METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR UPLINK CONTROL CHANNEL MULTIPLEXING IN BEAMFORMED CELLULAR SYSTEMS

• US 20140003369A1
• Filed: 06/18/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Josiam, Kaushik, Pi, Zhouyue, LI, Ying
• Granted Patent: US 9,661,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2607 Cyclic extensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management

Abstract

Methods and apparatus of a base station (BS) or a user equipment (UE) that communicate with each other via one or more directional beams. The BS sends and the UE receives a timing advance (TA). The BS receives information sent by the UE via a receive beam of the one or more directional beams of the BS and via an uplink (UL) control region of an UL control channel. The UL control region of the UL control channel identified via the TA and the receive beam.

Claims

1. A method of a base station (BS) that communicates with a user equipment (UE) via one or more directional beams, the method comprising:

sending a timing advance (TA) to the UE; and

associating a transmission from the UE with a receive beam or a set of receive beams at the BS;

wherein the UL control region of the UL control channel is identified at the UE via the TA and the receive beam.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the UL control region is a first UL control region and the receive beam is a first receive beam;

and

wherein a second UL control region is identified via a second receive beam.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the first UL control region and second UL control region are multiplexed on a same UL slot.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the UL control region used by the UE is identified via a downlink control channel allocation message that one of:

allocates the UL control channel; and

maps a downlink data grant to the UL control channel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, prior to receiving the information from the UE, a configuration message that identifies an uplink slot of the uplink control region of the uplink control channel associated with the receive beam.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the UL control region is identified via reciprocity between the UL control channel and a downlink channel.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the UL control region is identified via one or more mapping functions that involve one or more of:

a mobile station identification number (MSID) of the UE; and

a downlink control channel allocation message; and

wherein the downlink control channel allocation message one of;

allocates the UL control channel; and

maps a downlink data grant to the UL control channel.

8. A base station (BS) that communicates with a user equipment (UE) via one or more directional beams, the BS comprising one or more processors configured to:

send a timing advance (TA) to the UE; and

associate a transmission from the UE with a receive beam or a set of receive beams at the BS;

wherein the UL control region of the UL control channel is identified at the UE via the TA and the receive beam.

9. The BS of claim 8,

wherein the UL control region is a first UL control region and the receive beam is a first receive beam;

and

wherein a second UL control region is identified via a second receive beam.

10. The BS of claim 9,

wherein the first UL control region and second UL control region are multiplexed on a same UL slot.

11. The BS of claim 8,

wherein the UL control region used by the UE is identified via a downlink control channel allocation message that one of:

allocates the UL control channel; and

maps a downlink data grant to the UL control channel.

12. The BS of claim 8, further comprising:

sending, prior to receiving the information from the UE, a configuration message that identifies an uplink slot of the uplink control region of the uplink control channel associated with the receive beam.

13. The BS of claim 8,

wherein the UL control region is identified via reciprocity between the UL control channel and a downlink channel.

14. The BS of claim 8,

wherein the UL control region is identified via one or more mapping functions that involve one or more of:

a mobile station identification number (MSID) of the UE; and

a downlink control channel allocation message; and

wherein the downlink control channel allocation message one of;

allocates the UL control channel; and

maps a downlink data grant to the UL control channel.

15. A user equipment (UE) that communicates with a base station (BS) using one or more directional beams comprising one or more processors configured to:

receive a timing advance (TA) from the BS;

wherein a transmission from the UE is associated with a receive beam or a set of receive beams at the BS; and

wherein the UL control region of the UL control channel is identified at the UE via the TA and the receive beam.

16. The UE of claim 15,

wherein the UL control region is a first UL control region and the receive beam is a first receive beam;

and

wherein a second UL control region is identified via a second receive beam.

17. The UE of claim 16,

wherein the first UL control region and second UL control region are multiplexed on a same UL slot.

18. The UE of claim 15,

wherein the UL control region used by the UE is identified via a downlink control channel allocation message that one of:

allocates the UL control channel; and

maps a downlink data grant to the UL control channel.

19. The UE of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving, prior to sending the information to the BS, a configuration message that identifies an uplink slot of the uplink control region of the uplink control channel associated with the receive beam.

20. The UE of claim 15,

wherein the UL control region is identified via reciprocity between the UL control channel and a downlink channel.

21. The UE of claim 15,

wherein the UL control region is identified via one or more mapping functions that involve one or more of:

a mobile station identification number (MSID) of the UE; and

a downlink control channel allocation message; and

wherein the downlink control channel allocation message one of;

allocates the UL control channel; and

maps a downlink data grant to the UL control channel.