# US 8,543,880 B2 · Techniques for successive refinement of metrics stored for HARQ combining

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 8,543,880 B2
- Document ID: US8543880B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/884,437
- Filed: 2010-09-17
- Published: 2012-03-22
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2010-09-17
- Assignees: Intel Corporation
- Applicants: Tom Harel
- Inventors: Tom Harel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543880B2

## CPC

- H04L 1/1845: {Combining techniques, e.g. code combining}
- H03M 13/6306: {Error control coding in combination with Automatic Repeat reQuest [ARQ] and diversity transmission, e.g. coding schemes for the multiple transmission of the same information or the transmission of incremental redundancy (H03M13/3761, H03M13/3769 and H03M13/635 take precedence)}
- H03M 13/6505: {Memory efficient implementations}
- H03M 13/6594: {Non-linear quantization}
- H04L 1/1812: Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H03M: CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C)

## Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of efficiently storing metrics for Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) combining and enabling saving of memory buffer in communication systems, comprising using non-linear quantization of the metrics and managing an aggregated buffer for all HARQ channels.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of quantizing metrics for Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) combining and managing of a memory buffer in communication systems, comprising:
using a Down-Link receiver to non-linearly quantize said metrics; and
managing an aggregated buffer for all HARQ channels.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising successively refining metrics in said HARQ buffer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising separating metrics representations in said HARQ buffer from a decoding of a current transmission.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising releasing successfully decoded forward error correction (FEC) blocks from memory buffer and saving only decoded bits.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising using a common scale factor for a group of metrics representing their average magnitude.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising using an odd number of quantization levels per metric and grouping metrics for an efficient representation.

### Claim 7

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions, which when accessed, cause a machine to perform operations comprising: efficiently storing metrics for Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) combining and enabling saving of memory buffer in communication systems by using non-linear quantization of said metrics and managing an aggregated buffer for all HARQ channels.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions of claim 7, further comprising successively refining metrics in said HARQ buffer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions of claim 7, further comprising separating metrics representations in said HARQ buffer from a decoding of a current transmission.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions of claim 7, further comprising releasing successfully decoded forward error correction (FEC) blocks from memory buffer and saving only decoded bits.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions of claim 7, further comprising using a common scale factor for a group of metrics representing their average magnitude.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions of claim 7, further comprising using an odd number of quantization levels per metric and group metrics for an efficient representation.

### Claim 13

An apparatus, comprising:
a mobile station (MS) operable for communication in a wireless network and capable of efficiently storing metrics for Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) combining and enabling saving of memory buffer by using non-linear quantization of said metrics and managing an aggregated buffer for all HARQ channels.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said MS is further capable of successively refining metrics in said HARQ buffer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said MS is further capable of separating metrics representations in said HARQ buffer from a decoding of a current transmission.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said MS is further capable of releasing successfully decoded forward error correction (FEC) blocks from memory buffer and saving only decoded bits.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said MS is further capable of using a common scale factor for a group of metrics representing their average magnitude.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said MS is further capable of using an odd number of quantization levels per metric and group metrics for an efficient representation.

### Claim 19

A wireless communication system, comprising:
a base station (BS); and
a mobile station (MS) operable to communicate with said BS in said wireless communication system and capable of efficiently storing metrics for Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) combining and enabling saving of memory buffer by using non-linear quantization of said metrics and managing an aggregated buffer for all HARQ channels.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein said MS is further capable of successively refining metrics in said HARQ buffer.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein said MS is further capable of separating metrics representations in said HARQ buffer from a decoding of a current transmission.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein said MS is further capable of releasing successfully decoded forward error correction (FEC) blocks from memory buffer and saving only decoded bits.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein said MS is further capable of using a common scale factor for a group of metrics representing their average magnitude.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein said MS is further capable of using an odd number of quantization levels per metric and group metrics for an efficient representation.

### Claim 25 (depends on 19)

The wireless communication system of claim 19, wherein said communication system operates conforming to the Institute for Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) 802.16m standard.

### Claim 26 (depends on 19)

The wireless communication system. of claim 19, wherein said communication system operates conforming to the 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard.