Increasing capacity in wireless communications

• US 9,408,165 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jou, Yu-Cheun, Black, Peter J., Attar, Rashid Ahmed A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crompton, Christopher R
• Application Number:
  US12/424,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20090304024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,666 Days
• Field of Search: 370/252
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/709709 Methods of preventing interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0025 Transmission of mode-switching indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0027 Scheduling of signalling, e.g. occurrence thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0029 Reduction of the amount of signalling, e.g. retention of useful signalling or differential signalling power control H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0092 Error control systems characterised by the topology of the transmission link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/44 in connection with interruption of transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/58 Format of the TPC bits

Abstract

Techniques to increase capacity in a wireless communications system. In an aspect, systematic non-transmission, or “blanking,” of minimal-rate frames transmitted in a communications system is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, eighth rate frames in a cdma2000 voice communications system are systematically substituted with null-rate frames carrying zero traffic bits. Provisions are nevertheless made for the transmission of certain designated as “critical” by, e.g., a vocoder. The receiver detects the presence of null rate or non-null rate transmissions and processes the received frames accordingly, including updating an outer loop power control only in response to non-null rate frames. Further techniques for changing the pilot transmission gating pattern to assist the receiver in detecting null rate frames are provided. In another aspect, early termination of a signal transmission over a wireless communications link is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a base station (BS) transmits power control groups (PCG'"'"'s) for a frame over a forward link (FL) to a mobile station (MS) until accurate reception of the frame is acknowledged by the MS over a reverse link (RL), possibly before all PCG'"'"'s of the frame are received over the FL. Possible ACK signaling methods are defined for channels associated with a cdma2000 wireless communications system. In another exemplary embodiment, techniques for reverse link early termination are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of processing information according to a plurality of rates, the method comprising:

receiving a current frame containing traffic information;

determining whether the current frame is of a critical frame type;

if the current frame is determined to be of a critical frame type, processing the traffic information as a result for transmission;

if the current frame is determined to be not of a critical frame type, determining whether the current frame is guaranteed for transmission based at least partially on at least one parameter of the current frame;

if the current frame is determined to be not guaranteed for transmission, processing a null rate frame as the result for transmission, the null rate frame having a reduced information bitrate compared to the traffic information; and

transmitting the result of said processing for transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, the receiving the current frame comprising receiving the current frame from a vocoder at a modem.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the current frame is determined to be guaranteed for transmission, processing the traffic information for transmission.

4. The method of claim 3, the traffic information having a frame type selected from a group consisting of full rate frame type, half rate frame type, quarter rate frame type, and eighth rate frame type.

5. The method of claim 4, the critical frame type comprising any frame type among the full rate frame type, the half rate frame type, the quarter rate frame type, and critical eighth rate frame type.

6. The method of claim 3, the processing for transmission comprising formatting data to be transmitted using a physical layer frame format.

7. The method of claim 3, the determining whether the current frame is guaranteed for transmission comprising determining whether a quantity (FrameNumber+FrameOffset) mod N is equal to zero, wherein the FrameNumber is a sequence number for the current frame, the FrameOffset is an offset, and N is a non-blanking interval.

8. The method of claim 3, the processing the null rate for transmission comprising reducing a pilot signal transmission rate using a gated pilot pattern.

9. The method of claim 8, the current frame comprising a plurality of sub-segments, the gated pilot pattern providing for transmission in every other sub-segment of the frame.

10. The method of claim 9, the gated pilot pattern providing for no transmission during groups of two consecutive sub-segments.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting a power control indicator only in sub-segments designated for transmission according to the gated pilot pattern.

12. The method of claim 3, the null rate having a traffic bitrate of 0 bps.

13. The method of claim 3, the null rate containing data associated with the null rate, the data associated with the null rate having a traffic bitrate greater than 0 bps.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the current frame is determined to be guaranteed for transmission, processing a null-rate indicator for transmission, the null-rate indicator having non-zero information bitrate.

15. The method of claim 13, the data associated with the null rate comprising a previously transmitted frame having a bitrate of 1.8 kbps.

16. An apparatus for processing information according to a plurality of rates, the apparatus comprising:

a systematic blanking module configured to;

receive a current frame containing traffic information;

determine whether the current frame is of a critical frame type;

if the current frame is determined to be of a critical frame type, process the traffic information as a result for transmission;

if the current frame is determined to be not of a critical frame type, determine whether the current frame is guaranteed for transmission based on at least one parameter of the current frame;

if the current frame is determined to be not guaranteed for transmission, process a null rate frame as the result for transmission, the null rate frame having a reduced information bitrate compared to the traffic information;

the apparatus further comprising;

a transmitter configured to transmit the result of said processing for transmission.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, the apparatus comprising a modem, the modem configured to receive the current frame from a vocoder.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, the systematic blanking module further configured to:

if the current frame is determined to be guaranteed for transmission, process the traffic information for transmission.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, the traffic information having a frame type selected from a group consisting of full rate frame type, half rate frame type, quarter rate frame type, and eighth rate frame type.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, the critical frame type comprising any frame type among the full rate frame type, the half rate frame type, the quarter rate frame type, and critical eighth rate frame type.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, the systematic blanking module configured to determine whether the current frame is guaranteed for transmission by determining whether a quantity (FrameNumber+FrameOffset) mod N is equal to zero, wherein the FrameNumber is a sequence number for the current frame, the FrameOffset is an offset, and N is a non-blanking interval.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, the apparatus configured to process the null rate for transmission by reducing a pilot signal transmission rate of the transmitter using a gated pilot pattern.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, the current frame comprising a plurality of sub-segments, the gated pilot pattern providing for transmission in every other sub-segment of the frame.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, the gated pilot pattern providing for no transmission during groups of two consecutive sub-segments.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, the transmitter further configured to transmit a power control indicator only in sub-segments designated for transmission according to the gated pilot pattern.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, the null rate having a traffic bitrate of 0 bps.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, the null rate containing data associated with the null rate, the data associated with the null rate having a traffic bitrate greater than 0 bps.

28. The apparatus of claim 16, the systematic blanking module further configured to:

if the current frame is determined to be guaranteed for transmission, process a null-rate indicator for transmission, the null-rate indicator having non-zero information bitrate.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, the data associated with the null rate comprising a previously transmitted frame having a bitrate of 1.8 kbps.

30. An apparatus for processing information according to a plurality of rates, the apparatus comprising:

systematic blanking means for;

receiving a current frame containing traffic information;

determining whether the current frame is of a critical frame type;

if the current frame is determined to be of a critical frame type, processing the traffic information as a result for transmission;

if the current frame is determined to be not of a critical frame type, determining whether the current frame is guaranteed for transmission based at least partially on at least one parameter of the current frame;

if the current frame is determined to be not guaranteed for transmission, processing a null rate frame as the result for transmission, the null rate frame having a reduced information bitrate compared to the traffic information; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the result of said processing for transmission.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, the apparatus comprising means for transmitting a pilot signal using a gated pilot pattern.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for causing a computer to process information according to a plurality of rates, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further storing instructions for causing the computer to:

receive a current frame containing traffic information;

determine whether the current frame is of a critical frame type;

if the current frame is determined to be of a critical frame type, process the traffic information as a result for transmission;

if the current frame is determined to be not of a critical frame type, determine whether the current frame is guaranteed for transmission based at least partially on at least one parameter of the current frame;

if the current frame is determined to be not guaranteed for transmission, process a null rate frame as the result for transmission, the null rate frame having a reduced information bitrate compared to the traffic information; and

transmit the result of said processing for transmission.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 32, further storing instructions for causing the computer to:

if the current frame is determined to be guaranteed for transmission, process the traffic information for transmission.