Selection of acknowledgment timing in wireless communications

• US 9,762,375 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2016
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: He, Hong, Fwu, Jong-Kae
• Primary Examiner(s): TOWFIGHI, AFSHAWN M
• Application Number:
  US15/385,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20170104575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 266 Days
• Field of Search: 370280
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/12 Arrangements providing for calling or supervisory signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0077 Cooperative coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2646 using feedback from receiver for adjusting OFDM transmission parameters, e.g. transmission timing or guard interval length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2662 Symbol synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2675 Pilot or known symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0078 Timing of allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 : Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 : taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/244 : Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 : TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 : one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 : Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 : Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 : Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 : in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 : for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 : WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Disclosed is a method including communicating, by a mobile device, with a base station via first and second component carriers having different frequency bands and time division duplexing (TDD) configurations. The method may include receiving one or more downlink transmissions via the second component carrier. The method may include selecting a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) timing sequence based on the TDD configurations of the first and second component carriers. The method may include transmitting one or more positive acknowledgment and/or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) signals, associated with the one or more downlink transmissions, according to the selected HARQ timing sequence. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

means to receive, through a secondary serving cell (SCell), a downlink data that has a second time division duplex (TDD) configuration;

means to identify a reference TDD configuration based on a first TDD configuration of a primary serving cell (PCell) and the second TDD configuration; and

means to transmit, via a communication module, acknowledgement information associated with downlink data received through the SCell according to a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) timing of the reference TDD configuration, wherein;

the acknowledgement information includes HARQ-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) signals;

only HARQ-ACK signals associated with the downlink data of the SCell are to be transmitted according to the HARQ timing of the reference TDD configuration; and

HARQ-ACK signals associated with downlink data of the PCell are to be transmitted only according to the HARQ timing of the first TDD configuration.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reference TDD configuration is different from the TDD configuration indicated by a system information block of the SCell.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the system information block is System Information Block 1 (SIB1).

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the first TDD configuration is indicated by system information block (SIB1) of the PCell; and

the second TDD configuration is indicated by SIB1 of the SCell.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means to identify uplink subframes common between the first TDD configuration and the second TDD configuration; and

means to identify the reference TDD configuration based on the determined uplink subframes common between the first TDD configuration and the second TDD configuration.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the means to identify the reference TDD configuration include:

means to identify the uplink subframes common between the first TDD configuration and the second TDD configuration; and

means to identify the reference TDD configuration based on a determination that uplink subframes of the reference TDD configuration are the same as the common uplink subframes between the first TDD configuration and the second TDD configuration.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means to identify the reference TDD configuration include:

means to identify the first TDD configuration as the reference TDD configuration if downlink subframes of the second TDD configuration are a subset of downlink subframes of the first TDD configuration; and

means to identify the second TDD configuration as the reference TDD configuration if downlink subframes of the second TDD configuration are a superset of downlink subframes of the first TDD configuration.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means to identify the reference TDD configuration include:

means to identify TDD downlink/uplink configuration 4, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 1 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3;

means to identify TDD DL/UL configuration 5, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3; and

means to identify TDD DL/UL configuration 5, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 4.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means to identify the reference TDD configuration include:

means to identify TDD DL/UL configuration 4, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 1;

means to identify TDD DL/UL configuration 5, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2; and

means to identify TDD DL/UL configuration 5, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 4 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means to transmit a positive or negative acknowledgement according to the HARQ timing of the reference TDD configuration through at least one uplink subframe.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) module to identify a reference TDD configuration based on a first TDD configuration of a primary serving cell (PCell) and a second TDD configuration of a downlink data received through a secondary serving cell (SCell); and

a communication module coupled with the HARQ module, the communication module to transmit acknowledgement information associated with downlink data received through the SCell according to a HARQ timing of the reference TDD configuration, wherein;

the acknowledgement information includes HARQ-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) signals;

only HARQ-ACK signals associated with the downlink data of the SCell are to be transmitted according to the HARQ timing of the reference TDD configuration; and

HARQ-ACK signals associated with downlink data of the PCell are to be transmitted only according to the HARQ timing of the first TDD configuration.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the reference TDD configuration is different from the TDD configuration indicated by a system information block of the SCell.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the system information block is System Information Block 1 (SIB1).

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the first TDD configuration is indicated by system information block (SIB1) of the PCell; and

the second TDD configuration is indicated by SIB1 of the SCell.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the HARQ module is further to:

identify uplink subframes common between the first TDD configuration and the second TDD configuration; and

identify the reference TDD configuration based on the determined uplink subframes common between the first TDD configuration and the second TDD configuration.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the HARQ module is further to:

identify the uplink subframes common between the first TDD configuration and the second TDD configuration; and

identify the reference TDD configuration based on a determination that uplink subframes of the reference TDD configuration are the same as the common uplink subframes between the first TDD configuration and the second TDD configuration.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the HARQ module is further to:

identify the first TDD configuration as the reference TDD configuration if downlink subframes of the second TDD configuration are a subset of downlink subframes of the first TDD configuration; and

identify the second TDD configuration as the reference TDD configuration if downlink subframes of the second TDD configuration are a superset of downlink subframes of the first TDD configuration.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the HARQ module is further to:

identify TDD downlink/uplink configuration 4, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 1 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3;

identify TDD DL/UL configuration 5, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3; and

identify TDD DL/UL configuration 5, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 4.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the HARQ module is further to:

identify TDD DL/UL configuration 4, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 1;

identify TDD DL/UL configuration 5, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 3 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2; and

identify TDD DL/UL configuration 5, if the first TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 4 and the second TDD configuration is TDD DL/UL configuration 2.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the communication module is further to transmit a positive or negative acknowledgement according to the HARQ timing of the reference TDD configuration through at least one uplink subframe.