METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ERROR CORRECTION FOR COORDINATED WIRELESS BASE STATIONS

• US 20110075611A1
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: CHOI, HYUNG-NAM
• Granted Patent: US 8,687,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• 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: H04L 1/0001 Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff adaptive data allocation for multicarrier modulation H04L5/0044; controlling transmission power for radio systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1819 with retransmission of additional or different redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1822 involving configuration of automatic repeat request [ARQ] with parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1845 Combining techniques, e.g. code combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for coordinated error correction among a set of wireless base stations in communication with one another. In one embodiment, the wireless base stations are part of a cellular network having various cellular base stations (including a serving base station, and multiple supplemental base stations), and transmit multiple redundant versions of a transport block using a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) based scheme. The aggregate of the multiple redundant versions of the transport block are soft combined and acknowledged (ACK) or not-acknowledged (NACK) by the cellular equipment. The serving base station and supplemental base station devices dynamically configure the bundled acknowledgment operation based on various desired operational attributes relating to the operational parameters of the network.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first wireless transmitter, the method comprising:

receiving one or more data packets from a second wireless transmitter;

receiving one or more transmission parameters from the second wireless transmitter; and

transmitting a partial backward error correction data packet for the one or more data packets, the partial backward error correction data packet being based at least in part on the one or more transmission parameters received from the second wireless transmitter;

wherein the one or more data packets has not been previously encoded and transmitted from the first wireless transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more data packets has been encoded at the second wireless transmitter, the encoded data packets having been previously transmitted by the second wireless transmitter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more transmission parameters includes a transmission schedule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless transmitter is associated with a first identifier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more transmission parameters includes one or more identifiers, at least one of the one or more identifiers matching the first identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more transmission parameters includes a transmit power.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the partial backward error correction data packet is self decodable.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the partial backward error correction data packet is not self decodable.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving an acknowledgement message from the second wireless transmitter.

10. A method of optimizing inter-cell operation within a multi-cell wireless network, comprising:

transmitting a first one or more data packets from a first cell; and

selectively scheduling at least one other cell for the transmission of subsequent error correction data packets, the subsequent error correction data packets comprising redundant information useful for the correction of the first one or more data packets;

wherein the transmitting and selectively scheduling cooperate to substantially reduce a transmission power required for the first cell of the network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to receiving the first one or more data packets and the subsequent error correction data packets at a first receiver;

decoding the first one or more data packets and/or subsequent error correction data packets in combination; and

transmitting a message to the first cell, where the message indicates success or failure of the decoding.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

if the message indicates success of the decoding;

transmitting a second one or more data packets from the first cell;

selectively scheduling at least one other cell for the transmission of subsequent error correction data packets, the subsequent error correction data packets comprising redundant information useful for the correction of the second one or more data packets; and

if the message indicates failure of the decoding;

transmitting a second set of error correction data packets from the first cell and at least one other cell, wherein the second set of error correction data packets comprise redundant information useful for the correction of the first one or more data packets.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises determining the reduction in transmission power of the first cell of the network based at least in part on the subsequent error correction data packets of the at least one other cell.

14. Receiver apparatus, comprising:

a digital processor;

a wireless interface in data communication with the digital processor; and

a storage apparatus having a storage medium with at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of computer executable instructions that when executed by the digital processor;

receive a transmission schedule from a first transmitter over the wireless interface;

receive a first data packet from a first transmitter over the wireless interface;

receive a second error correction data packet from at least one second transmitter over the wireless interface;

decode the received first data packet in conjunction with the second error correction data packet; and

transmit an acknowledgement message.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the acknowledgment message is directed to the first transmitter.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the acknowledgment message is directed to the second transmitter.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first data packet is identified with a first identifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second error correction data packet is also identified with the first identifier.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising instructions that when executed by the digital processor, soft combine the first data packet and second error correction data packet.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the acknowledgment message indicates either a successful decoding or an unsuccessful decoding.

21. Base station apparatus, comprising:

a digital processor;

a wireless interface in data communication with the processor;

a network interface in data communication with the processor, the network interface coupled to at least one other base station apparatus; and

a storage apparatus having a storage medium with at least one computer program stored thereon, the at least one computer program comprising a plurality of computer executable instructions that when executed by the digital processor;

generates a first data packet from a transport block;

transmits the transport block via the network interface to the at least one other base station apparatus, responsive to receiving the transport block, the at least one other base station apparatus generates a second data packet from the transport block; and

transmits the first data packet via the wireless interface, wherein the first data packet substantially differs from the second data packet.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising instructions that when executed by the digital processor:

receives a message via the wireless interface, the message indicating successful or unsuccessful decoding of the first data packet and second data packet; and

if the message indicates unsuccessful decoding;

generates a third data packet from the transport block;

notifies the at least one other base station of the unsuccessful decoding;

responsive to being notified, the at least one other base station apparatus generates a fourth data packet from the transport block; and

transmits the third data packet via the wireless interface, wherein the third data packet substantially differs from the fourth data packet.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising instructions that when executed by the digital processor:

generates a transmission schedule; and

transmits the transmission schedule via the network interface to the at least one other base station apparatus.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one other base station apparatus is associated with a first identifier.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the transmission schedule indicates a transmission time for the at least one other base station apparatus associated with the first identifier.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the transmission schedule indicates a transmission power for the at least one other base station apparatus associated with the first identifier.