Resource allocation for shared signaling channels

• US 9,144,060 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Khandekar, Aamod, Gorokhov, Alexei
• Primary Examiner(s): Thier, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENSAH, PRINCE AKWASI
• Application Number:
  US11/370,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20070211616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,486 Days
• Field of Search: 370/208, 370/255, 370310-319, 370329-336, 370342-345, 370/408, 370524-527, 455437-450, 455509-513
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/12 Frequency diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/023 Multiplexing of multicarrier modulation signals multicarrier modulation H04L27/2601
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/325 Power control of control or pilot channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/54 Signalisation aspects of the TPC commands, e.g. frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections

Abstract

A shared signaling channel can be used in an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication system to provide signaling, acknowledgement, and power control messages to access terminals within the system. The shared signaling channel may comprise reserved logical resources that can be assigned to subcarriers, OFDM symbols, or combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A method of generating control channel messages in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

allocating at least a portion of available logical resources to a control channel for forward link, wherein the allocated portion of the available logical resources comprises logical control channel resources that are distinct from logical traffic channel resources allocated for data transmission, wherein a variable amount of logical resources is allocated to the control channel, and wherein logical resources not used for the control channel are available for allocation to one or more other channels;

assigning the logical control channel resources to physical channel resources to obtain assigned physical channel resources, wherein the assigned physical channel resources correspond to combinations of sub-carriers and symbols;

generating at least one message;

encoding the at least one message to generate at least one message symbol; and

transmitting the at least one message symbol on at least a portion of the assigned physical channel resources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least one message symbol comprises

transforming a plurality of sub-carriers, including at least one sub-carrier within the assigned physical channel resources, to an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol;

and

transmitting the OFDM symbol over a wireless communication link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning comprises assigning based in part on a frequency hopping algorithm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical control channel resources comprise at least one node of a channel tree, and wherein assigning comprises mapping the at least one node to sub-carriers and symbols.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein mapping comprises mapping the at least one node based in part on a frequency hopping algorithm.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical control channel resources comprise a variable number of logical resources between a minimum and a maximum, and wherein the allocating comprises selecting a particular number of logical resources for the logical control channel resources between the minimum and the maximum.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising

releasing any logical resources between the maximum and the number of selected logical resources for allocation to traffic channels.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating at least one message comprises generating at least one assignment block message directed to a plurality of access terminals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one assignment block message comprises a broadcast Media Access Control Identification (MACID).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating at least one message comprises generating at least one acknowledgement (ACK) message in response to a received transmission from an access terminal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating at least one message comprises generating a reverse link power control message directed to a particular access terminal.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining if at least one logical control channel resource is assigned for data transmission, and

if the at least one logical control channel resource is assigned for data transmission, then cancelling the assignment.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the symbols correspond to Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the logical control channel resources are reserved for the control channel.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

allocating an unused portion of the reserved logical control channel resources for data transmission.

13. An apparatus configured to generate control channel messages in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a scheduler configured to allocate at least a portion of available logical resources to a control channel for forward link, wherein the allocated portion of the available logical resources comprises logical control channel resources that are distinct from logical traffic channel resources allocated for data transmission, wherein a variable amount of logical resources is allocated to the control channel, and wherein logical resources not used for the control channel are available for allocation to one or more other channels, and to assign the logical control channel resources to physical channel resources to obtain assigned physical channel resources, wherein the assigned physical channel resources correspond to combinations of sub-carriers and symbols;

a signaling module configured to generate at least one signaling message; and

a transmitter coupled to the signaling module, the transmitter configured to transmit the at least one signaling message utilizing at least a portion of the assigned physical channel resources.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the scheduler is configured to assign the logical control channel resources to the physical channel resources based in part on a frequency hopping algorithm.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logical control channel resources comprise at least one node of a channel tree, and wherein the scheduler is configured to map the at least one node to sub-carriers and symbols.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one signaling message comprises a broadcast signaling message directed to a plurality of access terminals.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transmitter is configured to control a power density of the at least one signaling message.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logical control channel resources comprise a variable number of logical resources between a minimum and a maximum, and wherein the scheduler is configured to select a particular number of logical resources for the logical control channel resources.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the scheduler is configured to release any logical resources between the maximum and the number of selected logical resources for allocation to traffic channels.

29. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the symbols correspond to Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols.

30. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logical control channel resources are reserved for the control channel.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the scheduler is configured to allocate an unused portion of the reserved logical control channel resources for data transmission.

20. An apparatus for generating control channel messages in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

means for allocating at least a portion of available logical resources to a control channel for forward link, wherein the allocated portion of the available logical resources comprises logical control channel resources that are distinct from logical traffic channel resources allocated for data transmission, wherein a variable amount of logical resources is allocated to the control channel, and wherein logical resources not used for the control channel are available for allocation to one or more other channels;

means for assigning the logical control channel resources to physical channel resources to obtain assigned physical channel resources, wherein the assigned physical channel resources correspond to combinations of sub-carriers and symbols;

means for generating at least one message;

means for encoding the at least one message to generate at least one message symbol; and

means for transmitting the at least one message symbol on at least a portion of the assigned physical channel resources.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising means for controlling a power density of the at least one message.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for assigning comprises means for assigning based in part on a frequency hopping algorithm.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the logical control channel resources comprise at least one node of a channel tree, and wherein the means for assigning comprises means for mapping the at least one node to sub-carriers and symbols.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for mapping comprises means for mapping the at least one node based in part on a frequency hopping algorithm.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the logical control channel resources comprise a variable number of logical resources between a minimum and a maximum, and wherein the means for allocating comprises means for selecting a particular number of logical resources for the logical control channel resources.

32. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the symbols correspond to Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols.

33. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the logical control channel resources are reserved for the control channel.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for allocating an unused portion of the reserved logical control channel resources for data transmission.

35. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory processor-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one processor to allocate at least a portion of available logical resources to a control channel, wherein the allocated portion of the available logical resources comprises logical control channel resources that are distinct from logical traffic channel resources allocated for data transmission, wherein a variable amount of logical resources is allocated to the control channel, and wherein logical resources not used for the control channel are available for allocation to one or more other channels,

code for causing the at least one processor to assign the logical control channel resources to physical channel resources to obtain assigned physical channel resources, wherein the assigned physical channel resources correspond to combinations of sub-carriers and symbols,

code for causing the at least one processor to generate at least one message,

code for causing the at least one processor to encode the at least one message to generate at least one message symbol, and

code for causing the at least one processor to send the at least one message symbol on at least a portion of the assigned physical channel resources.