# US 10,313,064 B2 · Efficient HARQ feedback > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,313,064 B2 - Document ID: US10313064B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/051,634 - Filed: 2018-08-01 - Published: 2018-11-29 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-09 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Inventors: Andreas Bergström; Niclas Wiberg; Martin Hessler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10313064B2 ## CPC - H04L 1/1835: {Buffer management} - H04L 1/0027: {Scheduling of signalling, e.g. occurrence thereof} - H04L 1/1621: {Group acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message defining a range of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers} - H04L 1/1628: {List acknowledgements, i.e. the acknowledgement message consisting of a list of identifiers, e.g. of sequence numbers (H04L1/1614 takes precedence)} - H04L 1/1685: {the supervisory signal being transmitted in response to a specific request, e.g. to a polling signal} - H04L 1/1812: Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ] - H04L 1/1896: {ARQ related signaling} - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04L 2001/125: {Arrangements for preventing errors in the return channel} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Systems and methods are disclosed for providing efficient downlink Hybrid Automatic Request (HARQ) feedback. In some embodiments, a method of operation of a wireless device in a cellular communications system comprises receiving downlink control information from a radio access node in a first subframe T. The downlink control information comprises an indication of a HARQ timing offset K. The method further comprises transmitting downlink HARQ feedback to the radio access node in a subframe T+K. In this manner, HARQ feedback can be directly scheduled by the network, which in turn enables efficient HARQ feedback. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operation of a user equipment, UE, in a cellular communications system, comprising: receiving downlink control information from a base station in a first subframe, T, wherein the downlink control information comprises an indication of a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, HARQ, timing offset, K; receiving second downlink control information from a radio access node in a second subframe, T2, wherein the second downlink control information comprises an indication of a second HARQ timing offset, K2, where the timing offset K2 is such that a HARQ feedback for a corresponding downlink transmission is to occur in a subframe T+K; and transmitting a plurality of downlink HARQ feedbacks to the base station in the subframe T+K. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: combining the plurality of downlink HARQ feedbacks into a single downlink HARQ feedback transmission; wherein transmitting the plurality of downlink HARQ feedbacks in the subframe T+K comprises transmitting the single downlink HARQ feedback transmission in the subframe T+K. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein combining the plurality of downlink HARQ feedbacks into the single downlink HARQ feedback transmission comprises jointly encoding the plurality of downlink HARQ feedbacks into a codeword for the single downlink HARQ feedback transmission. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein the downlink control information further comprises information that indicates which HARQ feedbacks of the plurality of downlink HARQ feedbacks are to be combined into the single downlink HARQ feedback transmission. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the indication of the HARQ timing offset, K, is a value for the HARQ timing offset, K. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the indication of the HARQ timing offset, K, is a value, S, wherein the HARQ timing offset K=N+S, where N is a predefined value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the indication of the HARQ timing offset, K, is a value, S, wherein the HARQ timing offset K=N+S, where N is a preconfigured value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the indication of the HARQ timing offset, K, is a value, S, wherein the HARQ timing offset K=N+S, where N is a predetermined minimum HARQ timing offset of the UE. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the indication of the HARQ timing offset, K, is a value, X, wherein the HARQ timing offset, K, is a function of the value, X. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein HARQ feedbacks of the plurality of downlink HARQ feedbacks comprise HARQ feedback flags, the HARQ feedback flags being an acknowledgement if respective downlink data was successfully received by the UE, a negative acknowledgment if the respective downlink data was not successfully received by the UE, and an indication of a downlink control information failure if respective downlink control information was not received by the UE. ### Claim 11 A user equipment, UE, for a cellular communications system, comprising: a transceiver; at least one processor; and memory storing instructions that are executable by the at least one processor whereby the UE is operable to: receive, via the transceiver, downlink control information from a base station in a first subframe, T, wherein the downlink control information comprises an indication of a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, HARQ, timing offset, K; receive, via the transceiver, second downlink control information from a radio access node in a second subframe, T2, wherein the second downlink control information comprises an indication of a second HARQ timing offset, K2, where the timing offset K2 is such that a HARQ feedback for a corresponding downlink transmission is to occur in a subframe T+K; and transmit, via the transceiver, downlink HARQ feedbacks to the base station in the subframe T+K. ### Claim 12 A method of operation of a base station in a cellular communications system, comprising: transmitting downlink control information to a user equipment, UE, in a first subframe, T, wherein the downlink control information comprises an indication of a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, HARQ, timing offset, K; transmitting second downlink control information to a UE in a second subframe, T2, wherein the second downlink control information comprises an indication of a second HARQ timing offset, K2, wherein the timing offset K2 is such that a HARQ feedback for a corresponding downlink transmission is to occur in a subframe T+K; and receiving downlink HARQ feedbacks from the UE in the subframe T+K. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the downlink HARQ feedbacks in the subframe T+K comprise a single downlink HARQ feedback transmission in the subframe T+K that is a combination of a plurality of downlink HARQ feedback flags. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 herein the single downlink HARQ feedback transmission is representative of a joint encoding of the plurality of downlink HARQ feedback flags. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the HARQ feedbacks include feedback flags and the downlink control information further comprises information that indicates which of the feedback flags are to be combined into the single downlink HARQ feedback transmission. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the indication of the HARQ timing offset, K, is a value for the HARQ timing offset, K. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the indication of the HARQ timing offset, K, is a value, S, wherein the HARQ timing offset K=N+S, where N is a predefined value. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the indication of the HARQ timing offset, K, is a value, S, wherein the HARQ timing offset K=N+S, where N is a preconfigured value. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the indication of the HARQ timing offset, K, is a value, S, wherein the HARQ timing offset K=N+S, where N is a predetermined minimum HARQ timing offset of the UE. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the indication of the HARQ timing offset, K, is a value, X, wherein the HARQ timing offset, K, is a function of the value, X. ### Claim 21 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the HARQ feedback comprises a HARQ feedback flag, the HARQ feedback flag being an acknowledgement if respective downlink data was successfully received by the UE, a negative acknowledgment if the respective downlink data was not successfully received by the UE, and an indication of a downlink control information failure if respective downlink control information was not received by the UE. ### Claim 22 A base station for a cellular communications system, comprising: at least one radio unit; at least one processor; and memory storing instructions that are executable by the at least one processor whereby the base station is operable to: transmit, via the at least one radio unit, downlink control information to a user equipment, UE, in a first subframe, T, wherein the downlink control information comprises an indication of a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, HARQ, timing offset, K; transmit, via the at least one radio unit, second downlink control information to a UE in a second subframe, T2, wherein the second downlink control information comprises an indication of a second HARQ timing offset, K2, wherein the timing offset K2 is such that a HARQ feedback for a corresponding downlink transmission is to occur in a subframe T+K; and receive, via the at least one radio unit, downlink HARQ feedback from the UE in the subframe T+K.