Terminal, network node, system and methods for soft buffer handling in carrier aggregation
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
InventorsJung-Fu Cheng, Robert Baldemair, Dirk Gerstenberger, Daniel Larsson, Christian Skarby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A terminal (e.g., mobile communication device, UE) and a method are described herein for allocating a soft buffer after interacting with a network node (e.g., base station, eNB). In addition, a network node (e.g., base station, eNB) and a method are described herein that facilitates robust operations during a reconfiguration period while a terminal allocates a soft buffer located therein.
Claims21
A terminal that allocates a soft buffer located therein, the terminal comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory that stores processor-executable instructions where the processor is configured to interface with the memory and to execute the processor-executable instructions to:
- allocate the soft buffer by dividing the soft buffer into a plurality of sub-buffers each associated with a particular codeword, wherein a size of each of the sub-buffers is based on:
- a number of Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) processes implemented by the terminal;
- and
- a total number of codewords to be transmitted over all configured or activated component carriers.
A method implemented by a terminal for allocating a soft buffer located therein, the method comprising the steps of:
- allocating the soft buffer by dividing the soft buffer into a plurality of sub-buffers based on:
- a number of Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) processes implemented by the terminal;
- and
- a total number of codewords to be transmitted over all configured or activated component carriers.
A network node that interacts with a terminal, the network node comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory that stores processor-executable instructions where the processor interfaces with the memory and executes the processor-executable instructions to:
- determining the amount of memory in the terminal allocated for the terminal to receive each code word based on:
- a number of Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuests (HARQ) processes implemented by the terminal;
- and
- a total number of codewords that is possible to be transmitted to the terminal across all configured or activated component carriers;
- and
- encoding data for transmission to the terminal in accordance with the determined amount of allocated memory;
- and
- transmitting the encoded data to the terminal.
A method implemented by a network node that interacts with a terminal, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining the amount of memory allocated in the terminal for the terminal to receiving each code word based on:
- a number of Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) processes implemented by the terminal;
- and
- a total number of codewords that is possible to be transmitted to the terminal across all configured or activated component carriers;
- encoding data for transmission to the terminal in accordance with the determined memory;
- and
- transmitting the encoded data to the terminal.
A network node that facilitates robust operations during a reconfiguration period while a terminal allocates a soft buffer located therein, the network node comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory that stores processor-executable instructions where the processor is configured to interface with the memory and to execute the processor-executable instructions to:
- send, to the terminal, a reconfiguration message which indicates a new reconfiguration of component carriers or a transmission mode of one or more component carriers to be used to interface with the terminal;
- and
- while waiting to receive a reconfiguration confirmation message indicating that the terminal has allocated the soft buffer based on the received reconfiguration message, refrain from transmitting coded bits that the terminal cannot store or that would corrupt the soft buffer.
A method implemented by a network node for facilitating robust operations during a reconfiguration period while a terminal allocates a soft buffer located therein, the method comprising the steps of:
- sending, to the terminal, a reconfiguration message which indicates a new reconfiguration of component carriers or a transmission mode of one or more component carriers to be used to interface with the terminal;
- and
- while waiting to receive a reconfiguration confirmation message indicating that the terminal has allocated the soft buffer based on the received reconfiguration message, refraining from transmitting coded bits that the terminal cannot store or that would corrupt the soft buffer.
A terminal that facilitates robust operations during a reconfiguration period when communicating with a network node, the terminal comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory that stores processor-executable instructions where the processor is configured to interface with the memory and to execute the processor-executable instructions to:
- receive, from the network node, a reconfiguration message which indicates a new reconfiguration of component carriers or a transmission mode of one or more component carriers to be used to interface with the network node;
- allocate a soft buffer based on the received reconfiguration message;
- and
- using a soft buffer size of the soft buffer before receipt of the reconfiguration message for a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Requests (HARQ) process until at least one of the following:
- a new transport block using the HARQ process is received from the network node,
- subframe n+x occurs where n denotes a subframe when the reconfiguration message was transmitted to the terminal and x denotes a constant, or
- subframe m+x occurs where m denotes a subframe when the reconfiguration confirmation message was transmitted from the terminal to the network node and x denotes a constant.
A method implemented by a terminal for facilitating robust operations during a reconfiguration period when communicating with a network node, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving, from the network node, a reconfiguration message which indicates a new reconfiguration of component carriers or a transmission mode of one or more component carriers to be used to interface with the network node;
- allocating a soft buffer based on the received reconfiguration message;
- and
- using a soft buffer size of the soft buffer before receipt of the reconfiguration message for a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Requests (HARQ) process until at least one of the following:
- a new transport block using the HARQ process is received from the network node,
- subframe n+x Occurs where n denotes a subframe when the reconfiguration message was transmitted to the terminal and x denotes a constant, or
- subframe m+x occurs where m denotes a subframe when the reconfiguration confirmation message was transmitted from the terminal to the network node and x denotes a constant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.