SELECTION OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT TIMING IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20140219143A1
• Filed: 04/07/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hong He, Jong-Kae Fwu
• Inventors: He, Hong, Fwu, Jong-Kae
• Granted Patent: US 9,247,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/280
• 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:

a communication module to;

establish communications with one or more base stations through a primary serving cell (PCell) and a secondary serving cell (SCell), the PCell to have a first time division duplex (TDD) configuration and the SCell to have a second TDD configuration;

receive downlink data through the SCell; and

a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) module to;

select a reference TDD configuration based on the first and second TDD configurations; and

transmit, via the communications module, acknowledgement information associated with the downlink data 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.

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 PCell; and

the second TDD configuration is indicated by SIB1 of SCell.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the HARQ module is to:

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

select 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 HARQ module is to select the reference TDD configuration by being configured to:

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

select 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 configuration.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the HARQ module is to select the reference TDD configuration by being configured to:

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

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

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the HARQ module is to select the reference TDD configuration by being configured to:

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

select 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

select 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 HARQ module is to select the reference TDD configuration by being configured to:

select 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;

select 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

select 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, wherein the HARQ module is to:

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

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and reference TDD configurations include at least one of TDD downlink/uplink (DL/UL) configurations 0-6 associated with release 8 of 3rd Generation Partnership Project'"'"'s long term evolution (LTE) advanced wireless communication standard.

12. A method comprising:

establishing, by a mobile device, communication with one or more base stations through a primary serving cell (PCell) and a secondary serving cell (SCell) with a base station, the PCell having a first time division duplex (TDD) configuration, the SCell having a second TDD configuration;

receiving, by the mobile device, downlink data through the SCell;

selecting, by the mobile device, a reference TDD configuration based on the first and second TDD configurations; and

transmitting acknowledgement information associated with the downlink data according to a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) timing of the reference TDD configuration,

wherein;

acknowledgement information includes hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) signals;

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

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

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

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the first TDD configuration is indicated by SIB1 of PCell; and

the second TDD configuration is indicated by SIB1 of SCell.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

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

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

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

selecting 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 configuration.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting the reference TDD configuration includes:

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

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

17. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting the reference TDD configuration includes:

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

selecting 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

selecting 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.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein selecting the acknowledgment TDD further includes:

selecting 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;

selecting 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

selecting 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.

19. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause a mobile device to:

establish communication with one or more base stations through a primary serving cell (PCell) and a secondary serving cell (SCell), the PCell to have a first time division duplex (TDD) configuration, the SCell to have a second TDD configuration;

detect downlink data through the SCell;

select a reference TDD configuration based on the first and second TDD configurations; and

transmit acknowledgement information associated with the downlink data according to a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) timing of the reference TDD configuration,

wherein;

acknowledgement information includes hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) signals;

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

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

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the reference TDD configuration is different from the TDD configuration indicated by a system information block of the SCell.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, are to cause the mobile device to:

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

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

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, are to cause the mobile device to:

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

select 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

select 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.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, are to cause the mobile device to:

select 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;

select 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

select 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.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone, a netbook, a laptop, an electronic tablet, or a data system of a vehicle.