# US 10,484,145 B2 · Method and apparatus for determining HARQ timing in communication systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,484,145 B2 - Document ID: US10484145B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/844,143 - Filed: 2017-12-15 - Published: 2018-04-19 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-15 - Assignees: NEC Corporation - Applicants: NEC Corporation - Inventors: Zhennian Sun; Gang Wang; Ming Lei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484145B2 ## CPC - H04L 1/1854: {Scheduling and prioritising arrangements} - H04L 5/14: Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - 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 Methods and apparatuses for determining HARQ timing in a communication system supporting Carrier Aggregation (CA) are provided. A method for receiving, at a BS, a HARQ feedback from a UE in a communication system supporting CA of a Pcell and at least one Scell is provided. The Pcell and Scell support either FDD or TDD. The method comprises: transmitting a downlink physical channel through one of the Pcell and Scell; receiving the HARQ feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel of the Pcell at a first timing predetermined for the Pcell; and receiving the HARQ feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel of the Scell at a second timing. The second timing is determined according to one or more of duplex modes of the Pcell and the Scell, a scheduling mode of the Scell, and predefined rules. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by a base station in a communication system supporting Carrier Aggregation (CA) of a primary cell and at least one secondary cell, the method comprising: transmitting a downlink physical channel to a user equipment (UE) through one of the at least one secondary cell; and receiving, from the UE, a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel, wherein if the UE is not configured to monitor a control channel in another cell for scheduling the one of the at least one secondary cell, and when the primary cell is configured as Time Divisional Duplex (TDD) and the one of the at least one secondary cell is configured as Frequency Divisional Duplex (FDD): if a first subframe is either a downlink subframe or a special subframe in the primary cell, a timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the first subframe in the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a TDD timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the first subframe in the primary cell; and if a second subframe is an uplink subframe in the primary cell, a timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the second subframe in the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a TDD timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of either a downlink subframe or a special subframe of the primary cell which is closest to the second subframe. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a number of downlink subframes in which the downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is transmitted, per an uplink subframe of the primary cell in which the HARQ feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel is received, is equal to a roundness of a number of downlink subframes in which the downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is transmitted divided by the number of the uplink subframes of the primary cell in which the HARQ feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel is received. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a timing for FDD, when the primary cell is configured as FDD. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a timing for TDD, if the UE is configured to monitor a control channel in another cell for scheduling the one of the at least one secondary cell, when the primary cell is configured as TDD. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) is transmitted only on the primary cell. ### Claim 6 A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a communication system supporting Carrier Aggregation (CA) of a primary cell and at least one secondary cell, the method comprising: receiving a downlink physical channel from a base station through one of the at least one secondary cell; and transmitting, to the base station, a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel, wherein if the UE is not configured to monitor a control channel in another cell for scheduling the one of the at least one secondary cell, and when the primary cell is configured as Time Divisional Duplex (TDD) and the one of the at least one secondary cell is configured as Frequency Divisional Duplex (FDD): if a first subframe is either a downlink subframe or a special subframe in the primary cell, a timing of transmitting a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the first subframe in the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a TDD timing of transmitting a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the first subframe in the primary cell; and if a second subframe is an uplink subframe in the primary cell, a timing of transmitting a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the second subframe in the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a TDD timing of transmitting a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of either a downlink subframe or a special subframe of the primary cell which is closest to the second subframe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a number of downlink subframes in which the downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is received, per an uplink subframe of the primary cell in which the HARQ feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel is transmitted, is equal to a roundness of a number of downlink subframes in which the downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is received divided by the number of the uplink subframes of the primary cell in which the HARQ feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel is transmitted. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a timing of transmitting a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a timing for FDD, when the primary cell is configured as FDD. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a timing of transmitting a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a timing for TDD, if the UE is configured to monitor a control channel in another cell for scheduling the one of the at least one secondary cell, when the primary cell is configured as TDD. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) is transmitted only on the primary cell. ### Claim 11 A base station apparatus in a communication system supporting Carrier Aggregation (CA) of a primary cell and at least one secondary cell, the base station apparatus comprising a transceiver configured to: transmit a downlink physical channel to a user equipment (UE) through one of the at least one secondary cell; and receive, from the UE, a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel, wherein if the UE is not configured to monitor a control channel in another cell for scheduling the one of the at least one secondary cell, and when the primary cell is configured as Time Divisional Duplex (TDD) and the one of the at least one secondary cell is configured as Frequency Divisional Duplex (FDD): if a first subframe is either a downlink subframe or a special subframe in the primary cell, a timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the first subframe in the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a TDD timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the first subframe in the primary cell; and if a second subframe is an uplink subframe in the primary cell, a second timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the second subframe in the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a TDD timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of either a downlink subframe or a special subframe of the primary cell which is closest to the second subframe. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The base station apparatus of claim 11, wherein a number of downlink subframes in which the downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is transmitted, per an uplink subframe of the primary cell in which the HARQ feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel is received, is equal to a roundness of a number of downlink subframes in which the downlink physical channel of the secondary cell is transmitted divided by the number of the uplink subframes of the primary cell in which the HARQ feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel is received. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The base station apparatus of claim 11, wherein a timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a timing for FDD, when the primary cell is configured as FDD. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The base station apparatus of claim 11, wherein a timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a fourth timing for TDD, if the UE is configured to monitor a control channel in another cell for scheduling the one of the at least one secondary cell, when the primary cell is configured as TDD. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The base station apparatus of claim 11, wherein a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) is transmitted only on the primary cell. ### Claim 16 A user equipment (UE) in a communication system supporting Carrier Aggregation (CA) of a primary cell and at least one secondary cell, the UE comprising a transceiver configured to: receive a downlink physical channel from a base station apparatus through one of the at least one secondary cell; and transmit, to the base station apparatus, a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) feedback corresponding, wherein if the UE is not configured to monitor a control channel in another cell for scheduling the one of the at least one secondary cell, and when the primary cell is configured as Time Divisional Duplex (TDD) and the secondary cell is configured as Frequency Divisional Duplex (FDD): if a first subframe is either a downlink subframe or a special subframe in the primary cell, a timing of transmitting a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the first subframe in the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a TDD timing of transmitting a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the first subframe in the primary cell; and if a second subframe is an uplink subframe in the primary cell, a timing of transmitting a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the second subframe in the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a TDD timing of receiving a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of either a downlink subframe or a special subframe of the primary cell which is closest to the second subframe. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The UE of claim 16, wherein a number of downlink subframes in which the downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is received, per an uplink subframe of the primary cell in which the HARQ feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel is transmitted, is equal to a roundness of a number of downlink subframes in which the downlink physical channel of the secondary cell is received divided by the number of the uplink subframes of the primary cell in which the HARQ feedback corresponding to the downlink physical channel is transmitted. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The UE of claim 16, wherein a timing of transmitting a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a timing for FDD, when the primary cell is configured as FDD. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The UE of claim 16, wherein a timing of transmitting a HARQ feedback corresponding to a downlink physical channel of the one of the at least one secondary cell is identical with a timing for TDD, if the UE is configured to monitor a control channel in another cell for scheduling the one of the at least one secondary cell, when the primary cell is configured as TDD. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The UE of claim 16, wherein a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) is transmitted only on the primary cell.