User equipment and method for PUCCH resource allocation and communication

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to user equipment and methods for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource allocation and communication. This document generally describes embodiments of user equipment (UE), evolved node B (eNB) and methods for transmitting uplink messages. The UE can receive one or more downlink control messages indicating the allocation of PUCCH channel resources from the eNB. The UE can send an uplink control message in at least a portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources. When the PUCCH channel resources are allocated according to an edge configuration, the PUCCH channel resources are restricted to the lower edge portion and the upper edge portion of the network channel resources. When the PUCCH channel resources are allocated according to a distributed configuration, the PUCCH channel resources include one or more middle portions of the network channel resources. The middle portion is mutually exclusive with the lower edge portion and the upper edge portion.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of an invention patent application with an international application date of September 15, 2015, which entered the Chinese national stage on September 14, 2017, with Chinese national application number 201580077843.4, and invention name “User equipment and method for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource allocation and communication”. Technical Field

[0002] Embodiments relate to wireless communications. Some embodiments relate to wireless networks including 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) networks, 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks, 3GPP LTE-A (LTE Advanced) networks, and 5G networks, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard. Some embodiments relate to physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource block allocations. Some embodiments relate to signaling of resources for PUCCH communications. Background Art

[0003] Wireless networks may support communications with mobile devices. Thus, as part of the communications, control messages may be exchanged between the mobile device and the base station. In some cases, the reliability of such exchanges may impact system performance in terms of throughput, capacity, or other metrics. As an example, in some cases, diversity techniques or other techniques may improve reliability. Thus, in these and other cases, methods and systems for exchanging control messages between a mobile device and a base station are generally needed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] Figure 1 is a functional diagram of a 3GPP network according to some embodiments;

[0005] Figure 2 is a block diagram of a user equipment (UE) according to some embodiments;

[0006] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an evolved Node B (eNB) according to some embodiments;

[0007] Figure 4 Method operations for Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) communications according to some embodiments are shown;

[0008] Figure 5 shows an example of allocation of channel resources for PUCCH communications according to some embodiments;

[0009] Figure 6 Another example of allocation of channel resources for PUCCH communication according to some embodiments is shown;

[0010] Figure 7An example of distributed pairwise allocation of channel resources for PUCCH communication according to some embodiments is shown;

[0011] Figure 8 An example of distributed cluster-based allocation of channel resources for PUCCH communications according to some embodiments is shown;

[0012] Fig. 9 Operation of another method of PUCCH communication in accordance with some embodiments is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] The following description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate specific embodiments so that those skilled in the art can implement them. Other embodiments may include structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in or replaced by portions and features of other embodiments. The embodiments set forth in the claims cover all available equivalents of those claims.

[0014] Figure 1 1 is a functional diagram of a 3GPP network according to some embodiments. The network may include a radio access network (RAN) (e.g., as shown, E-UTRAN or Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network) 101 and a core network 120 (e.g., shown as an Evolved Packet Core (EPC)) coupled together via an S1 interface 115. For convenience and simplicity, only the core network 120 and a portion of the RAN 101 are shown.

[0015] The core network 120 includes a mobility management entity (MME) 122, a serving gateway (serving GW) 124, and a packet data network gateway (PDN GW) 126. The RAN 101 includes an evolved Node B (eNB) 104 (which can operate as a base station) for communicating with the UE 102. The eNB 104 can include a macro eNB and a low power (LP) eNB. According to some embodiments, the eNB 104 can send a downlink control message to the UE 102 to indicate an allocation of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) channel resource. The UE 102 can receive the downlink control message from the eNB 104 and can send an uplink control message to the eNB 104 in at least a portion of the PUCCH channel resource. These embodiments will be described in more detail below.

[0016] The MME 122 is functionally similar to the control plane of a traditional Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN). The MME 122 manages mobility aspects of access, such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. The Serving GW 124 terminates the interface toward the RAN 101 and routes data packets between the RAN 101 and the core network 120. In addition, the Serving GW 124 can be a local mobility anchor for inter-eNB handovers and can also provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities may include legal interception, charging, and some policy enforcement. The Serving GW 124 and the MME 122 can be implemented in one physical node or in separate physical nodes. The PDN GW 126 terminates the SGi interface toward the Packet Data Network (PDN). The PDN GW 126 routes data packets between the EPC 120 and external PDNs and can be a key node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. The PDN GW 126 can also provide an anchor for mobility with non-LTE access. The external PDN may be any kind of IP network and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) domain. The PDN GW 126 and the Serving GW 124 may be implemented in one physical node or separate physical nodes.

[0017] The eNB 104 (macro and micro eNB) terminates the air interface protocol and may be the first point of contact for the UE 102. In some embodiments, the eNB 104 may implement various logical functions for the RAN 101, including but not limited to RNC (Radio Network Controller functions) such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management. According to some embodiments, the UE 102 may be configured to transmit orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals with the eNB 104 over a multi-carrier communication channel according to orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA). An OFDM signal may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0018] The S1 interface 115 is an interface that separates the RAN 101 and the EPC 120. The S1 interface 115 is divided into two parts: S1-U that carries service data between the eNB 104 and the serving GW 124, and S1-MME that is a signaling interface between the eNB 104 and the MME 122. The X2 interface may be an interface between the eNBs 104. The X2 interface may include two parts, X2-C and X2-U. X2-C may be a control plane interface between the eNBs 104, and X2-U may be a user plane interface between the eNBs 104.

[0019] For cellular networks, LP cells are typically used to extend coverage to indoor areas where outdoor signals cannot reach well, or to increase network capacity in areas where telephone usage is very dense, such as train stations. The term low power (LP) eNB used herein refers to any suitable lower power eNB for implementing narrower cells (narrower than macro cells) (e.g., femtocells, picocells, or microcells). Femtocell eNBs are typically provided by mobile network operators to their residential or enterprise customers. Femtocells are typically the size of a residential gateway or smaller and are generally connected to the user's broadband line. Once switched on, the femtocell connects to the mobile operator's mobile network and provides additional coverage for residential femtocells with a range of typically 30 to 50 meters. Therefore, an LP eNB can be a femtocell eNB, since it is coupled through a PDN GW 126. Similarly, a picocell is a wireless communication system that typically covers a smaller area, for example, within a building (office, shopping mall, train station, etc.) or more recently within an airplane. A pico cell eNB may generally be connected to another eNB (e.g., a macro eNB) via its base station controller (BSC) functionality via an X2 link. Thus, an LP eNB may be implemented by a pico cell eNB, since it is coupled to a macro eNB via an X2 interface. A pico cell eNB or other LP eNB may include some or all of the functionality of a macro eNB. In some cases, this may be referred to as an access point base station or an enterprise femto cell.

[0020] In some embodiments, a downlink resource grid may be used for downlink transmission from eNB 104 to UE 102, while uplink transmission from UE 102 to eNB 104 may implement similar techniques. The grid may be a time-frequency grid, referred to as a resource grid or a time-frequency resource grid, which is a physical resource in the downlink in each time slot. Such a time-frequency plane representation is a conventional practice for OFDM systems, which makes it more intuitive for radio resource allocation. Each column and each row of the resource grid corresponds to an OFDM symbol and an OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to a time slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequency unit in the resource grid is represented as a resource element (RE). Each resource grid contains some resource blocks (RBs) that describe the mapping of certain physical channels to resource elements. Each resource block includes a set of resource elements in the frequency domain and can represent the minimum amount of resources that can be currently allocated. There are several different physical downlink channels transmitted using such resource blocks. Of particular relevance to the present disclosure, two of these physical downlink channels are the Physical Downlink Shared Channel and the Physical Downlink Control Channel.

[0021] Physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) to UE 102 ( Figure 1 ) transmits user data and higher layer signaling. The physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carries information about the transport format and resource allocation related to the PDSCH channel, among other things. It also informs the UE 102 about the transport format, resource allocation, and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) information about the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (e.g., allocating control and shared channel resource blocks to UEs 102 within a cell) may be performed at the eNB 104 based on channel quality information fed back from the UE 102 to the eNB 104, and then downlink resource allocation information may be sent to the UE 102 on a control channel (PDCCH) for (allocated to) the UE 102.

[0022] PDCCH uses CCE (control channel elements) to transmit control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the PDCCH complex symbols are first organized into quadruplets and then permuted using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. Each PDCCH is sent using one or more of these control channel elements (CCEs), where each CCE corresponds to nine groups of physical resource elements called resource element groups (REGs), each group having four physical resource elements. Four QPSK symbols are mapped to each REG. PDCCH can be sent using one or more CCEs, depending on the size of the DCI and the channel conditions. Four or more different PDCCH formats can be defined in LTE, with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation levels, L=1, 2, 4, or 8).

[0023] As used herein, the term "circuit" may refer to, be part of, or include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), electronic circuit, processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and / or memory (shared, dedicated, or group) that executes one or more software or firmware programs, combinational logic circuits, and / or other suitable hardware components that provide the functionality. In some embodiments, a circuit may be implemented, or a function associated with a circuit, by one or more software or firmware modules. In some embodiments, a circuit may include logic that is at least partially operable in hardware. The embodiments described herein may be implemented as a system using any appropriately configured hardware and / or software.

[0024] Figure 2 is a functional diagram of a user equipment (UE) according to some embodiments. UE 200 may be suitable for use as Figure 1UE 102 shown. In some embodiments, UE 200 may include at least application circuit 202, baseband circuit 204, radio frequency (RF) circuit 206, front end module (FEM) circuit 208, and one or more antennas 210 coupled together as shown. In some embodiments, other circuits or arrangements may include one or more elements and / or components in application circuit 202, baseband circuit 204, RF circuit 206, and / or FEM circuit 208, and in some cases may also include other elements and / or components. As an example, "processing circuit" may include one or more elements and / or components, some or all of which may be included in application circuit 202 and / or baseband circuit 204. As another example, "transceiver circuit" may include one or more elements and / or components, some or all of which may be included in RF circuit 206 and / or FEM circuit 208. However, these examples are not limiting, as processing circuit and / or transceiver circuit may also include other elements and / or components in some cases.

[0025] The application circuitry 202 may include one or more application processors. For example, the application circuitry 202 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The processor(s) may include any combination of general-purpose processors and special-purpose processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). The processor may be coupled to and / or may include a memory / storage device, and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage device to enable various applications and / or operating systems to run on the system.

[0026] The baseband circuit 204 may include circuits such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The baseband circuit 204 may include one or more baseband processors and / or control logic to process baseband signals received from the receive signal path of the RF circuit 206 and to generate baseband signals for the transmit signal path of the RF circuit 206. The baseband processing circuit 204 may interface with the application circuit 202 for baseband signal generation and processing and for controlling the operation of the RF circuit 206. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuit 204 may include a second generation (2G) baseband processor 204a, a third generation (3G) baseband processor 204b, a fourth generation (4G) baseband processor 204c, and / or other baseband processors (one or more) 204d for other existing generations, generations in development or to be developed (e.g., fifth generation (5G), 6G, etc.). The baseband circuitry 204 (e.g., one or more baseband processors 204a-d) may handle various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via the RF circuitry 206. The radio control functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, radio frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, the modulation / demodulation circuitry of the baseband circuitry 204 may include fast Fourier transform (FFT), precoding, and / or constellation mapping / demapping functions. In some embodiments, the encoding / decoding circuitry of the baseband circuitry 204 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, and / or low-density parity check (LDPC) encoder / decoder functions. The embodiments of the modulation / demodulation and encoder / decoder functions are not limited to these examples, and may include other suitable functions in other embodiments.

[0027] In some embodiments, the baseband circuit 204 may include elements of a protocol stack, such as elements of an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) protocol, including, for example, physical (PHY), medium access control (MAC), radio link control (RLC), packet data aggregation protocol (PDCP) and / or radio resource control (RRC) elements. The central processing unit (CPU) 204e of the baseband circuit 204 may be configured to run elements of a protocol stack for signaling of the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP and / or RRC layers. In some embodiments, the baseband circuit may include one or more audio digital signal processors (DSPs) 204f. (One or more) audio DSPs 204f may include elements for compression / decompression and echo cancellation, and may include other suitable processing elements in other embodiments. In some embodiments, the components of the baseband circuit may be appropriately combined in a single chip, a single chipset, or may be arranged on the same circuit board. In some embodiments, some or all of the components of the baseband circuit 204 and the application circuit 202 may be implemented together, for example, on a system on a chip (SOC).

[0028] In some embodiments, the baseband circuit 204 can provide communications compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the baseband circuit 204 can support communications with an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) and / or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wireless personal area networks (WPANs). Embodiments in which the baseband circuit 204 is configured to support radio communications of more than one wireless protocol may be referred to as multi-mode baseband circuits.

[0029] The RF circuit 206 may enable communication with a wireless network using modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. In various embodiments, the RF circuit 206 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc. to assist in communication with the wireless network. The RF circuit 206 may include a receive signal path, which may include circuitry for down-converting an RF signal received from the FEM circuit 208 and providing a baseband signal to the baseband circuit 204. The RF circuit 206 may also include a transmit signal path, which may include circuitry for up-converting a baseband signal provided by the baseband circuit 204 and providing an RF output signal for transmission to the FEM circuit 208.

[0030] In some embodiments, the RF circuit 206 may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the RF circuit 206 may include a mixer circuit 206a, an amplifier circuit 206b, and a filter circuit 206c. The transmit signal path of the RF circuit 206 may include a filter circuit 206c and a mixer circuit 206a. The RF circuit 206 may also include a synthesizer circuit 206d for synthesizing the frequency used by the mixer circuit 206a of the receive signal path and the transmit signal path. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 206a of the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert the RF signal received from the FEM circuit 208 based on the synthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuit 206d. The amplifier circuit 206b may be configured to amplify the down-converted signal, and the filter circuit 206c may be a low pass filter (LPF) or a band pass filter (BPF) configured to remove undesirable signals from the down-converted signal to generate an output baseband signal. The output baseband signal may be provided to the baseband circuit 204 for further processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signal may be a zero frequency baseband signal, but this is not required. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 206a of the receive signal path may include a passive mixer, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 206a of the transmit signal path may be configured to up-convert the input baseband signal based on the synthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuit 206d to generate an RF output signal for the FEM circuit 208. The baseband signal may be provided by the baseband circuit 204 and may be filtered by the filter circuit 206c. The filter circuit 206c may include a low pass filter (LPF), but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard.

[0031] In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 206a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature down-conversion and / or up-conversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 206a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for image suppression (e.g., Hartley image suppression). In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 206a of the transmit signal path may be arranged for direct down-conversion and / or direct up-conversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 206a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 206a of the transmit signal path may be configured for superheterodyne operation.

[0032] In some embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be analog baseband signals, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternative embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be digital baseband signals. In these alternative embodiments, the RF circuit 206 may include an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit, and the baseband circuit 204 may include a digital baseband interface for communicating with the RF circuit 206. In some dual-mode embodiments, a separate radio IC circuit may be provided for processing signals for each spectrum, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0033] In some embodiments, synthesizer circuit 206d can be a fractional-N synthesizer or a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer, but the scope of the embodiment is not limited in this respect, because other types of frequency synthesizers may be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuit 206d can be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer including a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider. Synthesizer circuit 206d can be configured to synthesize the output frequency of mixer circuit 206a for RF circuit 206 based on frequency input and frequency divider control input. In some embodiments, synthesizer circuit 206d can be a fractional N / N+1 synthesizer. In some embodiments, frequency input can be provided by a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), but this is not a requirement. Depending on the desired output frequency, the frequency divider control input can be provided by baseband circuit 204 or application processor 202. In some embodiments, the frequency divider control input (e.g., N) can be determined according to a lookup table based on the channel indicated by application processor 202.

[0034] The synthesizer circuit 206d of the RF circuit 206 may include a frequency divider, a delay locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer, and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the frequency divider may be a dual-mode frequency divider (DMD), and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by N or N+1 (e.g., based on a carry output) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some exemplary embodiments, the DLL may include a set of cascaded tunable delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump, and a D-type flip-flop. In these embodiments, the delay element may be configured to decompose the VCO cycle into Nd equal phase groups, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO cycle.

[0035] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 206d can be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in other embodiments, the output frequency can be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency) and used in conjunction with a quadrature generator and divider circuit to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency with multiple different phases relative to each other. In some embodiments, the output frequency can be the LO frequency (f LO ). In some embodiments, RF circuit 206 may include an IQ / polarity converter.

[0036] FEM circuitry 208 may include a receive signal path that may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 210, amplify the received signals, and provide an amplified version of the received signals to RF circuitry 206 for further processing. FEM circuitry 208 may also include a transmit signal path that may include circuitry configured to amplify signals for transmission provided by RF circuitry 206 for transmission by one or more of one or more antennas 210.

[0037] In some embodiments, the FEM circuit 208 may include a TX / RX converter to switch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. The FEM circuit may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuit may include a low noise amplifier (LNA) to amplify the received RF signal and provide the amplified receive RF signal as an output (e.g., to the RF circuit 206). The transmit signal path of the FEM circuit 208 may include a power amplifier (PA) for amplifying the input RF signal (e.g., provided by the RF circuit 206), and one or more filters for generating an RF signal for subsequent transmission (e.g., through one or more of the one or more antennas 210). In some embodiments, the UE 200 may include additional elements, such as memory / storage devices, displays, cameras, sensors, and / or input / output (I / O) interfaces.

[0038] Figure 3 is a functional diagram of an evolved Node B (eNB) according to some embodiments. It should be noted that in some embodiments, eNB 300 may be a fixed non-mobile device. eNB 300 may be suitable for use as Figure 1The eNB 104 shown. The eNB 300 may include a physical layer circuit 302 and a transceiver 305, one or both of which may enable the use of one or more antennas 301 to send signals to and receive signals from the UE 200, other eNBs, other UEs, or other devices. As an example, the physical layer circuit 302 may perform various encoding and decoding functions, which may include forming a baseband signal for transmission and decoding a received signal. As another example, the transceiver 305 may perform various transmission and reception functions, such as converting signals between a baseband range and a radio frequency (RF) range. Therefore, the physical layer circuit 302 and the transceiver 305 may be separate components or may be part of a combined component. In addition, some of the functions described in connection with the transmission and reception of signals may be performed by a combination that may include one, any one, or all of the physical layer circuit 302, the transceiver 305, and other components or layers. The eNB 300 may also include a medium access control layer (MAC) circuit 304 for controlling access to a wireless medium. The eNB 300 may also include processing circuitry 306 and memory 308 arranged to perform the operations described herein. The eNB 300 may also include one or more interfaces 310, which may enable communication with other components (including other eNBs 104 ( Figure 1 )、EPC 120( Figure 1 ) or other network components). In addition, interface 310 can be implemented with Figure 1 The interface 310 may be wired or wireless or a combination thereof.

[0039] Antennas 210, 301 may include one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, microstrip antennas, or other types of antennas suitable for transmission of RF signals. In some multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) embodiments, antennas 210, 301 may be effectively separated to take advantage of possible spatial diversity and different channel characteristics.

[0040] In some embodiments, UE 200 or eNB 300 may be a mobile device and may be a portable wireless communication device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop or portable computer with wireless communication capabilities, a netbook, a wireless mobile phone, a smart phone, a wireless headset, a pager, an instant messaging device, a digital camera, an access point, a television, a wearable device such as a medical device (e.g., a heart rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, etc.), or other devices that can wirelessly receive and / or send information. In some embodiments, UE 200 or eNB 300 may be configured to operate according to 3GPP standards, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this regard. In some embodiments, the mobile device or other device may be configured to operate according to other protocols or standards including IEEE 802.11 or other IEEE standards. In some embodiments, UE 200, eNB 300 or other devices may include one or more of a keyboard, a display, a non-volatile memory port, multiple antennas, a graphics processor, an application processor, a speaker, and other mobile device elements. The display may be an LCD screen including a touch screen.

[0041] Although UE 200 and eNB 300 are each shown as having some separate functional elements, one or more of these functional elements may be combined and may be implemented by a combination of software configuration elements and / or other hardware elements such as a processing element including a digital signal processor (DSP). For example, some elements may include one or more microprocessors, DSPs, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), and a combination of various hardware and logic circuits to perform at least the functions described herein. In some embodiments, a functional element may refer to one or more processes operating on one or more processing elements.

[0042] Embodiments may be implemented in one or a combination of hardware, firmware, and software. Embodiments may also be implemented as instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device, which may be read and executed by at least one processor to perform the operations described herein. A computer-readable storage device may include any non-transient mechanism for storing information in a machine (e.g., computer) readable form. For example, a computer-readable storage device may include a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a disk storage medium, an optical storage medium, a flash memory device, and other storage devices and media. Some embodiments may include one or more processors and may be configured with instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device.

[0043] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the apparatus used by UE 200 and / or eNB 300 may include: Figure 2-3Various components of UE 200 and / or eNB 300 are shown. Therefore, the techniques and operations described herein involving UE 200 (or 102) can be applicable to the UE device. In addition, the techniques and operations described herein involving eNB 300 (or 104) can be applicable to the eNB device.

[0044] According to an embodiment, UE 102 may receive one or more downlink control messages from eNB 104 that may indicate allocation of PUCCH channel resources. UE 102 may send an uplink control message in at least a portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources. When PUCCH channel resources are allocated according to an edge configuration, the PUCCH channel resources may be restricted to a lower edge portion and an upper edge portion of network channel resources. When PUCCH channel resources are allocated according to a distributed configuration, the PUCCH channel resources may include one or more middle portions of network channel resources. These embodiments are described in more detail below.

[0045] Figure 4 The operation of a method of physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) communication according to some embodiments is shown. It is important to note that Figure 4 Compared to what is shown in , embodiments of method 400 may include additional or even fewer operations or processes. In addition, embodiments of method 400 are not necessarily limited to Figure 1 When describing method 400, reference may be made to Figure 1-Figure 3 and Figure 5-Figure 9 However, it should be understood that method 400 may be implemented using any other suitable systems, interfaces, and components.

[0046] In addition, while the method 400 and other methods described herein may involve an eNB 104 or UE 102 operating in accordance with 3GPP or other standards, embodiments of these methods are not limited to those eNBs 104 or UEs 102, and may also be practiced on other mobile devices such as Wi-Fi access points (APs) or user stations (STAs). In addition, the method 400 and other methods described herein may be implemented by wireless devices configured to operate in other suitable types of wireless communication systems, including systems configured to operate in accordance with various IEEE standards such as IEEE 802.11. The method 400 may also involve an apparatus for a UE 102 and / or an eNB 104 or other such devices.

[0047] At operation 405 of method 400, UE 102 may receive one or more downlink control messages that may indicate allocation of PUCCH channel resources from an eNB 104 configured to operate in a network. In some embodiments, PUCCH channel resources may be included in network channel resources. That is, network channel resources may be allocated to the network for exchanging data messages and / or control messages. A portion of the network channel resources may be allocated as PUCCH channel resources to accommodate PUCCH transmissions performed by UE 102. In some embodiments, PUCCH channel resources may be used exclusively for PUCCH transmissions, but embodiments are not limited thereto. In addition, one or more portions of the network channel resources may also be allocated for other purposes. For example, physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) channel resources may be allocated for data transmission of UE 102. It should be noted that embodiments are not limited to the use of PUCCH and / or PUSCH arrangements that may be included in 3GPP or other standards, because other control channels and / or data channels may also be used in some embodiments.

[0048] In some embodiments, PUCCH channel resources may be allocated according to an edge configuration or a distributed configuration as described below. However, these embodiments are not limiting, as in some embodiments PUCCH channel resources may be allocated according to any number of configurations, which may or may not include edge configurations and / or distributed configurations. As an example, a third or additional configuration may be used in addition to edge configurations and distributed configurations.

[0049] In some embodiments, PUCCH channel resources may be allocated according to a traditional configuration for use by a UE 102 configured as a traditional UE 102, and may also be allocated according to a non-traditional configuration for use by a UE 102 configured as a non-traditional UE 102. As a non-limiting example, an edge configuration may be used as a traditional configuration, and a distributed configuration may be used as a non-traditional configuration. However, these embodiments are not restrictive, because in some embodiments, PUCCH channel resources may not necessarily be configured according to traditional / non-traditional operation. In some embodiments, PUCCH channel resources may include both a traditional portion and a non-traditional portion. In some embodiments, PUCCH channel resources may include either a traditional portion or a non-traditional portion.

[0050] The one or more downlink control messages may indicate which type of allocation (distributed, edge, and / or other) is to be used. In some cases, the message may also indicate other information related to the allocation. As an example, a specific portion(s) of the network channel resources to be allocated as PUCCH channel resources may be included or indicated. As another example, relevant information may be included or indicated to enable the UE 102 to determine the PUCCH channel resources (such as the size and / or frequency location of the PUCCH channel resources).

[0051] In some embodiments, network channel resources and / PUCCH channel resources may include one or more resource blocks (RBs), which may include multiple resource elements (REs). However, these embodiments are not restrictive, because network channel resources and / or PUCCH channel resources may include any number of subcarriers, subchannels and / or other bandwidths or frequency spans. In some embodiments, time resources may include one or more time slots, subframes, symbol periods, OFDM symbol periods or other. As a non-limiting example, a subframe may span a duration of 1 millisecond and may include two non-overlapping continuous time slots, each of which has 500 microseconds. Such a duration may be included in 3GPP and / or other standards, but embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0052] In some embodiments, when PUCCH channel resources are allocated according to an edge configuration, the PUCCH channel resources may be restricted to a lower edge portion and an upper edge portion of the network channel resources. The lower edge portion may be substantially close to the lower edge of the frequency range of the network channel resources, and the upper edge portion may be substantially close to the upper edge of the frequency range of the network channel resources. As a non-limiting example, the lower edge portion may be included in the lower approximately 25% portion of the network channel resources, and the upper edge portion may be included in the upper approximately 25% portion of the network channel resources. However, the embodiments are not limited to a threshold of 25%, as other suitable thresholds may be used, such as 5, 10, 15, 30, or other percentage values.

[0053] It should be noted that in some cases, the lower edge portion and the upper edge portion may or may not include the lower edge and / or upper edge of the frequency range of the network channel resource. As an example, the lower edge portion may include the lower 5%-15% portion of the frequency range, which is within the range of the lower 25% portion of the range, but does not include the lowest 5% portion (thus excluding the lower edge). Therefore, the lower edge portion and the upper edge portion may be concentrated near the edge of the frequency range, but may not necessarily include the edge in some cases.

[0054] In some embodiments, when PUCCH channel resources are allocated according to a distributed configuration, the PUCCH channel resources may include one or more middle portions of the network channel resources. As a non-limiting example, at least one of the middle portions may be included in a frequency range substantially close to the center frequency of the network channel resources, such as within the middle 25% (or an appropriate value, such as 5, 10, 15, 30 or other) of the network channel resources. As another non-limiting example, the middle portion may exclude the lower edge portion and the upper edge portion as described above. As another non-limiting example, when allocated according to a distributed configuration, the PUCCH channel resources may also include at least a portion of the lower edge portion or the upper edge portion. Therefore, when allocated according to a distributed configuration, the PUCCH channel resources may be distributed (in some way) throughout the network channel resources.

[0055] At operation 410, UE 102 may receive one or more downlink control messages from eNB 104, which may indicate a portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources for transmitting an uplink control message. At operation 415, UE 102 may determine a portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources for transmitting an uplink control message. Although not limited thereto, in some cases, the determination may be based at least in part on information included in the downlink control message. At operation 420, UE 102 may send an uplink control message in at least a portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources. In some embodiments, the portion may be determined at operations 410 and / or 415. However, these embodiments are not restrictive, as other techniques may be used to determine the portion. For example, in a persistent scheduling arrangement, the PUCCH channel resources to be used by UE 102 may have been previously used by UE 102 (in a previous frame or otherwise) for transmission of an uplink control message and may be used again for this purpose.

[0056] In some embodiments, a physical RB (PRB) index and / or a PUCCH resource index and / or other information may be included in the message to indicate the portion of the RBs of the allocated PUCCH channel resources to be used by the UE 102. As another example, an intermediate value or other information may be included in the downlink control message(s) and may be used by the UE 102 to determine the PRB index or RB to be used by the UE 102. Examples of such intermediate values ​​are given below.

[0057] In some embodiments, the one or more downlink control messages received at the UE 102 in operation 410 may include one or more radio resource control (RRC) messages, which may be included in 3GPP or other standards. However, these embodiments are not limiting, as other suitable control messages may be used in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the PRB index and / or the PUCCH resource index may be included in a downlink control information (DCI) element included in the RRC message. However, these embodiments are not limiting, as any suitable technique may be used to transmit information to the UE 102 for determining the PUCCH resources to be used.

[0058] In some embodiments, UE 102 may receive a UE identifier that may identify UE 102. The UE identifier may be assigned to UE 102 by eNB 104, but embodiments are not limited thereto. As an example, a number between 0 and 2047 may be used for the UE identifier. As described below, such an identifier may be used to determine which PUCCH resources UE 102 is to use. For example, a many-to-one mapping of a UE identifier to a PUCCH RB may be used or determined. UE 102 may receive the UE identifier in one or more downlink control messages, such as RRC messages. For example, the UE identifier may be transmitted to UE 102 as part of a setup or initialization process.

[0059] It should be noted that the parameters, information or other values ​​transmitted to the UE 102 in the described downlink messages may be included in one or more such messages. However, the embodiments are not limited to individual downlink messages for such communications. For example, the downlink message may convey the configuration of the PUCCH RBs to be used and the specific PUCCH RBs to be used by the UE 102. In addition, in some embodiments, the downlink control message may include a dedicated control message and / or a broadcast control message.

[0060] Several examples related to allocation of PUCCH channel resources are introduced below. Figure 5 An example of allocation of channel resources for PUCCH communications according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 6 Another example of allocation of channel resources for PUCCH communication according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 7 An example of distributed pair-wise allocation of channel resources for PUCCH communication according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 8 An example of a distributed cluster-based allocation of channel resources for PUCCH communications according to some embodiments is shown.

[0061] although Figure 5-Figure 8The examples shown may illustrate some aspects of the technology disclosed herein, but it should be understood that the embodiments are not limited to these examples. The techniques and scenarios discussed are not limited to the number or type of channel resources, RBs, time slots, or other frequency units or time units shown in these examples, as any suitable number or type may be used.

[0062] refer to Figure 5 In example scenario 500, distributed configuration can be used for all PUCCH formats (semi-persistent, non-semi-persistent, and otherwise). Thus, the PUCCH channel resources represented by 505, 515, 525, which are distributed throughout the channel resources, can be used for these PUCCH formats. In example scenario 550, PUCCH channel resources 560, 570, and 580 are distributed throughout the channel resources and can be used for non-semi-persistent formats as shown. In addition, PUCCH channel resources 555, 585 are substantially located near the edge of the channel resources and can be used for semi-persistent formats as indicated. It should be noted that the number of regions for distributed configuration is not limited to Figure 5 Furthermore, embodiments are not limited to the use of PUSCH regions as shown in example scenarios 500, 550.

[0063] In some cases, when distributed configuration is used (or available) for all PUCCH formats, more flexible RRC configurability can be used to better support PUCCH inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC). However, it may be easier to achieve scheduling gains for PUCCH formats such as 1a, 1b, and 3 included in the 3GPP standard because these formats utilize ACK / NAK bits and can be driven by physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmissions.

[0064] In some embodiments, the uplink control message may be sent according to a localized time slot configuration or according to a non-localized time slot configuration. As an example, when a first time slot and a second time slot are used, a first part of the uplink control message may be sent in a first RB during the first time slot, and a second part of the uplink control message may be sent in a second RB during the second time slot. For a localized time slot configuration, the first RB and the second RB may be the same RB. For a non-localized time slot configuration, the first RB and the second RB may be different. Although not limited thereto, in some cases, a non-localized configuration may be applicable to conventional operations.

[0065] It should be noted that in some embodiments, the uplink control message may be sent in multiple time slots and / or multiple RBs, which may be performed by splitting the message, repeating the message, or other techniques. As an example, the message may be split across multiple time slots and / or multiple RBs. As another example, the message may be repeated over multiple time slots and / or multiple RBs for diversity purposes. Figure 6-Figure 8 The examples in may employ these techniques, but in some cases are not limited to them.

[0066] refer to Figure 6 , the first time slot 605 and the second time slot 610 may be used for transmission of an uplink control message. As an example of a localized configuration, when the value of an intermediate variable m' (to be described below) is zero, the uplink control message may be sent in RB 630 during both time slots 605 and 610. As another example of a localized configuration, when the value of m' is 1, the uplink control message may be sent in RB 620 during both time slots 605 and 610. As an example of a non-localized configuration, when the value of the intermediate variable m (also described below) is zero, the uplink control message may be sent in RB 620 during time slot 605 and in RB 630 during time slot 610. As another example of a non-localized configuration, when the value of m is 1, the uplink control message may be sent in RB 630 during time slot 605 and in RB 620 during time slot 610.

[0067] As previously described, the intermediate value m (or m') may be determined based on the UE identifier or other parameters, such as the particular PUCCH format used (which in some cases may be included in 3GPP or other standards). As a non-limiting example, when PUCCH format 1, 1a, or 1b is used, m may be determined as:

[0068]

[0069] As another non-limiting example, when PUCCH format 2, 2a or 2b is used, the determination may be:

[0070]

[0071] As another non-limiting example, when PUCCH format 3 is used, m may be determined as:

[0072]

[0073] In some embodiments, an intermediate variable m (or m') may be used to determine a physical RB (PRB) index. As a non-limiting example, the PRB index may be determined as:

[0074]

[0075] Some or all of the parameters used in the above formulas (and other parameters given below) may be similar to or identical to the parameters used in 3GPP or other standards, but are not limited thereto. PUCCH may be associated with the UE identifier (as described above), and m may therefore be based on the UE identifier. As another example, the parameter N UL RB It may be or may be related to the number of RBs in the network channel resources.

[0076] refer to Figure 7 In the example in, the PUCCH channel resources may be allocated according to a "paired" allocation. Therefore, the allocated RBs 721-728 may be discontinuous. Therefore, the PUCCH channel resources for uplink control message transmission may be allocated according to the pairs of time slots 710, 715 of the subframe 705 on each RB 721-728. As an example, when the intermediate variable m' has a value of 0, the uplink control message may be sent in RB 728 during both time slots 710 and 715. In this case, the PRB index 738 may have a value of 0. As another example, when the intermediate variable m' has a value of 5, the uplink control message may be sent in RB 723 during both time slots 710 and 715. In this case, the PRB index 733 may have a value of floor(5 / 8*N UL-RB ), where N UL-RB It can be the number of RBs in the network channel resources and can be compared with the parameter N described in this article. UL RB Same or related.

[0077] It should be noted that Figure 7 The mapping relationship between PRB indexes 731-738 and m' values ​​shown in FIG is a non-limiting example mapping, and any suitable mapping may be used. As a non-limiting example, Figure 7 The mapping shown can be determined using the following formula:

[0078]

[0079] It should be noted that the above formulas and mappings may be local configurations. As another non-limiting example, a distributed configuration may also be used according to a formula such as:

[0080]

[0081] refer to Figure 8. The PUCCH channel resources may be allocated according to a "cluster-based" allocation, where the RBs included in the allocated PUCCH channel resources may be divided into one or more groups of consecutive RBs (or clusters). Thus, RBs 831-833 may be allocated as clusters and may be indexed by 835-837. In this example, these RBs may be used when the values ​​of the intermediate variable m' are 6, 2, and 10, respectively. Other clusters (such as 821-823) are also shown. It should be noted that the embodiments are not limited to Figure 8 The number and / or size of clusters shown in the examples are not limited to Figure 8 The mapping shown in the example.

[0082] It should be noted that Figure 8 The mapping relationship between the PRB index (such as 825-826 and 835-837) and the value of m' shown is a non-limiting example mapping, and any suitable mapping may be used. As a non-limiting example, Figure 8 The mapping shown can be determined, for example, using the following formula:

[0083]

[0084] In some embodiments, the resource index (PRB index) may be predefined in a standard such as 3GPP, etc. For example, for a scheduling request (SR) message, the resource index for PUCCH transmission may be fixed.

[0085] In some embodiments, a resource index (PRB index) may be defined as n CCE eNB 104 may select the best frequency band for UE 102 to transmit PUCCH, and may indicate the best frequency band (a portion of network channel resources) by sending a value of m (or m') to UE 102. The value of m or m' may be determined using any suitable technique. As a non-limiting example, the following formula may be used:

[0086]

[0087]

[0088] In some embodiments, the resource index may be explicitly signaled in the DCI for downlink allocation. This option may be applicable to cases of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) ACK / NACK and aperiodic channel state information (CSI) feedback. As an example, a two-bit field may be defined in the DCI to indicate resource allocation for PUCCH transmission.

[0089] In some embodiments, the resource index may be included in RRC signaling dedicated to the UE 102. This option may be applicable to the case of downlink transmission based on periodic CSI feedback and semi-persistent scheduling (SPS).

[0090] In some embodiments, higher layers may use parameters such as flag_pucchTXMode and / or Nblock and / or other parameters as part of determining and / or indicating PUCCH resources. As an example, higher layers may use parameter flag_pucchTXMode to indicate whether the PUCCH format is in localized transmission mode. In some cases, the parameter may be signaled by RRC signaling dedicated to UE 102. As another example, the parameter Nblock may be used by higher layers to indicate the number of distributed RBs allocated for PUCCH. For example, the number of RBs in a cluster may be indicated. The parameter Nblock may be provided by a master information block (MIB), a system information block (SIB), or UE-specific RRC signaling. In some cases, the parameter Nblock may be used for cluster-based allocation of PUCCH channel resources.

[0091] Fig. 9 400. Fig. 9 Compared to the content shown, the embodiment of method 900 may include additional or even fewer operations or processes, and the embodiment of method 900 is not necessarily limited to Fig. 9 When describing method 900, reference may be made to Figure 1-Figure 8 , but it is understood that the method 900 may be implemented with any other suitable systems, interfaces and components. In addition, the embodiment of the method 900 may involve eNB 104, UE 102, AP STA or other wireless or mobile devices. The method 900 may also involve an apparatus for eNB 104 and / or UE 102 or the above-mentioned other devices.

[0092] It should be noted that method 900 may be practiced at eNB 104 and may include exchanging signals or messages with UE 102. Similarly, method 400 may be practiced at UE 102 and may include exchanging signals or messages with eNB 104. In some cases, operations and techniques described as part of method 400 may be related to method 900. In addition, embodiments may include operations performed at eNB 104 that are reciprocal or similar to other operations described herein performed at UE 102. For example, operations of method 900 may include sending a message by eNB 104, while operations of method 400 may include receiving the same message or a similar message by UE 102.

[0093] Furthermore, in some cases, the previous discussion of various techniques and concepts may be applied to method 900, including network channel resources, PUCCH channel resources, various techniques for PUCCH channel resource allocation, downlink control messages, uplink control messages, etc. In addition, Figure 5-Figure 8 The example allocations shown may also be applicable in certain situations.

[0094] At operation 905, the eNB 104 may send one or more downlink control messages that may indicate allocations of PUCCH channel resources to one or more UEs 102. As previously described, the downlink control message may indicate an allocation type or other parameters or information to enable the UE 102 to determine the allocation.

[0095] At operation 910, the eNB 104 may determine a portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources for transmitting an uplink control message by a specific UE 102. At operation 915, the eNB 104 may send one or more downlink control messages to the UE 102 that may indicate the portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources. At operation 920, the eNB 104 may receive an uplink control message from the UE 102 in at least a portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources. In some embodiments, the eNB 104 may perform operations 910 and / or 915 and / or 920 for multiple UEs 102.

[0096] As an example, the determination of the portion of the PUCCH resources to be used by a particular UE 102 may be based on a channel quality indicator (CQI) measurement of transmissions from the UE 102 in the RBs included in the allocated PUCCH channel resources. However, embodiments are not limited to the use of CQI measurements, but other measurements such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal level, etc. may be used. Thus, the eNB 104 may determine which PUCCH channel resources are to be used by the UE 102 in a manner that may achieve diversity gain and / or an improvement in SNR or other performance metrics for uplink transmissions of the UE 102. Furthermore, this technique may be applied by the eNB 104 to multiple UEs 102.

[0097] In Example 1, an apparatus for a user equipment (UE) may include a transceiver circuit and a hardware processing circuit. The hardware processing circuit may configure the transceiver circuit to receive one or more downlink control messages from an evolved Node B (eNB) that may indicate an allocation of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) channel resource included in a network channel resource. The hardware processing circuit may also configure the transceiver circuit to send an uplink control message in at least a portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources. When the PUCCH channel resources are allocated according to an edge configuration, the PUCCH channel resources may be restricted to a lower edge portion and an upper edge portion of the network channel resources. When the PUCCH channel resources are allocated according to a distributed configuration, the PUCCH channel resources may include one or more middle portions of the network channel resources. The middle portion may be mutually exclusive with the lower edge portion and the upper edge portion.

[0098] In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1, wherein the downlink control message may indicate that the PUCCH channel resources are allocated according to an edge configuration or a distributed configuration.

[0099] In Example 3, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-2, wherein the lower edge portion can be substantially close to a lower edge of the frequency range of the network channel resource, and the upper edge portion can be substantially close to an upper edge of the frequency range of the network channel resource.

[0100] In Example 4, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-3, wherein the lower edge portion may be included in a lower approximately 25% portion of the network channel resources. The upper edge portion may be included in a higher approximately 25% portion of the network channel resources. At least one of the middle portions is included in a middle approximately 25% portion of the network channel resources.

[0101] In Example 5, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-4, wherein when the PUCCH channel resources are allocated according to a distributed configuration, the PUCCH channel resources may also include at least a portion of a lower edge portion or an upper edge portion.

[0102] In Example 6, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-5, wherein the allocated PUCCH channel resources may include a plurality of resource blocks (RBs). The first part of the uplink control message may be sent during a first time slot in a first RB included in the allocated PUCCH channel resources. When the uplink control message is sent according to a localized time slot configuration, the second part of the uplink control message may be sent during a second time slot in the first RB. When the uplink control message is sent according to a non-localized time slot configuration, the second part of the uplink control message may be sent during a second time slot in a second RB included in the allocated PUCCH channel resources.

[0103] In Example 7, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-6, wherein RBs included in the allocated PUCCH channel resources may be non-contiguous.

[0104] In Example 8, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-7, wherein the RBs included in the allocated PUCCH channel resources may be divided into one or more groups of consecutive RBs.

[0105] In Example 9, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-8, wherein the allocated PUCCH channel resources may include multiple resource blocks (RBs). The downlink control message may include a PUCCH resource index indicating a portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources to be used for transmission of the uplink control message.

[0106] In Example 10, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-9, wherein the downlink control message may include a radio resource control (RRC) message. The PUCCH resource index may be included in a downlink control information (DCI) element included in the RRC message.

[0107] In Example 11, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-10, wherein the hardware processing circuitry may further configure the transceiver circuitry to receive a UE identifier from the eNB. The portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources for transmission of the uplink control message may be based at least in part on the UE identifier.

[0108] In Example 12, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-11, wherein the UE and the eNB may be arranged to operate according to a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) protocol.

[0109] In Example 13, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 1-12, wherein the apparatus may further include one or more antennas coupled to the transceiver circuitry for receiving downlink control messages and sending uplink control messages.

[0110] In Example 14, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for being executed by one or more processors to perform operations for communicating by a user equipment (UE). The operation may configure one or more processors to determine one or more physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) RBs from a set of resource blocks (RBs) included in a network channel resource. The determination may be based at least in part on whether the UE operates according to a traditional configuration. The operation may also configure one or more processors to send an uplink control message in the determined PUCCH RB, during a first time slot and a second time slot. The network channel resource may include a traditional portion of a PUCCH RB that is limited to a lower edge frequency portion and an upper edge frequency portion of the network channel resource. The network channel resource may also include a non-traditional portion of a PUCCH RB, which includes a plurality of RBs distributed in a portion of the network channel resource other than the traditional portion.

[0111] In Example 15, the subject matter of Example 14, wherein the lower edge frequency portion may be included in approximately a lower 25% portion of the network channel resources. The upper edge frequency portion may be included in approximately an upper 25% portion of the network channel resources.

[0112] In Example 16, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 14-15, wherein the first part of the uplink control message may be sent in a first PUCCH RB during a first time slot. When the uplink control message is sent according to a localized time slot configuration, the second part of the uplink control message may be sent in the first PUCCH RB during a second time slot. When the uplink control message is sent according to a non-localized time slot configuration, the second part of the uplink control message may be sent in a second PUCCH RB during a second time slot.

[0113] In Example 17, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 14-16, wherein the non-legacy portion of the PUCCH RBs may be divided into one or more groups of contiguous RBs.

[0114] In Example 18, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 14-17, wherein the operation may further configure the one or more processors to receive a downlink control message including a PUCCH resource index. The determination of a PUCCH RB for transmitting an uplink control message may be based at least in part on the received PUCCH resource index.

[0115] In Example 19, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 14-18, wherein the downlink control message may include a radio resource control (RRC) message. The PUCCH resource index may be included in a downlink control information (DCI) element included in the RRC message.

[0116] In Example 20, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 14-19, wherein the PUCCH resource index may be based at least in part on a diversity gain for transmission of an uplink control message.

[0117] In Example 21, an apparatus for an evolved Node B (eNB) may include a transceiver circuit and a hardware processing circuit. The hardware processing circuit may configure the transceiver circuit to send one or more downlink control messages indicating the allocation of a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource block (RB) included in a network channel resource. The hardware processing circuit may also configure the transceiver circuit to receive an uplink control message from a user equipment (UE) in at least a portion of the PUCCH RB. The network channel may include a traditional portion of the PUCCH RB that is limited to a lower edge frequency portion and an upper edge frequency portion of the network channel resource. The network channel resource may also include a non-traditional portion of the PUCCH RB, which includes a plurality of RBs distributed in a portion of the network channel resource other than the traditional portion.

[0118] In Example 22, the subject matter of Example 21, wherein the downlink control message may further indicate a localized time slot configuration or a non-localized time slot configuration to be used by the UE for transmission of the uplink control message. The uplink control message may be received in a first PUCCH RB during a first time slot. When the uplink control message is received according to the localized time slot configuration, a second part of the uplink control message may be received in the first PUCCH RB during a second time slot. When the uplink control message is received according to the non-localized time slot configuration, the second part of the uplink control message may be received in a second PUCCH RB during a second time slot.

[0119] In Example 23, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 21-22, wherein the downlink control message may also include a PUCCH resource index that is used to indicate a portion of the allocated PUCCH channel resources used by the UE for transmission of the uplink control message.

[0120] In Example 24, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 21-23, wherein the hardware processing circuit may be configured to determine one or more channel quality measurements for a PUCCH RB. The PUCCH resource index may be determined based at least in part on the channel quality measurements.

[0121] In Example 25, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 21-24, wherein the PUCCH resource index may be determined based at least in part on a diversity gain for transmission of an uplink control message.

[0122] In Example 26, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 21-25, wherein the downlink control message may include a radio resource control (RRC) message. The PUCCH resource index may be included in a downlink control information (DCI) element included in the RRC message.

[0123] In Example 27, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 21-26, wherein the eNB and the UE may be arranged to operate according to a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) protocol.

[0124] In Example 28, the subject matter of one or any combination of Examples 21-27, wherein the apparatus may further include one or more antennas coupled to the transceiver circuitry for transmitting downlink control messages and receiving uplink control messages.

[0125] The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 CFR §1.72(b), which requires that the abstract allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. The Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. The appended claims are incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment UE, comprising: receiving one or more downlink control messages, the one or more downlink control messages indicating physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resources included in the network channel resources; as well as Sending an uplink control message in the indicated PUCCH resource, Wherein, when the indicated PUCCH resource is configured according to the edge, The indicated PUCCH resources are restricted to a lower edge portion and an upper edge portion of the network channel resources and are associated with a first mode; wherein in the first mode, a first portion of the indicated PUCCH resources includes a first frequency resource during a first time period, and a second portion of the indicated PUCCH resources includes a second frequency resource during a second time period; and Wherein, when the indicated PUCCH resource is based on a non-edge configuration, The indicated PUCCH resources include one or more middle portions of the network channel resources; and The one or more downlink control messages include a parameter signaling whether the indicated PUCCH resources are associated with the first mode or a second mode, wherein the second mode is a localized configuration in which the first portion and the second portion of the indicated PUCCH resources are sent in the same frequency resources, and Wherein when the resource blocks included in the indicated PUCCH resources are distributed throughout the bandwidth of the network channel resources, the resource blocks are divided into multiple groups of consecutive resource blocks in the one or more middle parts of the network channel resources.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first PUCCH transmission is segmented over at least one of a plurality of time slots or a plurality of resource blocks (RBs).

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The first PUCCH transmission is repeated over at least one of a plurality of time slots or a plurality of resource blocks (RBs).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicated PUCCH resources depend on a channel quality indicator (CQI) measurement of a transmission from the UE.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The indicated PUCCH resources are according to the non-edge configuration, and a second PUCCH resource for a second UE different from the UE is allocated in the edge configuration. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first resource block (RB) depends on a PUCCH format of the first PUCCH transmission.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determining an intermediate variable according to the DCI; as well as encoding the uplink control message for: In a localized configuration according to the second mode: if the value of the intermediate variable m is zero, transmission is performed in a first resource block RB during a plurality of time slots, and if the value of the intermediate variable m is one, transmission is performed in a second RB during a plurality of time slots, and In a non-localized configuration according to the first mode: if the value of the intermediate variable m is zero, transmission is performed in the first RB during a first time slot of the plurality of time slots and transmission is performed in the second RB during a second time slot of the plurality of time slots, and if the value of the intermediate variable m is one, transmission is performed in the second RB during the first time slot and transmission is performed in the first RB during the second time slot.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Determine an intermediate variable m' according to the DCI; as well as encoding the uplink control message for transmission using non-contiguous paired allocation using pairs of slots of subframes on corresponding resource blocks (RBs), wherein if the intermediate variable m' has a value of n, the uplink control message is sent in RBs depending on n during two slots and the PRB index of the RB has a value of floor(n / 8*N UL-RB ), where N UL-RB is the number of RBs in the bandwidth of the network channel resource.

9. An apparatus, comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to enable a user equipment (UE) to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: A radio is operatively coupled to the processor.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for being executed by one or more processors so that a user equipment (UE) performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. A method for a base station, comprising: sending one or more downlink control messages to a user equipment UE, wherein the one or more downlink control messages indicate a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource included in the network channel resources; and receiving an uplink control message from the UE in the indicated PUCCH resources, Wherein, when the indicated PUCCH resource is configured according to the edge, The indicated PUCCH resources are restricted to a lower edge portion and an upper edge portion of the network channel resources and are associated with a first mode; wherein in the first mode, a first portion of the indicated PUCCH resources includes a first frequency resource during a first time period, and a second portion of the indicated PUCCH resources includes a second frequency resource during a second time period; and Wherein, when the indicated PUCCH resource is based on a non-edge configuration, The indicated PUCCH resources include one or more middle portions of the network channel resources; and The one or more downlink control messages include a parameter signaling whether the indicated PUCCH resources are associated with the first mode or a second mode, wherein the second mode is a localized configuration in which the first portion and the second portion of the indicated PUCCH resources are sent in the same frequency resources, and Wherein when the resource blocks included in the indicated PUCCH resources are distributed throughout the bandwidth of the network channel resources, the resource blocks are divided into multiple groups of consecutive resource blocks in the one or more middle parts of the network channel resources.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first PUCCH transmission is segmented over at least one of a plurality of time slots or a plurality of resource blocks (RBs).

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first PUCCH transmission is repeated over at least one of a plurality of time slots or a plurality of resource blocks (RBs).

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the indicated PUCCH resources depend on a channel quality indicator (CQI) measurement of a transmission from the UE.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the indicated PUCCH resources are according to the non-edge configuration, and the method further comprises: A second PUCCH resource for a second UE different from the UE is allocated in the edge configuration.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the first resource block (RB) depends on a PUCCH format of the first PUCCH transmission.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the uplink control message is operated according to an intermediate variable m that can be determined according to the DCI as follows: In a localized configuration according to the second mode: if the value of the intermediate variable m is zero, it is encoded in a first resource block RB during a plurality of time slots, and if the value of the intermediate variable m is one, it is encoded in a second RB during a plurality of time slots, and In a non-localized configuration according to the first mode: if the value of the intermediate variable m is zero, encoding is performed in the first RB during a first time slot of the plurality of time slots and encoding is performed in the second RB during a second time slot of the plurality of time slots, and if the value of the intermediate variable m is one, encoding is performed in the second RB during the first time slot and encoding is performed in the first RB during the second time slot.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the uplink control message is encoded using non-contiguous paired allocation using pairs of slots of subframes on corresponding resource blocks (RBs) according to an intermediate variable m' that can be determined according to the DCI, wherein if the intermediate variable m' has a value of n, the uplink control message is sent in RBs depending on n during two slots, and the PRB index of the RB has a value of floor(n / 8*N UL-RB ), where N UL-RB is the number of RBs in the bandwidth of the network channel resource.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for being executed by one or more processors to cause a base station to perform the method according to any one of claims 12 to 19.

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