Framing for an adaptive modulation communication system
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for conveying data in a downlink over a communication link, the method comprising:
- providing a downlink subframe with a time division multiplex (TDM) portion, including at least one TDM section, and a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) portion, including at least one TDMA section with an associated preamble;
beginning the downlink subframe with a broadcast preamble;
establishing a downlink map for the downlink subframe, the downlink map indicating one or more time positions within the downlink subframe where the at least one TDM section begins, and indicating one or more time positions within the downlink subframe where the at least one TDMA section begins;
transmitting the downlink map in the downlink subframe after the broadcast preamble; and
transmitting all TDM sections and all TDMA sections, along with each associated preamble, within the downlink subframe after transmitting the downlink map.
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Abstract
A system and method for mapping a combined frequency division duplexing (FDD) Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)/Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) downlink subframe for use with half-duplex and full-duplex terminals in a communication system. Embodiments of the downlink subframe vary Forward Error Correction (FEC) types for a given modulation scheme as well as support the implementation of a smart antennae at a base station in the communication system. Embodiments of the system are also used in a TDD communication system to support the implementation of smart antennae. A scheduling algorithm allows TDM and TDMA portions of a downlink to efficiently co-exist in the same downlink subframe and simultaneously support full and half-duplex terminals. The algorithm further allows the TDM of multiple terminals in a TDMA burst to minimize the number of map entries in a downlink map. The algorithm limits the number of downlink map entries to not exceed 2n+1, where n is the number of DL PHY modes (modulation/FEC combinations) employed by the communication system.
31 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for conveying data in a downlink over a communication link, the method comprising:
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providing a downlink subframe with a time division multiplex (TDM) portion, including at least one TDM section, and a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) portion, including at least one TDMA section with an associated preamble; beginning the downlink subframe with a broadcast preamble; establishing a downlink map for the downlink subframe, the downlink map indicating one or more time positions within the downlink subframe where the at least one TDM section begins, and indicating one or more time positions within the downlink subframe where the at least one TDMA section begins; transmitting the downlink map in the downlink subframe after the broadcast preamble; and transmitting all TDM sections and all TDMA sections, along with each associated preamble, within the downlink subframe after transmitting the downlink map. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for scheduling a communication system which includes a plurality of terminals and a base station, both configured to communicate using adaptive modulations in a downlink subframe and an uplink subframe, with each of the plurality of terminals having an associated preferred downlink modulation/forward error correction (PHY) mode, D1, D2, . . . DN, wherein D1 is a most robust modulation and DN is a least robust modulation, and wherein each of the plurality of terminals and their associated preferred downlink PHY mode have an associated uplink PHY mode, U1, U2, UN, and wherein U1 is associated with the plurality of terminals that have the preferred downlink PHY mode D1, and wherein UN is associated with the plurality of terminals that have the preferred downlink PHY mode DN, such that a number of downlink map entries does not exceed 2N+1, the method comprising:
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grouping the plurality of terminals based on preferred downlink PHY modes; allocating uplink bandwidth in an uplink subframe such that the plurality of terminals are put in order of their preferred downlink PHY modes, from a second most robust preferred downlink PHY mode and continuing in order of decreasing robustness followed by a most robust preferred downlink PHY mode last; allocating the plurality of terminals that use a D1 PHY mode to begin at a start of a downlink subframe; if a time duration of the D1 PHY mode is less than a time duration of a U2 PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use a D2 PHY mode, beginning at a time that the U2 PHY mode ends; if the time duration of the D1 PHY mode is greater than or equal to the time duration of the U2 PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use the D2 PHY mode, beginning at an end of the D1 PHY mode; if a time duration of the D2 PHY mode is less than a time duration of a U3 PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use a D3 PHY mode, beginning at a time that the U3 PHY mode ends; if the time duration of the D2 PHY mode is greater than or equal to the time duration of the U3 PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use the D3 PHY mode, beginning at an end of the D2 PHY mode; if the time duration of the D3 PHY mode is greater than the sum of a time duration of a U4 PHY mode, a U5 PHY mode, and a U1 PHY mode, segmenting the plurality of terminals that use the D3 PHY mode and inserting the segments into any gaps in the downlink subframe; if a time duration of the D3 PHY mode is less than a time duration of the U4 PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use a D4 PHY mode, beginning at a time that the U4 PHY mode ends; if the time duration of the D3 PHY mode is greater than or equal to the time duration of the U4 PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use the D4 PHY mode, beginning at an end of the D3 PHY mode; if a time duration of the D4 PHY mode is less than a time duration of the U5 PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use a D5 PHY mode, beginning at a time that the U5 PHY mode ends; if the time duration of the D4 PHY mode is greater than or equal to the time duration of the U5 PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use the D5 PHY mode, beginning at an end of the D4 PHY mode; if the time duration of the plurality of terminals that use the D5 PHY mode is longer in duration than a combined time duration of the U1 PHY mode and gaps that are not aligned with the U5 PHY mode, rearranging allocated downlink bandwidth of the downlink subframe to accommodate a remainder of the D5 PHY mode such that the remainder is not aligned with the U5 PHY mode; and if the time duration of the plurality of terminals that use the D5 PHY mode is shorter in duration than the combined time duration of the U1 PHY mode and the gaps that are not aligned with the U5 PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use the D5 PHY mode beginning at the end of the D4 PHY mode and also interleaved in the gaps in the downlink subframe.
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5. A method for scheduling a communication system which includes a plurality of terminals and a base station, both configured to communicate using adaptive modulations in a downlink subframe and an uplink subframe, with each of the plurality of terminals having an associated preferred downlink modulation/forward error correction (PHY) mode, D1, D2, . . . DN, wherein D1 is a most robust modulation and DN is a least robust modulation, and wherein each of the plurality of terminals and their associated preferred downlink PHY mode have an associated uplink PHY mode, U1, U2, UN, and wherein U1 is associated with the plurality of terminals that have the preferred downlink PHY mode D1, and wherein UN is associated with the plurality of terminals that have the preferred downlink PHY mode DN, such that a number of downlink map entries does not exceed 2N+1, the method comprising:
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grouping the plurality of terminals based on preferred downlink PHY modes; allocating uplink bandwidth in an uplink subframe such that the plurality of terminals are put in order of their preferred downlink PHY modes, from a second most robust preferred downlink PHY mode and continuing in order of decreasing robustness with a most robust preferred downlink PHY mode last; allocating the plurality of terminals that use a D1 PHY mode to begin at a start of a downlink subframe; if a time duration for the plurality of terminals that have a DN PHY mode is less than a time duration for the plurality of terminals that are assigned to a UN+1 PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use the DN PHY mode, beginning at a time that a UN PHY mode ends; if the time duration for the plurality of terminals that have the DN PHY mode is greater than or equal to the time duration for the plurality of terminals that are assigned to the UN+1 PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use the DN PHY mode, beginning at an end of a DN−
1 PHY mode;if the time duration of the plurality of terminals that have the DN PHY mode is longer in duration than a combined time duration of a U1 PHY mode and gaps that are not aligned with the UN PHY mode, rearranging downlink bandwidth of the downlink subframe to accommodate a remainder of the DN PHY mode such that the remainder is not aligned with the UN PHY mode; and if the time duration of the plurality of terminals that have the DN PHY mode is shorter in duration than the combined time duration of the U1 PHY mode and the gaps that are not aligned with the UN PHY mode, allocating bandwidth of the downlink subframe to the plurality of terminals that use the DN PHY mode, beginning at the end of the DN−
1 PHY mode and also interleaved in the gaps in the downlink subframe.
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6. A method for scheduling physical slots within a downlink subframe for a first receiver and a second receiver, each receiver assigned to a operate with a level of robustness, the receivers receiving data from a single transmitter in an adaptive modulation communication system, the method comprising:
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providing data for a first receiver which have been assigned a level of robustness including a combination of modulation and forward error correction (FEC) types in a time division multiplex (TDM) section of the downlink subframe having a combination of modulation and FEC at least as robust as the level assigned to the first receiver; and providing data for a second receiver in a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) section of the downlink subframe which provides a combination of modulation and FEC which is at least as robust as a level assigned to the second receiver. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification