Systems and methods for dynamically configuring a flexible subframe

• US 9,572,154 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yin, Zhanping, Yamada, Shohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills, Donald
• Application Number:
  US14/715,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20150249987A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2643 using time-division multiple access [TDMA] H04B7/2615, H04B7/2618 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/143 for modulated signals H04L5/1469 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) for dynamically configuring a flexible subframe is described. The UE includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The UE determines that a subframe is a flexible subframe. The UE determines whether a downlink is indicated for the flexible subframe. The UE sets the flexible subframe as a downlink subframe if a downlink is indicated.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein instructions stored in the memory are executable to;

determine that a subframe is a first subframe which is configured as a downlink subframe and an uplink subframe in different reference uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configurations;

detect a physical downlink control channel indicating whether the subframe is a downlink subframe;

set the subframe as a downlink subframe if the physical downlink control channel indicates that the subframe is a downlink subframe;

monitor, in the subframe, a physical downlink control channel carrying a downlink assignment if the physical downlink control channel indicates that the subframe is a downlink subframe; and

not monitor, in the subframe, the physical downlink control channel carrying the downlink assignment if the physical downlink control channel does not indicate that the subframe is a downlink subframe.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein one of the different reference UL-DL configurations is a UL-DL configuration used for downlink hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), and wherein the other one of the different reference UL-DL configurations is a UL-DL configuration used for uplink hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ).

3. An evolved Node B (eNB) comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor, wherein instructions stored in the memory are executable to;

determine that a subframe is a first subframe which is configured as a downlink subframe and an uplink subframe in different reference uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configurations;

send a physical downlink control channel indicating whether the subframe is a downlink subframe;

set the subframe as a downlink subframe if the physical downlink control channel indicates that the subframe is a downlink subframe;

send, in the subframe, a physical downlink control channel carrying a downlink assignment if the physical downlink control channel indicates that the subframe is a downlink subframe; and

not send, in the subframe, the physical downlink control channel carrying the downlink assignment if the physical downlink control channel does not indicate that the subframe is a downlink subframe.

4. The eNB of claim 3, wherein one of the different reference UL-DL configurations is a UL-DL configuration used for downlink hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ), and wherein the other one of the different reference UL-DL configurations is a UL-DL configuration used for uplink hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ).