Uplink channel quality feedback reduction in a mobile communication system

A method of operating a node in a mobile communication system, wherein the node serves a user equipment located within a service area of the node, the method comprising:

• receiving a signal from the user equipment, wherein at least a portion of the signal is reserved for conveying a channel quality report;
• receiving a duration value from the user equipment;
• and
• estimating a channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations whenever the received signal does not include the channel quality report,
• wherein estimating the channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations comprises:
• using a received channel quality report that was most recently received from the user equipment as an estimate of a next channel quality report,
• and wherein using the received channel quality report that was most recently received from the user equipment as the estimate of the next channel quality report continues for an amount of time corresponding to the received duration value or until a new channel quality report is received from the user equipment, whichever is shorter.

A method of operating a node in a mobile communication system, wherein the node serves a user equipment located within a service area of the node, the method comprising:

• receiving a signal from the user equipment;
• ascertaining whether the received signal includes a channel quality report;
• and
• if it is ascertained that the received signal does not include the channel quality report, then estimating a channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations,
• wherein estimating the channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations comprises:
• predicting a channel quality report;
• using, as an estimate of a next channel quality report, whichever one of a channel quality report that was most recently received from the user equipment and the predicted channel quality report indicates a worse channel quality.

A method of operating a node in a mobile communication system, wherein the node serves a user equipment located within a service area of the node, the method comprising:

• receiving a signal from the user equipment;
• ascertaining whether the received signal includes a channel quality report;
• and
• if it is ascertained that the received signal does not include the channel quality report, then estimating a channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations,
• wherein estimating the channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations comprises:
• predicting a channel quality report;
• generating a filtered channel quality report from the predicted channel quality report and one or more channel quality reports that were most recently received from the user equipment;
• and
• using the filtered channel quality report as an estimate of a next channel quality report.

An apparatus for controlling operation of a node in a mobile communication system, wherein the node serves a user equipment located within a service area of the node, the apparatus comprising:

• logic configured to receive a signal from the user equipment, wherein at least a portion of the signal is reserved for conveying a channel quality report;
• logic configured to receive a duration value from the user equipment;
• and
• logic configured to estimate a channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations whenever the received signal does not include the channel quality report,
• wherein the logic configured to estimate the channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations comprises:
• logic configured to use a received channel quality report that was most recently received from the user equipment as an estimate of a next channel quality report,
• and wherein the logic configured to use the received channel quality report that was most recently received from the user equipment as the estimate of the next channel quality report continues using the received channel quality report that was most recently received from the user equipment as the estimate of the next channel quality report for an amount of time corresponding to the received duration value or until a new channel quality report is received from the user equipment, whichever is shorter.

An apparatus for controlling operation of a node in a mobile communication system, wherein the node serves a user equipment located within a service area of the node, the apparatus comprising:

• logic configured to receive a signal from the user equipment;
• logic configured to ascertain whether the received signal includes a channel quality report;
• and
• logic configured to estimate a channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations if it is ascertained that the received signal does not include the channel quality report,
• wherein the logic configured to estimate the channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations comprises:
• logic configured to predict a channel quality report;
• logic configured to use, as an estimate of a next channel quality report, whichever one of a channel quality report that was most recently received from the user equipment and the predicted channel quality report indicates a worse channel quality.

An apparatus for controlling operation of a node in a mobile communication system, wherein the node serves a user equipment located within a service area of the node, the apparatus comprising:

• logic configured to receive a signal from the user equipment;
• logic configured to ascertain whether the received signal includes a channel quality report;
• and
• logic configured to estimate a channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations if it is ascertained that the received signal does not include the channel quality report,
• wherein the logic configured to estimate the channel quality report for use in determining modulation and coding schemes for use in subsequent transmission operations comprises:
• logic configured to predict a channel quality report;
• logic configured to generate a filtered channel quality report from the predicted channel quality report and one or more channel quality reports that were most recently received from the user equipment;
• and
• logic configured to use the filtered channel quality report as an estimate of a next channel quality report.