Assignment of radio resources to be used on uplink transmissions in a multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9654191-B2
Application number	US-201414528808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2014
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

An access point and method are described herein for interacting with a mobile station and assigning radio resources (e.g., multiple USFs, multiple TSCs, multiple MCSs, multiple PC levels) at least a portion of which are to be used for upcoming uplink transmissions by the mobile station to the access point. In addition, a mobile station and method are described for interacting with an access point and receiving therefrom assigned radio resources (e.g., multiple USFs, multiple TSCs, multiple MCSs, multiple PC levels) at least a portion of which are to be used for upcoming uplink transmissions to the access point.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An access point configured to interact with a mobile station, the access point comprising:
at least one processor; and,
at least one memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the at least one processor interfaces with the at least one memory to execute the processor-executable instructions, whereby said access point is operable to:
assign, at a start of a Temporary Block Flow (TBF), radio resources at least of portion of which are to be used for upcoming uplink transmissions by the mobile station, wherein the radio resources comprise at least multiple Uplink State Flags (USFs); and,
transmit an assignment message indicating the assigned radio resources to the mobile station
transmit, to the mobile station, a radio block on a Packet Data Channel (PDCH), wherein the radio block contains a first USF;
receive, from the mobile station, a radio block utilizing the same first USF and other assigned radio resources if any which are associated with the same first USF.

2. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the radio resources further comprises at least one of a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS), a Power Control (PC) level, a USF granularity, and a Training Sequence Code (TSC) for each one of the multiple USFs.

3. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the access point is further operable to:
re-assign, while the TBF is ongoing, the radio resources at least a portion of which are to be used for the uplink transmissions by the mobile station; and,
transmit a re-assignment message indicating the re-assigned radio resources to the mobile station.

4. The access point of claim 3 , wherein the re-assignment message contains instructions for the mobile station to perform at least one of the following: (1) keep a specific USF and associated assigned radio resources; (2) change a specific USF and associated assigned radio resources; and (3) remove a specific USF and associated assigned radio resources.

5. The access point of claim 1 , wherein the access point is further operable to:
pair the mobile station with another mobile station for a given UL radio block period by assigning the same USF to both the mobile station and the another mobile station.

6. The access point of claim 1 , wherein:
the assignment message is sent on a Packet Associated Control Channel (PACCH) utilizing one of following: (1) a point-to-multipoint message; (2) a dedicated message where a piggy-backed Ack/Nack (PAN) field is used to contain the assigned radio resources; (3) a Radio Link (RLC) data block where a length indicator therein is used to indicate the assigned radio resources; (4) a Packet Uplink Ack/Nack message with an extension field which indicates the assigned radio resources; or,
the assignment message is sent as a dedicated message on a Packet Timing Advance Control Channel (PTCCH) or as an extension in a message on the PTCCH.

7. A method in an access point for interacting with a mobile station, the method comprising:
assigning, at a start of a Temporary Block Flow (TBF), radio resources at least a portion of which are to be used for upcoming uplink transmissions by the mobile station, wherein the radio resources comprise at least multiple Uplink State Flags (USFs); and,
transmitting an assignment message indicating the assigned radio resources to the mobile station
transmitting, to the mobile station, a radio block on a Packet Data Channel (PDCH), wherein the radio block contains a first USF;
receiving, from the mobile station, a radio block utilizing the same first USF and other assigned radio resources if any which are associated with the same first USF.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the radio resources further comprises at least one of a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS), a Power Control (PC) level, a USF granularity, and a Training Sequence Code (TSC) for each one of the multiple USFs.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
re-assigning, while the TBF is ongoing, the radio resources at least a portion of which are to be used for the uplink transmissions by the mobile station; and,
transmitting, to the mobile station, a re-assignment message indicating the re-assigned radio resources.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the re-assignment message contains instructions for the mobile station to perform at least one of the following: (1) keep a specific USF and associated assigned radio resources; (2) change a specific USF and associated assigned radio resources; and (3) remove a specific USF and associated assigned radio resources.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
pairing the mobile station with another mobile station for a given UL radio block period by assigning the same USF to both the mobile station and the another mobile station.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the assignment message is sent on a Packet Associated Control Channel (PACCH) utilizing one of following: (1) a point-to-multipoint message; (2) a dedicated message where a piggy-backed Ack/Nack (PAN) field is used to contain the assigned radio resources; (3) a Radio Link (RLC) data block where a length indicator therein is used to indicate the assigned radio resources; (4) a Packet Uplink Ack/Nack message with an extension field which indicates the assigned radio resources; or,
the assignment message is sent as a dedicated message on a Packet Timing Advance Control Channel (PTCCH) or as an extension in a message on the PTCCH.

13. A mobile station configured to interact with an access point, the mobile station comprising:
at least one processor; and,
at least one memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the at least one processor interfaces with the at least one memory to execute the processor-executable instructions, whereby said mobile station is operable to:
receive, from the access point, an assignment message indicating radio resources at least a portion of which are to be used by the mobile station for upcoming uplink transmissions to the access point, wherein the radio resources comprise at least multiple Uplink State Flags (USFs);
store the assigned radio resources
receive, from the access point, a radio block on a Packet Data Channel (PDCH), wherein the radio block contains a USF;
detect the USF contained in the radio block;
compare the detected USF to the stored assigned radio resources to find the same USF in the stored assigned radio resources; and,
transmit, to the access point, a radio block utilizing the same USF and other assigned radio resources if any which are associated with the same USF.

14. The mobile station of claim 13 , wherein the radio resources further comprises at least one of a Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS), a Power Control (PC) level, a USF granularity, and a Training Sequence Code (TSC) each one of the multiple USFs.

15. The mobile station of claim 13 , wherein the mobile station is further operable to:
receive, from the access point, a re-assignment message indicating re-assigned radio resources at least a portion of which the mobile station is to use on uplink transmissions to the access point; and,
store the re-assigned radio resources.

16. The mobile station of claim 15 , wherein the re-assignment message contains instructions for the mobile station to perform at least one of the following: (1) keep a specific USF and associated assigned radio resources; (2) change a specific USF and associated assigned radio resources; and (3) remove a specific USF and associated assigned radio resources.

17. A method in a mobile station for interacting with an access point, t

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M
• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Sundberg Mårten
• Liberg Olof
• Qiu Xun
• Johansson Nicklas
• Diachina John Walter

Classifications

• H04W72/23

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04B7/0632

  Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI] · CPC title

• H04B7/0452 Primary

  Multi-user MIMO systems · CPC title

• H04B7/0417

  Feedback systems · CPC title

• H04W72/042

  Electricity · mapped topic