for associating a carrier index field (CIF) that identifies the at least one first carrier with the DAI.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for generating comprises means for generating a DAI that specifies a combined number of downlink transmission assignments applied to the at least one first carrier and the at least one second carrier.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for generating comprises means for generating a plurality of DAIs that specify respective numbers of downlink transmission assignments applied to respectively corresponding sets of one or more carriers in the plurality of carriers.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

code for causing a computer to identify a plurality of carriers associated with a wireless communication system, at least one first carrier in the plurality of carriers, and at least one second carrier in the plurality of carriers;

code for causing a computer to obtain information relating to a number of downlink transmission assignments applied to the at least one first carrier; and

code for causing a computer to generate a downlink assignment index (DAI) for transmission on the at least one second carrier that specifies the number of downlink transmission assignments applied to the at least one first carrier.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the at least one first carrier is disparate from the at least one second carrier.

26. A method, comprising:

identifying a plurality of carriers configured for communication with a wireless communication network;

obtaining transmission assignment signaling from the wireless communication network over at least one or more first carriers in the plurality of carriers; and

determining, based on the transmission assignment signaling, a number of downlink transmission assignments associated with at least one or more second carriers in the plurality of carriers.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more second carriers are disparate from the one or more first carriers.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the determining comprises determining the number of downlink transmission assignments associated with at least the one or more second carriers based on downlink assignment index (DAI) signaling provided in the transmission assignment signaling.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the determining comprises identifying the one or more second carriers via index information provided in the transmission assignment signaling.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the index information comprises a carrier index field (CIF).

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the determining comprises determining one or more of a total number of downlink transmission assignments associated with at least the one or more second carriers or an accumulative number of downlink transmission assignments associated with at least the one or more second carriers.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein the determining comprises determining a combined number of downlink transmission assignments associated with the one or more first carriers and the one or more second carriers based on the transmission assignment signaling.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmission assignment signaling comprises at least one of a downlink transmission assignment or an uplink transmission assignment.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein determining comprises determining, based on the transmission assignment signaling, a plurality of numbers of downlink transmission assignments associated with respective carriers in the plurality of carriers, and wherein the respective carriers include the one or more second carriers.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the obtaining comprises obtaining at least one control signal that includes the transmission assignment signaling.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the plurality of numbers of downlink transmission assignments are encoded on the at least one control signal via at least one of individual coding or joint coding.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein the determining comprises determining a number of downlink transmission assignments associated with substantially all carriers in the plurality of carriers based on the transmission assignment signaling.

38. The method of claim 26, wherein the determining comprises determining at least one of a number of downlink control signal transmission assignments or a number of downlink data transmission assignments associated with the one or more second carriers based on the transmission assignment signaling.

39. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores data relating to a plurality of carriers configured for communication with a wireless communication network; and

a processor configured to obtain transmission assignment signaling from the wireless communication network over at least one or more first carriers in the plurality of carriers and to determine, based on the transmission assignment signaling, a number of downlink transmission assignments associated with at least one or more second carriers in the plurality of carriers.

40. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 39, wherein the one or more second carriers are disparate from the one or more first carriers.

41. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 39, wherein the processor is further configured to identify the one or more second carriers via index information provided in the transmission assignment signaling.

42. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 39, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a combined number of downlink transmission assignments associated with the one or more first carriers and the one or more second carriers based on the transmission assignment signaling.

43. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 39, wherein the processor is further configured to determine, based on the transmission assignment signaling, a plurality of numbers of downlink transmission assignments associated with respective carriers in the plurality of carriers, and wherein the respective carriers include the one or more second carriers.

44. An apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of carriers designated for communication with a wireless communication network, at least one first carrier in the plurality of carriers, and at least one second carrier in the plurality of carriers;

means for obtaining one or more downlink assignment indexes (DAIs) from the wireless communication network on the at least one first carrier; and

means for determining a number of downlink transmission assignments applied to the at least one second carrier based on the one or more DAIs.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the at least one first carrier is disparate from the at least one second carrier.

46. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the means for determining comprises:

means for identifying a carrier index field (CIF) in the one or more DAIs; and

means for identifying the at least one second carrier based on the CIF.

47. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the means for determining comprises means for determining a combined number of downlink transmission assignments applied to the at least one first carrier and the at least one second carrier based on the one or more DAIs.

48. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein:

the means for obtaining comprises means for obtaining a plurality of DAIs; and

the means for determining comprises means for identifying respective numbers of downlink transmission assignments from respective DAIs in the plurality of DAIs that are applied to respective carriers in the plurality of carriers that include the at least one second carrier.

49. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

code for causing a computer to identify a plurality of carriers designated for communication with a wireless communication network, at least one first carrier in the plurality of carriers, and at least one second carrier in the plurality of carriers that is disparate from the at least one first carrier;

code for causing a computer to obtain one or more downlink assignment indexes (DAIs) from the wireless communication network on the at least one first carrier; and

code for causing a computer to determine a number of downlink transmission assignments applied to the at least one second carrier based on the one or more DAIs.

50. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the at least one first carrier is disparate from the at least one second carrier.