UPLINK CONTROL INFORMATION (UCI) MAPPING INDICATOR FOR LONG TERM EVOLUTION (LTE) CARRIER AGGREGATION

• US 20110310759A1
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Gerstenberger, Dirk, Larsson, Daniel, Hammarwall, David, Baldemair, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,135,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• 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 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network

Abstract

A system and method to instruct a User Equipment (UE) how Uplink Control Information (UCI) on a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) should be transmitted with carrier aggregation. A semi-static signaling of a UCI mapping bit (via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) parameter) is used by a base station such as an eNodeB to require the UE to transmit UCI using one of two pre-determined UCI transmission modes. The bit can be decided by the base station, considering, for example, the available bandwidth or quality of different Uplink Component Carriers (UL CCs) associated with the UE. This network-based solution allows the network to either configure a general rule of UCI transmission by the UE or to enforce the UCI transmission on the Uplink Primary cell (UL Pcell). Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.

Claims

1. A method of controlling transmission of Uplink Control Information (UCI) by a User Equipment (UE) configured to be in wireless communication with a processor via a wireless network associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

using the processor, providing radio signaling to the UE; and

using the processor, supplying a UCI mapping bit to the UE via the radio signaling

so as to control the UE'"'"'s transmission of the UCI in accordance with a value of the UCI mapping bit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio signaling is Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the UCI mapping bit is supplied to the UE via an RRC signaling parameter referred to as “

simultaneous Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)-Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).”

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the UCI mapping bit is used with Carrier Aggregation (CA), and wherein one of the following applies:

in the absence of transmission of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) from the UE in a current subframe on any Uplink Component Carrier (UL CC) associated with the UE, the value of the UCI mapping bit instructs the UE to transmit the UCI in the current subframe using a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission scheme, wherein the value of the UCI mapping bit is either a first value or a second value that is different from the first value;

in case of transmission of the PUSCH from the UE on an Uplink Primary Cell (UL Pcell) in the current subframe, the value of the UCI mapping bit instructs the UE to transmit the UCI in the current subframe using the PUSCH, wherein the value of the UCI mapping bit is either the first value or the second value;

when the value of the UCI mapping bit is the first value and in case of transmission of the PUSCH from the UE in the current subframe on any UL CC associated with the UE except the UL Pcell, the following applies;

the first value of the UCI mapping bit instructs the UE to transmit the UCI excluding aperiodic Channel Status Information (CSI) contained therein in the current subframe using the PUSCH based on a pre-determined rule, and

the first value of the UCI mapping bit instructs the UE to transmit the UCI containing at least the aperiodic CSI in the current subframe using the PUSCH; and

when the value of the UCI mapping bit is the second value and in case of transmission of the PUSCH from the UE in the current subframe on any UL CC associated with the UE except the UL Pcell, the second value of the UCI mapping bit instructs the UE to transmit the UCI in the current subframe using a second PUCCH transmission scheme.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the pre-determined rule requires the UE to transmit the UCI excluding the aperiodic CSI in the current subframe using the PUSCH on a UL CC associated with the UE and having the widest bandwidth among all UL CCs associated with the UE.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the first and the second PUCCH transmission schemes is one of the following:

a PUCCH transmission scheme for CA;

a PUCCH transmission scheme for Long Term Evolution (LTE) Release-8; and

a PUCCH transmission scheme for LTE Release-9.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the PUCCH transmission scheme for CA includes one of the following:

a PUCCH transmission scheme based on PUCCH format 3; and

a PUCCH transmission scheme based on PUCCH format 1b with channel selection.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the PUCCH transmission scheme for LTE Release-8 and the PUCCH transmission scheme for LTE Release-9 includes one of the following:

a PUCCH transmission scheme based on PUCCH format 1a;

a PUCCH transmission scheme based on PUCCH format 1b;

a PUCCH transmission scheme based on PUCCH format 2;

a PUCCH transmission scheme based on PUCCH format 2a; and

a PUCCH transmission scheme based on PUCCH format 2b.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein one of the following applies:

in the absence of transmission of the PUSCH from the UE in the current subframe on any UL CC associated with the UE, the value of the UCI mapping bit instructs the UE to transmit the UCI on the UL Pcell for the UE in the current subframe using the first PUCCH transmission scheme;

in case of transmission of the PUSCH from the UE on the UL Pcell in the current subframe, the value of the UCI mapping bit instructs the UE to transmit the UCI on the UL Pcell in the current subframe using the PUSCH;

when the value of the UCI mapping bit is the first value and in case of transmission of the PUSCH from the UE in the current subframe on any UL CC associated with the UE except the UL Pcell, the first value of the UCI mapping bit instructs the UE to transmit the UCI containing at least the aperiodic CSI on a corresponding UL CC in the current subframe using the PUSCH, wherein the corresponding UL CC is associated with the UE and corresponds to a Downlink Component Carrier (DL CC) that triggers reporting of the aperiodic CSI to the processor; and

when the value of the UCI mapping bit is the second value and in case of transmission of the PUSCH from the UE in the current subframe on any UL CC associated with the UE except the UL Pcell, the second value of the UCI mapping bit instructs the UE to transmit the UCI on the UL Pcell for the UE in the current subframe using the second PUCCH transmission scheme.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the UCI includes at least one of the following:

Acknowledge/Negative Acknowledge (ACK/NACK) feedback information;

a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI);

a Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI); and

a Rank Indicator (RI).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the UCI mapping bit is used with Carrier Aggregation (CA), and wherein supplying the UCI mapping bit includes one of the following:

using the processor, supplying a first value for the UCI mapping bit to instruct the UE to implement a first mode of UCI transmission; and

using the processor, supplying a second value for the UCI mapping bit to instruct the UE to implement a second mode of UCI transmission, wherein the second value is different from the first value.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the UCI mapping bit is used with Carrier Aggregation (CA), and wherein the method further comprises:

using the processor, monitoring reception quality of a signal transmitted on an Uplink Component Carrier (UL CC) associated with the UE; and

using the processor, determining the value of the UCI mapping bit based on the reception quality of the signal.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the UCI mapping bit is used with Carrier Aggregation (CA), and wherein the method further comprises:

using the processor, determining the value of the UCI mapping bit based on a comparison of available bandwidths of all Uplink Component Carriers (UL CCs) associated with the UE.

14. A method, comprising the steps of:

using a mobile handset, receiving an Uplink Control Information (UCI) mapping bit via radio signaling from a mobile communication node that is in wireless communication with the mobile handset through a wireless network associated therewith; and

using the mobile handset, transmitting UCI to the mobile communication node in accordance with a value of the UCI mapping bit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the UCI mapping bit is used with Carrier Aggregation (CA), and wherein transmitting the UCI includes one of the following:

transmitting the UCI using a first pre-determined mode of UCI transmission when the value of the UCI mapping bit is a first value; and

transmitting the UCI using a second pre-determined mode of UCI transmission when the value of the UCI mapping bit is a second value, wherein the second value if different from the first value.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein transmitting the UCI using the first pre-determined mode of UCI transmission includes one of the following:

in the absence of transmission of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) from the mobile handset in a current subframe on any Uplink Component Carrier (UL CC) associated with the mobile handset, transmitting the UCI on an Uplink Primary cell (UL Pcell) for the mobile handset in the current subframe using Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH);

in case of transmission of the PUSCH from the mobile handset on the UL Pcell in the current subframe, transmitting the UCI on the UL Pcell in the current subframe using the PUSCH; and

in case of transmission of the PUSCH from the mobile handset in the current subframe on any UL CC associated with the mobile handset except the UL Pcell, the following applies;

transmitting the UCI excluding aperiodic Channel Status Information (CSI) contained therein in the current subframe using the PUSCH based on a pre-determined rule, and

transmitting the UCI containing the aperiodic CSI on a corresponding UL CC in the current subframe using the PUSCH, wherein the corresponding UL CC is associated with the mobile handset and corresponds to a Downlink Component Carrier (DL CC) that triggers reporting of the aperiodic CSI to the mobile communication node.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting the UCI based on the pre-determined rule includes:

transmitting the UCI excluding the aperiodic CSI in the current subframe using the PUSCH on a UL CC associated with the mobile handset and having the widest bandwidth among all UL CCs associated with the mobile handset.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein transmitting the UCI using the second pre-determined mode of UCI transmission includes one of the following:

in the absence of transmission of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) from the mobile handset in a current subframe on any Uplink Component Carrier (UL CC) associated with the mobile handset, transmitting the UCI on an Uplink Primary cell (UL Pcell) for the mobile handset in the current subframe using a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission scheme;

in case of transmission of the PUSCH from the mobile handset on the UL Pcell in the current subframe, transmitting the UCI on the UL Pcell in the current subframe using the PUSCH; and

in case of transmission of the PUSCH from the mobile handset in the current subframe on any UL CC associated with the mobile handset except the UL Pcell, transmitting the UCI on the UL Pcell for the mobile handset in the current subframe using a second PUCCH transmission scheme.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the first and the second PUCCH transmission schemes is one of the following:

a PUCCH transmission scheme for CA;

a PUCCH transmission scheme for Long Term Evolution (LTE) Release-8; and

a PUCCH transmission scheme for LTE Release-9.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the UCI includes at least one of the following:

Acknowledge/Negative Acknowledge (ACK/NACK) feedback information;

a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI);

a Precoding Matrix Indicator (PMI); and

a Rank Indicator (RI).

21. A method of controlling transmission of Uplink Control Information (UCI) by a User Equipment (UE) configured to be in wireless communication with a processor via a wireless network associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

using the processor, monitoring reception quality of a signal transmitted on an Uplink Component Carrier (UL CC) associated with the UE;

using the processor, determining a value of a UCI mapping bit based on the reception quality of the signal; and

using the processor, supplying the UCI mapping bit with the value to the UE so as to control UE'"'"'s transmission of the UCI in accordance with the value of the UCI mapping bit.

22. A mobile communication node configured to control transmission of Uplink Control Information (UCI) by a User Equipment (UE) that is in wireless communication with the mobile communication node via a wireless network associated with the UE, wherein the mobile communication node is configured to perform the following:

provide Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the UE;

determine a value of a UCI mapping bit; and

send the UCI mapping bit to the UE via the RRC signaling so as to control the UE'"'"'s transmission of the UCI in accordance with the value of the UCI mapping bit.

23. The mobile communication node of claim 22, wherein the mobile communication node is configured to determine the value of the UCI mapping bit using an RRC signaling parameter referred to as “

simultaneous Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH)-Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).”

24. The mobile communication node of claim 22, wherein the UCI mapping bit is used with Carrier Aggregation (CA), and wherein the mobile communication node is further configured to perform one of the following as part of determining of the value of the UCI mapping bit:

determine the value of the UCI mapping bit based on reception quality of a signal transmitted on an Uplink Component Carrier (UL CC) associated with the UE and received at the mobile communication node; and

determine the value of the UCI mapping bit based on a comparison of available bandwidths of all Uplink Component Carriers (UL CCs) associated with the UE.

25. The mobile communication node of claim 22, wherein the UCI mapping bit is used with Carrier Aggregation (CA), and wherein the mobile communication node is further configured to perform one of the following as part of sending the UCI mapping bit to the UE:

send a first value for the UCI mapping bit to instruct the UE to implement a first pre-determined mode of UCI transmission; and

send a second value for the UCI mapping bit to instruct the UE to implement a second pre-determined mode of UCI transmission, wherein the second value is different from the first value.

26. The mobile communication node of claim 25, further configured to perform the following:

receive at least one of the following from the UE as part of the first pre-determined mode of UCI transmission;

the UCI transmitted using Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) on an Uplink Primary cell (UL Pcell) for the UE;

the UCI transmitted on the UL Pcell using a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH);

the UCI, excluding aperiodic Channel Status Information (CSI) contained therein, transmitted using the PUSCH based on a pre-determined rule; and

the UCI, containing the aperiodic CSI, transmitted on an Uplink Component Carrier (UL CC) associated with the UE and corresponding to a Downlink Component Carrier (DL CC) that triggers reporting of the aperiodic CSI to the mobile communication node.

27. The mobile communication node of claim 25, further configured to perform the following:

receive at least one of the following from the UE as part of the second pre-determined mode of UCI transmission;

the UCI transmitted using a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission scheme on an Uplink Primary cell (UL Pcell) for the UE;

the UCI transmitted on the UL Pcell using a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH); and

the UCI transmitted using a second PUCCH transmission scheme on the UL Pcell for the UE.

28. A User Equipment (UE) configured to perform the following:

receive an Uplink Control Information (UCI) mapping bit via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling from a mobile communication node that is in wireless communication with the UE through a wireless network associated therewith; and

transmit UCI to the mobile communication node in accordance with a value of the UCI mapping bit.

29. The UE of claim 28, wherein the UCI mapping bit is used with Carrier Aggregation (CA), and wherein the UE is further configured to perform one of the following as part of transmitting the UCI to the mobile communication node:

transmit the UCI using a first pre-determined mode of UCI transmission when the value of the UCI mapping bit is a first value; and

transmit the UCI using a second pre-determined mode of UCI transmission when the value of the UCI mapping bit is a second value, wherein the second value if different from the first value.

30. The UE of claim 29, wherein the UE is further configured to perform at least one of the following as part of transmitting the UCI using the first pre-determined mode of UCI transmission:

transmit the UCI using Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) on an Uplink Primary cell (UL Pcell) for the UE;

transmit the UCI on the UL Pcell using a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH);

transmit the UCI, excluding aperiodic Channel Status Information (CSI) contained therein, using the PUSCH based on a pre-determined rule; and

transmit the UCI, containing at least the aperiodic CSI, on an Uplink Component Carrier (UL CC) associated with the UE and corresponding to a Downlink Component Carrier (DL CC) that triggers reporting of the aperiodic CSI to the mobile communication node.

31. The UE of claim 30, wherein the pre-determined rule requires the UE to transmit the UCI, excluding the aperiodic CSI, using the PUSCH on a UL CC associated with the UE and having the widest bandwidth among all UL CCs associated with the UE.

32. The UE of claim 29, wherein the UE is further configured to perform at least one of the following as part of transmitting the UCI using the second pre-determined mode of UCI transmission:

transmit the UCI using a first Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission scheme on an Uplink Primary cell (UL Pcell) for the UE;

transmit the UCI on the UL Pcell using a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH); and

transmit the UCI using a second PUCCH transmission scheme on the UL Pcell for the UE.

33. A system comprising:

a mobile handset configured to operate in a wireless network associated therewith; and

a mobile communication node configured to provide a radio interface to the mobile handset in the wireless network, wherein the mobile communication node is further configured to perform the following;

provide Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling to the mobile handset,

determine a pair of values for an Uplink Control Information (UCI) mapping bit, and

send one of the following to the mobile handset via the RRC signaling so as to control the mobile handset'"'"'s transmission of the UCI;

the UCI mapping bit with a first value from the pair of values, thereby instructing the mobile handset to implement a first mode of UCI transmission, and

the UCI mapping bit with a second value from the pair of values, thereby instructing the mobile handset to implement a second mode of UCI transmission,

wherein the mobile handset is further configured to perform the following;

receive the UCI mapping bit from the mobile communication node via the RRC signaling,

transmit the UCI using the first mode of UCI transmission when the UCI mapping bit is received with the first value, and

transmit the UCI using the second mode of UCI transmission when the UCI mapping bit is received with the second value.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein, in case of transmission of a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) from the mobile handset on any Uplink Component Carrier (UL CC) associated with the mobile handset except an Uplink Primary cell (UL Pcell), the mobile handset is configured to transmit the UCI differently under the first mode of UCI transmission than under the second mode of UCI transmission.