Communication device, base station, communication method, and integrated circuit

Abstract

In the base station, a control unit determines an amount of uplink time resources used in transmission of a response signal by a terminal that communicates in time units including a downlink time resource for a downlink control signal, a downlink time resource for downlink data allocated by the downlink control signal, and an uplink time resource for the response signal to the downlink data, based on a requested communication area or a number of bits required for transmission of the response signal, and a transmission unit transmits time unit information on the determined amount of uplink time resources to the terminal.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the following patent application: filed on April 20, 2017, application number 201780028023.5, entitled "Base Station, Terminal and Communication Method". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to base stations, terminals, and communication methods. Background Technology

[0003] In downlink communication in mobile communications, the base station (sometimes also called an "eNB") typically sends control signals to the terminal (sometimes also called a "UE (User Equipment)") for receiving data. The terminal decodes the control information sent to it based on the received control signals, obtaining information related to frequency allocation or adaptive control required for data reception.

[0004] Furthermore, in mobile communications, HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) is generally applied to downlink data. That is, the terminal feeds back a response signal indicating the error detection result of the downlink data to the base station.

[0005] The following describes, as prior art, the operation of HARQ for downlink data in LTE (Long Term Evolution) standardized according to 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) (for example, see Non-Patent Literature 1-3).

[0006] In LTE, base stations communicate by allocating resource blocks (RBs) within the system frequency band to terminals in units of time called subframes. Additionally, base stations use the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) to transmit control information for data reception to the terminals. Based on the received PDCCH signal, the terminal decodes the control information it transmitted to obtain information related to frequency allocation or adaptive control required for data reception.

[0007] Furthermore, in LTE, HARQ is applied to downlink data. That is, the terminal feeds back a response signal indicating the error detection result of the downlink data to the base station. The terminal performs a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) on the downlink data. If the CRC calculation result is error-free, it feeds back an ACK (Acknowledgement) response signal to the base station; if the CRC calculation result is error-free, it feeds back a NACK (Negative Acknowledgement) response signal to the base station. This feedback of response signals (ACK or NACK) uses the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH).

[0008] Furthermore, in LTE, in FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) systems, the response signal for downlink data is transmitted using PUCCH resources within the target subframe, which is four subframes after the subframe that transmitted downlink data. Conversely, in TDD (Time Division Duplex) systems, the response signal for downlink data is transmitted using PUCCH resources within the target subframe, which is four subframes or more after the subframe that transmitted downlink data.

[0009] In LTE, the PUCCH resource for transmitting response signals to downlink data consists of one resource block and one subframe. Furthermore, in LTE, there are several cases regarding the coding and modulation methods depending on the number of bits in the response signal (or uplink control information other than the response signal) transmitted via PUCCH. For example, if there is no 1-bit response signal and control information transmitted other than the scheduling request, PUCCH format 1a is used; if there is no 2-bit response signal and control information transmitted other than the scheduling request, PUCCH format 1b is used. Additionally, if the transmission of the response signal overlaps with the periodic feedback of CSI (Channel State Information) transmitted via the uplink, PUCCH formats 2a / 2b are used.

[0010] Incidentally, with the widespread adoption of mobile broadband services in recent years, data services in mobile communications have increased exponentially, creating an urgent need to expand data transmission capacity for the future. Furthermore, the future holds the expectation of a leap forward in the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), where all "things" are connected via networks. To support the diversification of IoT services, significant advancements are needed not only in data transmission capacity but also in various necessary conditions such as low latency and communication coverage. Against this backdrop, the development and standardization of 5G (5th generation mobile communication systems) are underway, significantly improving performance and functionality compared to 4G systems.

[0011] As one of the 4G Radio Access Technologies (RATs), there is LTE-Advanced, which is standardized according to 3GPP. Within 3GPP, the development of new Radio Access Technologies (NRs) was undertaken, which may not be backward compatible with LTE-Advanced in the standardization of 5G.

[0012] In NR, as one of the requirements of 5G, the method to achieve low latency is to study the reception of downlink control signals necessary for receiving downlink data, the reception of downlink data allocated by the downlink control signals, and the so-called "self-contained" action of feeding back the response signal of the downlink data to the base station at a fixed time interval (e.g., 1 subframe) (e.g., see Non-Patent Literature 4).

[0013] Existing technical documents

[0014] Non-patent literature

[0015] Non-patent literature 1: 3GPPTS36.211V13.1.0, “Evolved Universal Terrestrial RadioAccess (E-UTRA); Physical channels and modulation (Release 13),” March 2016.

[0016] Non-patent literature 2: 3GPPTS36.212V13.1.0, “Evolved Universal Terrestrial RadioAccess (E-UTRA); Multiplexing and channel coding (Release 13),” March 2016.

[0017] Non-patent literature 3: 3GPPTS36.213V13.0.0, “Evolved Universal Terrestrial RadioAccess (E-UTRA); Physical layer procedures (Release 13),” March 2016.

[0018] Non-Patent Document 4: R1-163112, NTT DOCOMO, “Initial views on frame structure for NR access technology,” April 2016 Summary of the Invention

[0019] However, HARQ in self-contained actions has not been adequately studied.

[0020] One aspect of the present invention is to provide a base station, terminal, and communication method that can perform HARQ efficiently in a self-contained operation.

[0021] One aspect of the present invention provides a base station with the following structure: a control unit, which determines, based on a requested communication area or the number of bits required for transmitting the response signal, an amount of uplink time resources for a terminal communicating within a time unit that includes downlink time resources for downlink control signals, downlink time resources for downlink data allocated by the downlink control signals, and uplink time resources for a response signal to the downlink data; and a transmission unit, which transmits time unit information containing the determined amount of uplink time resources to the terminal.

[0022] One aspect of the present invention provides a terminal with the following structure, which is a terminal that communicates within a time unit including downlink time resources for downlink control signals, downlink time resources for downlink data allocated by the downlink control signals, and uplink time resources for response signals to the downlink data. The terminal includes: a receiving unit that receives time unit information from a base station regarding the amount of uplink time resources used in transmitting the response signal; and a signal allocation unit that allocates the response signal to the uplink time resources indicated by the time unit information, wherein the amount of uplink time resources is determined based on the requested communication area or the number of bits required to transmit the response signal.

[0023] Furthermore, these general or specific methods can be implemented through systems, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, or recording media, or through any combination of systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, and recording media.

[0024] According to one aspect of the present invention, HARQ can be performed efficiently in self-contained actions.

[0025] Further advantages and effects of one aspect of the invention will become apparent from the specification and drawings. These advantages and / or effects may be provided by several embodiments and features described in the specification and drawings, but it is not necessary to provide all aspects in order to obtain one or more of the same features. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 A diagram representing examples of self-contained actions in a TDD system.

[0027] Figure 2 A diagram showing examples of HARQ actions within a self-contained time unit.

[0028] Figure 3 A diagram representing examples of HARQ actions within a self-contained time unit.

[0029] Figure 4 A diagram representing examples of HARQ actions within a self-contained time unit.

[0030] Figure 5 A block diagram showing the main structure of the base station in Implementation Method 1.

[0031] Figure 6 A block diagram showing the main structure of the terminal in Implementation Method 1.

[0032] Figure 7 A block diagram showing the structure of the base station in Implementation Method 1.

[0033] Figure 8 A block diagram showing the structure of the terminal in Implementation Method 1.

[0034] Figure 9 A diagram showing the timing of each step of downlink and uplink communication in Implementation Method 1.

[0035] Figure 10A A diagram illustrating a self-contained action example of implementation method 1.

[0036] Figure 10B A diagram illustrating a self-contained action example of implementation method 1.

[0037] Figure 10C A diagram illustrating a self-contained action example of implementation method 1.

[0038] Figure 11A A diagram illustrating a self-contained action example of implementation method 2.

[0039] Figure 11B A diagram illustrating a self-contained action example of implementation method 2.

[0040] Figure 12A A diagram illustrating a self-contained action example of implementation method 3.

[0041] Figure 12B A diagram illustrating a self-contained action example of implementation method 3.

[0042] Figure 13 A diagram showing the timing of each step of downlink and uplink communication in implementation method 4.

[0043] Figure 14A A diagram illustrating a self-contained action example of implementation method 4.

[0044] Figure 14B A diagram illustrating a self-contained action example of implementation method 4.

[0045] Figure 15 A diagram showing the timing of each step of downlink and uplink communication in Implementation 5. Detailed Implementation

[0046] [The process of completing this invention]

[0047] First, the process of completing this invention will be explained.

[0048] Figure 1 This represents an example of a self-contained action in a TDD system. For example... Figure 1As shown, the terminal receives downlink control signals necessary for receiving downlink data, receives downlink data allocated by the downlink control signals, and feeds back a response signal for the downlink data to the base station at fixed time intervals (hereinafter referred to as "self-contained time units"). That is, as Figure 1 As shown, the self-contained time unit adopts a structure that includes downlink time resources for downlink control signals (DL control), downlink time resources for downlink data (DL data) allocated by the downlink control signals, and uplink time resources for response signals to the downlink data (ACK / NACK for DL ​​data).

[0049] In addition, TDD systems have a protection period (GP) for switching from downlink to uplink communication.

[0050] By shortening the self-contained time unit, self-contained actions can achieve communication with lower latency. On the other hand, shortening the self-contained time unit reduces the amount of data that can be transmitted at one time. For example, in applications requiring high-capacity communication (eMBB), it is necessary to consider the time interval that allows for the transmission of a relatively large amount of data at one time.

[0051] Furthermore, in the case of TDD systems, the self-contained time unit is shortened, and the switching from downlink communication to uplink communication occurs frequently. Each switching requires the insertion of GP, so there are concerns about increased GP overhead.

[0052] Therefore, within the system, consider introducing controls that allow for flexible changes to the length of self-contained time units. When the length of the self-contained time unit is variable, consider the HARQ actions within that self-contained time unit. Figures 2-4 The methods shown are as follows.

[0053] Figure 2 This indicates a method that allows for flexible changes to the time intervals (time resources) allocated to downlink data. For example... Figure 2 As shown, within a self-contained time unit, the distribution of downlink data (DL control) and the transmission of response signals (ACK / NACK for DL ​​data) for one downlink control channel are respectively included. Figure 2In this context, the number of bits in the response signal transmitted through the uplink control channel remains constant, depending on the length of the self-contained time unit. However, the introduction of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission or carrier aggregation (CA) may increase the number of bits in the response signal. Figure 2 The HARQ operation shown can be expected to reduce the overhead caused by allocating larger amounts of data at once and increase the coding gain due to the increase in the coding block size. On the other hand, there are concerns about increased decoding latency due to the larger coding block size and decreased HARQ efficiency.

[0054] Figure 3 This indicates a method for limiting the time interval for allocating downlink data to a specified length. For example... Figure 3 As shown, within a self-contained time unit, there is an interval containing multiple downlink data (DL data) allocated via the downlink control channel. Additionally, there is the transmission of a response signal for the multiple downlink data. In this case, the number of bits of the response signal transmitted via the uplink control channel varies depending on the length of the self-contained time unit. Figure 3 The HARQ operation shown can be expected to reduce decoding latency caused by segmented coding block size and improve HARQ efficiency. On the other hand, there are concerns about increased overhead from data allocation (DL assignment).

[0055] and Figure 3 same, Figure 4 This indicates a method for limiting the time interval for allocating downlink data to a specified length. However, Figure 4 This indicates the allocation of multiple downlink data points within a self-contained time unit using a single downlink control channel. It also includes the transmission of a response signal for each of the multiple downlink data points. Figure 3 same, Figure 4 In this case, the number of bits in the response signal sent by the uplink control channel also differs depending on the length of the self-contained time unit. Figure 3 Similarly, we can also expect Figure 4 The HARQ action shown reduces decoding latency caused by segmented coding block size and improves HARQ efficiency. On the other hand, since multiple downlink data need to be allocated within a single downlink control signal, there is a concern about an increase in the number of bits in the downlink control signal.

[0056] As mentioned above, there are various methods for HARQ actions when the length of the self-contained time unit can be flexibly changed, and the appropriate HARQ action depends on the performance of the transmitting and receiving devices or the service request conditions. Therefore, in addition to being able to flexibly change the length of the self-contained time unit, it is also desirable to have a system design that can flexibly change the method of HARQ actions. However, in this case, the number of bits of the response signal transmitted by the uplink control channel changes due to the length of the self-contained time unit or the method of HARQ actions.

[0057] In LTE, there are multiple cases (PUCCH formats) regarding the coding and modulation methods, depending on the number of bits in the response signal (or uplink control information other than the response signal) transmitted via PUCCH. Furthermore, in LTE, in TDD systems and the like, when response signals for multiple downlink data are fed back together, bundling or multiplexing is used. However, it is assumed that bundling or multiplexing transmits the response signal using a fixed PUCCH resource (1 resource block and 1 subframe).

[0058] In contrast, 5G, to support service diversification, requires services that support low latency or meet various request conditions such as communication area. For example, shortening the length of the self-contained time unit can achieve lower latency communication; however, due to the reduced time resources available for communication, it is impossible to ensure sufficient communication area, especially for uplink communication. In 5G's request conditions, compared to LTE-Advanced, because extended communication areas are also considered, not only the length of the self-contained time unit needs to be changed, but also the uplink time resources used to send response signals for downlink data within that self-contained time unit need to be flexibly adjusted.

[0059] Based on the above, assuming multiple cases of LTE coding and modulation methods for transmitting response signals using existing fixed PUCCH resources (1 resource block and 1 subframe), and in cases of binding or multiplexing, there are concerns about inappropriate control of the uplink time resources for transmitting response signals to downlink data within the self-contained time unit when the length of the self-contained time unit is flexibly changed, the method of HARQ operation is flexibly changed, and the uplink time resources for transmitting response signals to downlink data within the self-contained time unit are also flexibly changed.

[0060] Therefore, in one aspect of the present invention, the objective is to appropriately control the uplink time resources within the self-contained time unit for transmitting response signals to downlink data, even when the length of the self-contained time unit is flexibly varied during the self-contained operation.

[0061] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0062] (Implementation Method 1)

[0063] [Overview of Communication Systems]

[0064] The communication system of various embodiments of the present invention includes a base station 100 and a terminal 200.

[0065] Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating the main structure of the base station 100 according to various embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5 In the base station 100 shown, the control unit 101 determines, based on the requested communication area or the number of bits required for transmitting the response signal, the amount of uplink time resources (self-contained time units) used by the terminal 200 to transmit the response signal within a time unit (self-contained time unit) that includes downlink time resources for downlink control signals, downlink time resources for downlink data allocated by downlink control signals, and uplink time resources for response signals to downlink data. The transmitting unit 110 then transmits the time unit information of the determined amount of uplink time resources to the terminal 200.

[0066] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating the main structure of the terminal 200 according to various embodiments of the present invention. Figure 6 The terminal 200 shown communicates within a time unit that includes downlink time resources for downlink control signals, downlink time resources for downlink data allocated by the downlink control signals, and uplink time resources for response signals to the downlink data. In terminal 200, the receiving unit 202 receives time unit information from the base station 100 regarding the amount of uplink time resources used in transmitting the response signal. The signal allocation unit 210 allocates the response signal to the uplink time resources based on the time unit information. Here, the amount of uplink time resources is determined according to the requested communication area or the number of bits required to transmit the response signal.

[0067] [Base station structure]

[0068] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the base station 100 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 7In this system, base station 100 includes: control unit 101, control signal generation unit 102, control signal encoding unit 103, control signal modulation unit 104, data encoding unit 105, retransmission control unit 106, data modulation unit 107, signal distribution unit 108, transmission waveform generation unit 109, transmission unit 110, antenna 111, receiving unit 112, extraction unit 113, demodulation and decoding unit 114, and determination unit 115.

[0069] Control unit 101 determines the length of a self-contained time unit for terminal 200, the number of bits of the response signal transmitted via the uplink control channel within that self-contained time unit, and the amount of time resources for the uplink control channel used to transmit response signals for downlink data within that self-contained time unit. Control unit 101 outputs information about the self-contained time unit (corresponding to time unit information), including the determined parameters, to control signal generation unit 102. Furthermore, control unit 101 outputs information indicating the amount of time resources for the uplink control channel used to transmit response signals for downlink data within the self-contained time unit to extraction unit 113. Details regarding the method for determining the information about the self-contained time unit in control unit 101 will be described later.

[0070] Furthermore, the control unit 101 determines the allocation of downlink data for the terminal 200. At this time, the control unit 101 determines the frequency allocation resources and modulation and coding methods indicated by the terminal 200, and outputs information about the determined parameters (downlink allocation information) to the control signal generation unit 102.

[0071] Furthermore, the control unit 101 determines the resources (time, frequency, code sequence, etc.) for the terminal 200 to send a response signal, and outputs information about the determined parameters to the control signal generation unit 102. Additionally, the control unit 101 outputs information indicating the resources for the terminal 200 to send a response signal to the extraction unit 113. Moreover, all or part of the information about the resources for the terminal 200 to send a response signal can be implicitly communicated to the terminal 200 by the base station 100, or it can be communicated to the terminal 200 through higher-layer signaling inherent to the terminal (the control unit 207 described later).

[0072] Furthermore, the control unit 101 determines the encoding level of the control signal and outputs the determined encoding level to the control signal encoding unit 103. Additionally, the control unit 101 determines the radio resources (downlink resources) to which the control signal is mapped and outputs information about the determined radio resources to the signal allocation unit 108. Furthermore, the control unit 101 determines the encoding level of the transmitted data (downlink data) and outputs the determined encoding level to the data encoding unit 105.

[0073] The control signal generation unit 102 generates control signals for the terminal 200. The control signals include signals of the cell's inherent higher layers, signals of the group or RAT's inherent higher layers, signals of the terminal's inherent higher layers, and downlink allocation information indicating the allocation of downlink data.

[0074] The downlink allocation information consists of multiple bits and includes information such as frequency allocation resources, modulation and coding schemes. Furthermore, the downlink allocation information may also include information about the length of the aforementioned self-contained time unit, the number of bits of the response signal transmitted by the uplink control channel within that self-contained time unit, the amount of time resources of the uplink control channel used to transmit the response signal to downlink data within that self-contained time unit, and the resources (time frequency, code sequence, etc.) for the terminal 200 to transmit the response signal.

[0075] The control signal generation unit 102 uses the control information input from the control unit 101 to generate a control information bit string, and outputs the generated control information bit string (control signal) to the control signal encoding unit 103. Furthermore, since the control information is sometimes sent to multiple terminals 200, the control signal generation unit 102 may also include information that can identify the terminal, such as the terminal ID of each terminal 200, in the control information sent to each terminal 200 to generate a bit string.

[0076] The control signal encoding unit 103 encodes the control signal (control information bit string) received from the control signal generation unit 102 according to the encoding level indicated by the control unit 101, and outputs the encoded control signal to the control signal modulation unit 104.

[0077] The control signal modulation unit 104 modulates the control signal received from the control signal encoding unit 103 and outputs the modulated control signal (code string) to the signal distribution unit 108.

[0078] The data encoding unit 105 applies error correction encoding to the transmitted data (downlink data) according to the encoding level received from the control unit 101, and outputs the encoded data signal to the retransmission control unit 106.

[0079] The retransmission control unit 106 retains the encoded data signal received from the data encoding unit 105 during the initial transmission and outputs it to the data modulation unit 107. Furthermore, the retransmission control unit 106 receives a NACK for the transmitted data signal from the determination unit 115 (described later) and outputs the corresponding hold data to the data modulation unit 107. Additionally, the retransmission control unit 106 receives an ACK for the transmitted data and deletes the corresponding hold data.

[0080] The data modulation unit 107 modulates the data signal received from the retransmission control unit 106 and outputs the data modulation signal to the signal distribution unit 108.

[0081] The signal distribution unit 108 maps the control signal (symbol string) received from the control signal modulation unit 104 and the data modulation signal received from the data modulation unit 107 to the radio resources indicated by the control unit 101. The signal distribution unit 108 outputs the downlink signal with the mapped signal to the transmit waveform generation unit 109.

[0082] The transmit waveform generation unit 109 performs transmit waveform generation processing on the signal received from the signal distribution unit 108, for example, by applying OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) modulation.

[0083] The transmitting unit 110 performs RF (Radio Frequency) processing, such as D / A (Digital-to-Analog) conversion and up-conversion, on the signal received from the transmitting waveform generation unit 109, and transmits the wireless signal to the terminal 200 through the antenna 111.

[0084] The receiving unit 112 performs RF processing such as down-conversion or A / D (Analog-to-Digital) conversion on the response signal waveform of the uplink signal received from the terminal 200 through the antenna 111, and outputs the obtained received signal to the extraction unit 113.

[0085] Based on information received from control unit 101 indicating the resources (time, frequency, code sequence, etc.) that the terminal 200 transmits a response signal and the amount of time resources of the uplink control channel for transmitting a response signal to downlink data within the self-contained time unit, extraction unit 113 extracts the radio resource portion of the uplink response signal transmitted from the received signal and outputs the received response signal to demodulation and decoding unit 114.

[0086] The demodulation and decoding unit 114 performs equalization, demodulation and decoding on the received response signal received from the extraction unit 113, and outputs the decoded bit sequence to the determination unit 115.

[0087] Based on the bit sequence input from the demodulation and decoding unit 114, the determination unit 115 determines whether the response signal sent from the terminal 200 represents an ACK or NACK for the transmitted downlink data. The determination unit 115 outputs the determination result to the retransmission control unit 106.

[0088] [Terminal Structure]

[0089] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating the structure of the terminal 200 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 8 In the terminal 200, there are: antenna 201, receiving unit 202, extraction unit 203, data demodulation unit 204, data decoding unit 205, error detection unit 206, control unit 207, ACK / NACK generation unit 208, encoding and modulation unit 209, signal distribution unit 210, transmission waveform generation unit 211, and transmission unit 212.

[0090] The receiving unit 202 receives control signals and data signals transmitted from the base station 100 through the antenna 201. It performs RF processing on the received wireless signals, such as down-conversion or AD conversion, to obtain the baseband signal. The receiving unit 202 then outputs the signal to the extraction unit 203.

[0091] Extraction unit 203 extracts control signals from the signals received by receiving unit 202. Then, extraction unit 203 performs blind decoding on the control signals, attempting to decode control signals destined for the local unit. If the blind decoding result indicates that the signal is destined for the local unit, extraction unit 203 outputs the control signal to control unit 207. Furthermore, extraction unit 203 extracts downlink data from the signals received by receiving unit 202 and outputs it to data demodulation unit 204.

[0092] The data demodulation unit 204 demodulates the downlink data received from the extraction unit 203 and outputs the demodulated downlink data to the data decoding unit 205.

[0093] The data decoding unit 205 decodes the downlink data received from the data demodulation unit 204 and outputs the decoded downlink data to the error detection unit 206.

[0094] Error detection unit 206 performs error detection on the downlink data received from data decoding unit 205 and outputs the error detection result to ACK / NACK generation unit 208. Furthermore, error detection unit 206 outputs the error detection result and the downlink data determined to be error-free as received data.

[0095] The control unit 207 controls the transmission of uplink control signals (here, response signals) based on the control signals input from the extraction unit 203. Specifically, the control unit 207 uses information about the amount of time resources of the uplink control channel for transmitting response signals to downlink data within a self-contained time unit, as well as information about the resources (time frequency, code sequence, etc.) for transmitting the response signals, to specify the resources (time frequency, code sequence, etc.) for transmitting the response signals, and outputs the information about the specified resources to the signal allocation unit 210.

[0096] In addition, the control unit 207 outputs information about the number of bits of the response signal sent by the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit to the ACK / NACK generation unit 208.

[0097] The ACK / NACK generation unit 208 generates a response signal (bit sequence) for the received downlink data based on the information about the number of bits of the response signal received from the control unit 207 and the error detection result received from the error detection unit 206, and outputs the response signal to the encoding and modulation unit 209.

[0098] The encoding and modulation unit 209 performs error correction encoding on the response signal (bit sequence) received from the ACK / NACK generation unit 208, modulates the encoded bit sequence, and outputs the modulated symbol sequence to the signal distribution unit 210.

[0099] The signal distribution unit 210 maps the signal received from the encoding and modulation unit 209 into uplink time resources within a self-contained time unit allocated according to the instructions from the control unit 207.

[0100] The transmit waveform generation unit 211 performs transmit waveform generation processing, such as OFDM modulation, on the signal input from the signal distribution unit 210.

[0101] The transmitting unit 212 performs RF processing such as D / A conversion and up-conversion on the signal received from the transmitting waveform generation unit 211, and transmits the wireless signal to the base station 100 through the antenna 201.

[0102] [Operations of base station 100 and terminal 200]

[0103] The operation of the base station 100 and terminal 200 with the above structure is explained in detail.

[0104] Furthermore, in this embodiment, such as Figure 9 As shown, the timing of downlink and uplink communication is the same TDD system within a unit frequency band (component carrier: sometimes also called Component Carrier(s)).

[0105] Base station 100 uses a downlink channel for cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications to notify terminal 200 of information regarding the length of a self-contained time unit. For example, the cell-specific (or terminal-common) notification regarding the length of the self-contained time unit is periodically transmitted in fixed DL subframes as described in Non-Patent Document 4. That is, based on the notifications in each fixed DL subframe, the length of the self-contained time unit for radio resources up to the next fixed DL subframe is determined.

[0106] Furthermore, base station 100 uses a downlink channel for cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications to notify terminal 200 of the number of bits of the response signal transmitted by the uplink control channel within a self-contained time unit. For example, the cell-specific (or terminal-common) notification of the number of bits of the response signal is transmitted periodically in fixed DL subframes as described in Non-Patent Document 4. That is, based on the notifications in each fixed DL subframe, the number of bits of the response signal for the radio resources within a self-contained time unit up to the next fixed DL subframe is determined.

[0107] Furthermore, base station 100 uses a downlink channel for cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications to notify terminal 200 of information regarding the time resources of the uplink control channel for transmitting a response signal to downlink data within a self-contained time unit. For example, the cell-specific (or terminal-common) notification regarding the time resources of the uplink control channel for transmitting the response signal is periodically transmitted in fixed DL subframes as described in Non-Patent Document 4. That is, based on the notifications in each fixed DL subframe, the amount of time resources for the uplink control channel for transmitting the response signal within a self-contained time unit of radio resources up to the next fixed DL subframe is determined.

[0108] Furthermore, base station 100 determines the amount of time resources for uplink control channels used to send response signals to downlink data within a self-contained time unit based on the number of bits of the response signal or the request conditions for the communication area (requested coverage) that the cell should support, or both.

[0109] For example, the wider the requested communication area, the larger the time resource amount of the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit will be set by the base station 100; the narrower the requested communication area (i.e., in the case where a wider communication area is not requested), the smaller the time resource amount of the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit will be set.

[0110] Alternatively, the more bits the response signal has, the larger the time resource amount of the uplink control channel that the base station 100 sets within its own time unit; the fewer bits the response signal has, the smaller the time resource amount of the uplink control channel sets within its own time unit.

[0111] On the other hand, the terminal 200 receives from the base station 100 information about the length of the self-contained time unit, information about the number of bits of the response signal sent by the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit, and information about the amount of time resources of the uplink control channel for sending response signals to downlink data within the self-contained time unit, which is notified using the downlink channel for cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications, and determines the resources of the self-contained time unit based on the received control information.

[0112] Furthermore, based on the downlink allocation information notified by the downlink channel within a self-contained time unit, the terminal 200 receives downlink data (DL data), allocates the response signal for the downlink data (ACK / NACK for DL) to the time resources of the uplink control channel used to send the response signal, and sends it to the base station 100.

[0113] Figures 10A to 10C This represents an example of a self-contained action in this implementation.

[0114] First, base station 100 uses a downlink channel for cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications. For terminal 200, the notification is a self-contained time unit length, the number of bits of the response signal sent by the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit, and the amount of time resources of the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit.

[0115] For example, the length of a self-contained time unit, in Figure 10A Set to 1ms in Figure 10B Set to 1ms in Figure 10C The value is set to 2ms.

[0116] Furthermore, the number of bits in the response signal, in Figures 10A to 10C The value is set to 1 bit.

[0117] Furthermore, the amount of time resources available for the uplink control channel is... Figure 10A The symbol is set to 2OFDM, in Figure 10B The code is set to 4 OFDM symbols. Figure 10C The value is set to 14 OFDM.

[0118] That is, in Figure 10B In, with Figure 10A In comparison, the self-contained time unit length is the same; however, the uplink control channel has a larger time resource requirement. Furthermore, in... Figure 10C In, with Figure 10A and Figure 10B In comparison, the self-contained time unit is longer, and the uplink control channel has a larger amount of time resources.

[0119] Furthermore, the self-contained time unit length and the time resource amount of the uplink control channel can be at the granularity of FDM symbol units or at the granularity of a subframe unit composed of multiple OFDM symbols. In addition, the granularity of the self-contained time unit length and the granularity of the uplink control channel time resource amount can also be different. In this embodiment, the self-contained time unit length and the time resource amount of the uplink control channel are separately notified within the downlink channel used for cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications.

[0120] For example, in a cell with base station 100, where low latency is requested and the demand for communication area (coverage) is low (a wide communication area is not required), such as Figure 10A As shown, base station 100 shortens the self-contained time unit length for terminal 200 and allocates time resources for the uplink control channel composed of fewer OFDM symbols. Therefore, terminal 200 can ensure the required communication area and transmit response signals with low latency.

[0121] On the other hand, in the cell of base station 100, when low latency is requested and the demand for communication area (coverage) is high (there is a need to support a relatively wide communication area), such as Figure 10B As shown, base station 100 shortens the length of the self-contained time unit for terminal 200, thereby increasing the proportion of uplink control channel time resources within the self-contained time unit. Thus, terminal 200 achieves [the desired effect] by [implementing a mechanism with / from the terminal]. Figure 10A The same low latency, and at a higher speed. Figure 10A The time resources (i.e., sufficient transmit power) of the uplink control channel, which consists of a large number of OFDM symbols, can be used to transmit response signals, ensuring a wide communication area.

[0122] Furthermore, in a cell with base station 100, where expanding the communication area takes precedence over low latency, such as... Figure 10C As shown, base station 100 extends the self-contained time unit length for terminal 200, and the time resource amount of the uplink control channel is also increased. Therefore, with... Figure 10A or Figure 10B In comparison, despite the increased latency, the terminal 200 can ensure a wider communication area by transmitting response signals using the time resources (sufficient transmission power) of the uplink control channel composed of more OFDM symbols.

[0123] Thus, in this embodiment, the base station 100 determines the amount of uplink control channel time resources within a self-contained time unit based on the communication area (coverage necessity) requested by the cell.

[0124] Furthermore, at this time, base station 100 independently determines the amount of uplink control channel time resources without depending on the set self-contained time unit length. That is, base station 100 can independently control the amount of uplink control channel time resources within the self-contained time unit, in addition to the self-contained time unit length, through cell-specific (or terminal-specific) notifications. Therefore, base station 100 can appropriately control the amount of uplink control channel time resources by matching HARQ actions or the request conditions of the communication area that the cell should support.

[0125] Therefore, in this embodiment, HARQ can be performed efficiently within a self-contained action.

[0126] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of bits in the response signal does not necessarily need to be explicitly notified to the terminal 200 through a cell-specific (or user-common) notification. In this case, the terminal 200 can determine the number of bits in the response signal from the decoding result of the downlink control signal used to allocate downlink data or the decoding result of the downlink data.

[0127] (Implementation Method 2)

[0128] In Implementation 1, the case where the amount of uplink control channel time resources within a self-contained time unit is determined independently of the length of the self-contained time unit was described. In contrast, in this implementation, the case where the amount of uplink control channel time resources within a self-contained time unit is determined based on the length of the self-contained time unit is described.

[0129] Furthermore, the basic structure of the base station and terminal in this embodiment is the same as that of the base station 100 and terminal 200 in Embodiment 1, so it is adopted accordingly. Figure 7 and Figure 8 Please provide an explanation.

[0130] Furthermore, in this embodiment, similar to embodiment 1, such as Figure 9 As shown, this illustrates that the timing of downlink and uplink communication is the same TDD system within a unit frequency band.

[0131] Similar to Embodiment 1, base station 100 uses a downlink channel for cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications to notify terminal 200 of information regarding the length of a self-contained time unit and the number of bits of a response signal transmitted by the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit. For example, the cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications regarding the length of the self-contained time unit and the number of bits of the response signal are transmitted periodically in fixed DL subframes as described in Non-Patent Document 4. That is, based on the notifications in each fixed DL subframe, the length of the self-contained time unit and the number of bits of the response signal for the radio resources up to the next fixed DL subframe are determined.

[0132] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the base station 100 implicitly notifies the terminal 200 of information regarding the time resources of the uplink control channel for transmitting response signals to downlink data within a self-contained time unit, in association with the length of the self-contained time unit. At this time, the base station 100 determines the amount of time resources for the uplink control channel for transmitting response signals to downlink data within the self-contained time unit based on the number of bits in the response signal, the request conditions for the communication area that the cell should support, or both. Additionally, the base station 100 also determines the length of the self-contained time unit based on the number of bits in the response signal, the request conditions for the communication area that the cell should support, or both.

[0133] For example, the longer the self-contained time unit, the greater the amount of time resources that the base station 100 will set for the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit.

[0134] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the length of the self-contained time unit is associated with the amount of time resources of the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit, and this association is shared between the base station 100 and the terminal 200.

[0135] Furthermore, base station 100 uses a downlink channel for cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications to terminal 200 to notify only control information concerning the length of a self-contained time unit (or, the length of the self-contained time unit and the number of bits in the response signal). That is, as information concerning the self-contained time unit (time unit information), the notification indicates the length of the self-contained time unit, but does not notify control information concerning the amount of time resources of the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit.

[0136] On the other hand, terminal 200 receives from base station 100 information regarding the length of a self-contained time unit (or, the length of the self-contained time unit and the number of bits in the response signal) from a downlink channel notification used for cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications, and determines the amount of uplink control channel time resources associated with the received self-contained time unit length. Then, terminal 200 determines the resources of the self-contained time unit based on the self-contained time unit length, the number of bits in the response signal, and the amount of uplink control channel time resources.

[0137] Figure 11A and Figure 11B This represents an example of a self-contained action in this implementation.

[0138] First, base station 100 uses a downlink channel for cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications, and for terminal 200, the notification is for the number of bits of a response signal sent by the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit.

[0139] For example, the length of a self-contained time unit, in Figure 11A The value is set to 1ms. Figure 11B The value is set to 2ms.

[0140] Furthermore, the number of bits in the response signal, in Figure 11A and Figure 11B The value is set to 1 bit.

[0141] Furthermore, the amount of time resources in the uplink control channel is implicitly notified in relation to the length of a self-contained time unit.

[0142] For example, the amount of time resources in the uplink control channel. Figure 11A (Self-contained time unit length: 1ms), set to 2OFDM symbol, in Figure 11B (Self-contained time unit length: 2ms) is set to 4 OFDM symbols. That is, in Figure 11A and Figure 11B In this context, the amount of time resources in the uplink control channel is proportional to the length of the self-contained time unit.

[0143] Furthermore, the correlation between the length of the self-contained time unit and the amount of time resources in the uplink control channel can be as follows: Figure 11A and Figure 11B Such proportional relationships can also be predetermined through tables and other means.

[0144] Furthermore, the self-contained time unit length and the time resource amount of the uplink control channel can be at the granularity of OFDM symbol units or at the granularity of a subframe unit composed of multiple OFDM symbols. Moreover, the granularity of the self-contained time unit length and the granularity of the uplink control channel time resource amount can also be different.

[0145] Here, in Figure 11B In, with Figure 11A In comparison, the self-contained time unit is longer, and the uplink control channel has a larger amount of time resources.

[0146] For example, in a cell with base station 100, where there is a request for low latency and a relatively low demand for communication area (coverage) (where a wide communication area is not required), such as Figure 11A As shown, base station 100 allocates time resources for uplink control channels to terminal 200 that have a shortened self-contained time unit length and consist of fewer OFDM symbols. Therefore, terminal 200 can ensure the required communication area and can send response signals with low latency.

[0147] On the other hand, in a cell with base station 100, where expanding the communication area takes precedence over low latency, such as... Figure 11B As shown, base station 100 extends the self-contained time unit length for terminal 200, and the time resource amount of the uplink control channel is also increased. Therefore, with... Figure 10A or Figure 10B In comparison, despite the increased latency, the terminal 200 can ensure a wide communication range by transmitting response signals using the time resources (i.e., sufficient transmission power) of the uplink control channel composed of more OFDM symbols.

[0148] Thus, in this embodiment, the base station 100 determines the self-contained time unit length and the uplink control channel time resource quantity based on the request conditions or the number of bits of the response signal for the communication area (coverage) in the cell. Then, the base station 100 notifies the terminal 200 of the set self-contained time unit length, but does not notify the terminal 200 of the uplink control channel time resource quantity. On the other hand, the terminal 200 determines the uplink control channel time resource quantity associated with the notified self-contained time unit length.

[0149] That is, by notifying only a self-contained time unit length based on cell-specific (or terminal-common) notifications, base station 100 can control the amount of uplink control channel time resources within that self-contained time unit. This reduces the overhead of cell-specific (or cell-common) notifications that would otherwise be equivalent to notifying uplink control channel time resources.

[0150] Furthermore, in this embodiment, similar to embodiment 1, the base station 100 can appropriately control the amount of time resources of the uplink control channel in accordance with the HARQ action or the request conditions of the communication area that the cell should support.

[0151] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of bits in the response signal can also be explicitly notified to the terminal 200 through a cell-specific (or user-common) notification. In this case, the terminal 200 can determine the number of bits in the response signal from the decoding result of the downlink control signal used to allocate downlink data or the decoding result of the downlink data.

[0152] (Implementation Method 3)

[0153] In embodiments 1 and 2, it is described that in cells where expanding the communication area is prioritized over low latency, a wider communication area is ensured by lengthening the self-contained time unit and increasing the time resource amount of the uplink control channel (for example, see reference). Figure 10C and Figure 11B ).

[0154] However, within a cell, terminals located near the base station that do not require additional uplink control channel time resources and terminals located far from the base station that require additional uplink control channel time resources may be compatible. In other words, within a cell, terminals with different request conditions regarding communication area (coverage) may be compatible. For terminals that do not require additional uplink control channel time resources, it is desirable to shorten the self-contained time unit.

[0155] Therefore, in this embodiment, a method for efficiently performing HARQ in a self-contained action is described for each terminal with different request conditions for the relevant communication area.

[0156] The basic structure of the base station and terminal in this embodiment is the same as that of the base station 100 and terminal 200 in embodiment 1, so it is adopted accordingly. Figure 7 and Figure 8 Please provide an explanation.

[0157] Furthermore, in this embodiment, similar to embodiment 1, such as Figure 9 As shown, this illustrates that the timing of downlink and uplink communication is the same TDD system within a unit frequency band.

[0158] According to the method of Embodiment 1 or 2, base station 100 notifies terminal 200 of information regarding the length of a self-contained time unit, information regarding the number of bits of the response signal transmitted by the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit, and information regarding the time resources of the uplink control channel used to transmit the response signal for downlink data within the self-contained time unit. Terminal 200 determines the resources for the self-contained time unit based on the notification from base station 100.

[0159] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the amount of time resources for the uplink control channel within each time unit is a fixed value. In this embodiment, to expand the communication area, the terminal 200 uses multiple uplink control channels with self-contained time units to repeatedly send response signals.

[0160] Therefore, base station 100 determines the number of self-contained time units (i.e., the number of uplink control channels, the number of repetitions) for repeated transmission of the response signal in terminal 200 based on the number of bits in the response signal, the request conditions for the communication area that the cell should support, or both. Thus, the amount of time resources for the uplink control channels used for transmitting the response signal is determined.

[0161] The number of repetitions in repeated transmissions (indicating information about the number of self-contained time units of uplink control channel time resources used) can be dynamically notified via the downlink control channel, or periodically notified via user-specific or group-specific notifications (e.g., different RATs) in fixed DL subframes as described in Non-Patent Document 4.

[0162] Figure 12A and Figure 12B This represents an example of a self-contained action in this implementation.

[0163] Regarding the request conditions for the relevant communication area, the terminal 200 that satisfies the request conditions with the self-contained action set by the cell, similarly to implementation method 1 or 2, performs HARQ action within the self-contained time unit (for example, refer to...). Figure 12A ).

[0164] Furthermore, for example, terminal 200, whose self-contained action according to the cell settings satisfies the request conditions, is a terminal located near the base station and is a terminal that does not require additional uplink control channel time resources. That is, such as Figure 12A The image shows a terminal that can send a response signal using the time resources (2 OFDM symbols) of the uplink control channel within one self-contained time unit.

[0165] On the other hand, such as Figure 12B As shown, a terminal 200 that requires a wider communication area than the request conditions for a self-contained communication area set by the relevant cell feeds back a response signal to the base station 100 by using the time resources of the uplink control channel of multiple self-contained time units and repeatedly transmitting.

[0166] like Figure 12B As shown, terminal 200, which requires a wide communication range, can ensure a wide communication range by using the time resources of the uplink control channel with multiple self-contained time units and repeatedly transmitting response signals. On the other hand, as... Figure 12A As shown, the terminal 200, which does not require a wide communication area, can use a shorter self-contained time unit to send response signals with low latency.

[0167] That is, according to this embodiment, by maintaining a relatively short self-contained time unit length while repeatedly transmitting, the communication area of ​​the terminal 200, which prioritizes low latency, can be expanded. Therefore, in this embodiment, terminals with different latency or communication area request conditions can be effectively made compatible.

[0168] (Implementation Method 4)

[0169] In implementation methods 1 to 3, such as Figure 9As shown, this illustrates that the timing of downlink and uplink communication is the same TDD system within a unit frequency band.

[0170] On the other hand, as a method to effectively make services and terminals with different delays or request conditions in the same unit frequency band compatible, research is being conducted on flexible duplex systems that enable frequency division multiplexing (FDM) for downlink and uplink communication within a single frequency band.

[0171] For example, such as Figure 13 As shown, in a flexible duplex system, multiple RATs (SubRAT#1, SubRAT#2) with different request conditions are compatible within a unit frequency band. In a flexible duplex system, the timing of downlink and uplink communication is the same within each RAT, but the timing of downlink and uplink communication differs between different RATs.

[0172] Therefore, in this embodiment, the description is as follows: Figure 13 Self-contained action in the flexible duplex system shown.

[0173] The basic structure of the base station and terminal in this embodiment is the same as that of the base station 100 and terminal 200 in embodiment 1, so it is adopted accordingly. Figure 7 and Figure 8 Please provide an explanation.

[0174] Base station 100 uses a downlink channel for group-specific (or RAT-specific) notifications to notify terminal 200 of information regarding the length of a self-contained time unit. For example, the group-specific (or RAT-specific) notification regarding the length of the self-contained time unit is periodically transmitted in fixed DL subframes as described in Non-Patent Document 4. That is, based on the notifications in each fixed DL subframe, the length of the self-contained time unit for radio resources up to the next fixed DL subframe is determined.

[0175] Furthermore, base station 100 uses a downlink channel for group-specific (or RAT-specific) notifications to notify terminal 200 of the number of bits of the response signal transmitted by the uplink control channel within a self-contained time unit. For example, the group-specific (or RAT-specific) notification of the number of bits of the response signal is transmitted periodically in fixed DL subframes as described in Non-Patent Document 4. That is, based on the notifications in each fixed DL subframe, the number of bits of the response signal for the radio resources within a self-contained time unit up to the next fixed DL subframe is determined.

[0176] Furthermore, base station 100 notifies terminal 200 of information regarding the time resources of the uplink control channel for transmitting response signals to downlink data within a self-contained time unit via group-specific (or RAT-specific) notifications. For example, the group-specific (or RAT-specific) notifications regarding the time resources of the uplink control channel for transmitting response signals are periodically transmitted in fixed DL subframes as described in Non-Patent Document 4. That is, based on the notifications in each fixed DL subframe, the amount of time resources for the uplink control channel for transmitting response signals within a self-contained time unit of radio resources up to the next fixed DL subframe is determined.

[0177] Furthermore, similar to embodiments 1 to 3, the base station 100 determines the amount of time resources of the uplink control channel for transmitting response signals to downlink data within a self-contained time unit based on the number of bits of the response signal, the request conditions of the communication area that the RAT should support, or both.

[0178] Furthermore, the self-contained time unit length and the time resource amount of the uplink control channel can be notified separately using the downlink channel for group-specific (or RAT-specific) notifications, or implicitly notified as in Implementation 2, where the time resource amount of the uplink control channel is associated with the self-contained time unit length.

[0179] On the other hand, the terminal 200 receives from the base station 100 information about the length of the self-contained time unit, information about the number of bits of the response signal sent by the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit, and information about the time resources of the uplink control channel for sending the response signal to the downlink data within the self-contained time unit, which is used for notification group-specific (or RAT-specific) notifications, and determines the resources of the self-contained time unit based on the received control information.

[0180] Furthermore, based on the downlink allocation information notified by the downlink channel within a self-contained time unit, the terminal 200 receives downlink data (DL data), allocates the response signal for the downlink data (ACK / NACK for DL ​​data) to the time resources of the uplink control channel used to send the response signal, and sends it to the base station 100.

[0181] Figure 14A and Figure 14B This represents an example of a self-contained action in this implementation. Figure 14A This indicates a self-contained action on RAT#. Figure 14B This indicates a self-contained action on RAT#2.

[0182] First, base station 100 uses a downlink channel for group-inherent (or RAT-inherent) notifications for terminal 200, which includes the length of a self-contained time unit, the number of bits of the response signal sent by the uplink control channel within that self-contained time unit, and the amount of time resources of the uplink control channel within that self-contained time unit.

[0183] like Figure 14A As shown, the self-contained time unit length for RAT#1 is set to 1ms, and the time resource amount for the uplink control channel of RAT#1 is set to 2 OFDM symbols. Furthermore, as... Figure 14B As shown, the self-contained time unit length of RAT#2 is set to 2ms, and the time resource amount of the uplink control channel of RAT#2 is set to 14 OFDM symbols.

[0184] Furthermore, the self-contained time unit length and the time resource quantity of the uplink control channel can be at the granularity of OFDM symbol units or at the granularity of a subframe unit composed of multiple OFDM symbols. In addition, the granularity of the self-contained time unit length and the granularity of the time resource quantity of the uplink control channel can also be different.

[0185] Thus, in this embodiment, the base station 100 can control the appropriate amount of uplink control channel time resources that match the services (request conditions) supported by each RAT by notifying the group-specific (or RAT-specific) control information related to the self-contained time unit.

[0186] For example, in RAT#1, in cases where low latency is required and the demand for communication area (coverage) is low (where a wide communication area is not needed), such as Figure 14A As shown, for RAT#1 groups, base station 100 shortens the self-contained time unit length and allocates time resources for uplink control channels composed of fewer OFDM symbols. Therefore, terminals 200 belonging to RAT#1 can ensure the required communication area and can send response signals with low latency.

[0187] Furthermore, in RAT#2, when expanding the communication area takes precedence over low latency, such as... Figure 14B As shown, for the RAT#2 group, base station 100 increases the length of the self-contained time unit and also increases the time resource of the uplink control channel. Therefore, although the delay of the terminal 200 belonging to RAT#2 is larger than that of RAT#1, a wide communication area can be ensured by transmitting the response signal with the time resources of the uplink control channel composed of more OFDM symbols than RAT#1 (i.e., sufficient transmission power).

[0188] Thus, in this embodiment, the base station 100 can allocate resources for each RAT (Relative Access Point) based on the conditions (communication area, etc.) requested by each of the multiple RATs within a unit frequency band in the flexible duplex system. Therefore, in this embodiment, the base station 100 can improve resource utilization efficiency by appropriately controlling uplink resources for each RAT.

[0189] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of bits in the response signal does not necessarily need to be explicitly notified to the terminal 200 via a group-specific (or RAT-specific) notification. In this case, the terminal 200 can determine the number of bits in the response signal from the decoding result of the downlink control signal that allocates downlink data or the decoding result of the downlink data.

[0190] In addition, in this embodiment, the length of the self-contained time unit, the number of bits of the response signal sent by the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit, and a portion of the time resources of the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit can be used as the cell-specific (or inter-group shared, RAT shared) notification.

[0191] (Implementation Method 5)

[0192] In this embodiment, such as Figure 15 As shown, this illustrates the self-contained action in a flexible duplex system where one or more RATs coexist within a single frequency band, even though the timing of uplink and downlink communication between each terminal (UE) within the RAT is different.

[0193] The base station and terminal in this embodiment share the same basic structure as the base station 100 and terminal 200 in Embodiment 1, so they are used interchangeably. Figure 7 and Figure 8 Please provide an explanation.

[0194] Base station 100 uses a downlink channel for terminal-specific notifications to notify terminal 200 of information regarding the length of a self-contained time unit. For example, the terminal-specific notification regarding the length of the self-contained time unit is periodically transmitted in fixed DL subframes as described in Non-Patent Document 4. That is, based on the notifications in each fixed DL subframe, the length of the self-contained time unit for radio resources up to the next fixed DL subframe is determined.

[0195] Furthermore, base station 100 notifies terminal 200 of the number of bits of the response signal transmitted by the uplink control channel within a self-contained time unit using a downlink channel used for terminal-specific notifications. For example, the terminal-specific notification regarding the number of bits of the response signal is transmitted periodically in fixed DL subframes as described in Non-Patent Document 4. That is, based on the notification in each fixed DL subframe, the number of bits of the response signal for the radio resources within a self-contained time unit up to the next fixed DL subframe is determined.

[0196] Furthermore, base station 100 notifies terminal 200 of information regarding the time resources of the uplink control channel for transmitting response signals within a self-contained time unit, via a terminal-specific notification. For example, the terminal-specific notification regarding the time resources of the uplink control channel for transmitting response signals is periodically transmitted in fixed DL subframes as described in Non-Patent Document 4. That is, based on the notification in each fixed DL subframe, the amount of time resources for the uplink control channel for transmitting response signals within a self-contained time unit of radio resources up to the next fixed DL subframe is determined.

[0197] Furthermore, similar to embodiments 1 to 3, the base station 100 determines the amount of time resources for transmitting the uplink control channel response signal for downlink data within a time unit based on the number of bits of the response signal, the request conditions of the communication area that the terminal 200 should support, or information of both.

[0198] Furthermore, the self-contained time unit length and the time resource amount of the uplink control channel can be notified separately using the downlink channel used for terminal-specific notifications, or, as in Implementation 2, the time resource amount of the uplink control channel can be implicitly notified in association with the self-contained time unit length.

[0199] Furthermore, the self-contained time unit length and the time resource amount of the uplink control channel can be at the granularity of OFDM symbol units or at the granularity of a subframe unit composed of multiple OFDM symbols. Moreover, the granularity of the self-contained time unit length and the granularity of the uplink control channel time resource amount can also be different.

[0200] On the other hand, the terminal 200 receives from the base station 100 information about the length of the self-contained time unit, information about the number of bits of the response signal sent by the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit, and information about the time resources of the uplink control channel for sending the response signal to the downlink data within the self-contained time unit, which is used for the terminal's inherent notification via the downlink channel, and determines the resources of the self-contained time unit based on the received control information.

[0201] Furthermore, based on the downlink allocation information notified by the downlink channel within a self-contained time unit, the terminal 200 receives downlink data (DL data), allocates the response signal for the downlink data (ACK / NACK for DL ​​data) to the time resources of the uplink control channel used to send the response signal, and sends it to the base station 100.

[0202] Thus, in this embodiment, the base station 100 can control the appropriate amount of uplink control channel time resources matching the services (request conditions) supported by each terminal by providing terminal-specific notifications regarding control information related to self-contained time units. That is, in this embodiment, the base station 100 can set resources for each terminal 200 based on the conditions (communication area, etc.) requested by each of the multiple terminals 200 in the flexible duplex system. Therefore, in this embodiment, the base station 100 can improve resource utilization efficiency by appropriately controlling uplink resources for each terminal.

[0203] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of bits in the response signal can also be explicitly notified to the terminal 200 through a notification inherent to the terminal. In this case, the terminal 200 can determine the number of bits in the response signal from the decoding result of the downlink control signal that allocates downlink data or the decoding result of the downlink data.

[0204] In addition, in this embodiment, the length of the self-contained time unit, the number of bits of the response signal transmitted in the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit, and a portion of the time resources of the uplink control channel within the self-contained time unit can also be used as a cell-specific (or inter-group shared, RAT shared) notification, or a group-specific (or RAT-specific) notification.

[0205] The above describes various embodiments of the present invention.

[0206] Furthermore, while the above embodiments illustrate one way in which the present invention is constructed using hardware, the present invention can also be implemented using software in conjunction with hardware.

[0207] Furthermore, the functional blocks described in the above embodiments are implemented by integrated circuits, i.e., LSIs. The integrated circuits control the functional blocks used in the above embodiments and may include inputs and outputs. These integrated circuits can be integrated individually as a single chip, or partially or entirely as a single chip. Here, although referred to as LSIs, depending on the degree of integration, they are sometimes also called ICs, system LSIs, Super LSIs, or Ultra LSIs.

[0208] Furthermore, the integrated circuit approach is not limited to LSIs; it can also be implemented using dedicated circuits or general-purpose processors. Alternatively, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) that can be programmed after LSI fabrication can be used, or reconfigurable processors that can connect and configure the circuitry within the reconfigurable LSI can be employed.

[0209] Furthermore, with advancements in semiconductor technology and other derived technologies, if an integrated circuit technology emerges that can replace LSI, it can certainly be used for the integration of functional blocks. There are also possibilities for its application in biotechnology and other fields.

[0210] The base station of the present invention adopts the following structure, including: a control unit, which determines, based on the requested communication area or the number of bits required for transmitting the response signal, the amount of uplink time resources for a terminal communicating within a time unit that includes downlink time resources for downlink control signals, downlink time resources for downlink data allocated by the downlink control signals, and uplink time resources for response signals to the downlink data; and a transmission unit, which transmits time unit information containing the determined amount of uplink time resources to the terminal.

[0211] In the base station of the present invention, the wider the requested communication area, the larger the amount of uplink time resources the control unit sets.

[0212] In the base station of the present invention, the more bits required to transmit the response signal, the greater the amount of uplink time resources the control unit sets.

[0213] In the base station of the present invention, the control unit independently determines the amount of uplink time resources without depending on the length of the time unit.

[0214] In the base station of the present invention, the longer the time unit, the larger the amount of uplink time resources the control unit sets.

[0215] In the base station of the present invention, the transmitting unit transmits information representing the length of a time unit as time unit information.

[0216] In the base station of the present invention, the amount of uplink time resources in each time unit is a fixed value. The control unit determines the number of time units used for repeated transmission of the response signal based on the requested communication area or the number of bits required for the transmission of the response signal.

[0217] In the base station of the present invention, the transmitting unit transmits time unit information using a downlink channel used for cell-specific notifications.

[0218] In the base station of the present invention, the transmitting unit transmits time unit information using the downlink channel for notifications inherent to RAT (Radio Access Technology).

[0219] In the base station of the present invention, the transmitting unit transmits time unit information using a downlink channel used for terminal-specific notifications.

[0220] The terminal of the present invention communicates within a time unit comprising downlink time resources for downlink control signals, downlink time resources for downlink data allocated by the downlink control signals, and uplink time resources for response signals to the downlink data. It employs the following structure: a receiving unit that receives from a base station time unit information regarding the amount of uplink time resources used in transmitting the response signal; and a signal allocation unit that allocates the response signal to the uplink time resources indicated by the time unit information, wherein the amount of uplink time resources is determined based on the requested communication area or the number of bits required to transmit the response signal.

[0221] The communication method of the present invention includes the following steps: determining, based on the requested communication area or the number of bits required for transmitting a response signal, the amount of uplink time resources for a terminal communicating within a time unit that includes downlink time resources for downlink control signals, downlink time resources for downlink data allocated by downlink control signals, and uplink time resources for response signals to downlink data, and transmitting to the terminal time unit information regarding the determined amount of uplink time resources.

[0222] The communication method of the present invention is used for a terminal that communicates within a time unit comprising downlink time resources for downlink control signals, downlink time resources for downlink data allocated according to the downlink control signals, and uplink time resources for response signals to the downlink data. The method includes the following steps: receiving time unit information about the amount of uplink time resources used in transmitting the response signal from a base station; allocating the response signal to the uplink time resources indicated by the time unit information; wherein the amount of uplink time resources is determined according to the requested communication area or the number of bits required for transmitting the response signal.

[0223] Industrial applicability

[0224] One aspect of the present invention is useful for mobile communication systems.

[0225] Label Explanation

[0226] 100 base stations

[0227] 101, 207 control units

[0228] 102 Control Signal Generation Unit

[0229] 103 Control Signal Encoding Unit

[0230] 104 control signal modulation unit

[0231] 105 Data Encoding Unit

[0232] 106 Retransmission Control Unit

[0233] 107 Data Modulation Unit

[0234] 108, 210 signal distribution units

[0235] 109, 211 Transmit waveform generation unit

[0236] Transmitting units 110 and 212

[0237] 111, 201 antennas

[0238] 112, 202 receiving units

[0239] Extraction units 113 and 203

[0240] 114 demodulation and decoding units

[0241] 115 Judgment Unit

[0242] 200 terminals

[0243] 204 Data Demodulation Unit

[0244] 205 Data Decoding Unit

[0245] 206 Error Detection Unit

[0246] 208ACK / NACK generation unit

[0247] 209 coding and modulation unit

Claims

1. A communication device, comprising: The receiving unit receives, during operation, control information relating to the number of symbols used for uplink time resources in a time unit, the time unit including downlink time resources for downlink transmission and uplink time resources for transmission of response signals. as well as The transmitting unit, during operation, transmits the response signal based on the control information over multiple time units when the response signal is repeated. The number of repetitions of the response signal is determined based on the number of bits in the response signal.

2. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, In the plurality of time units, the same number of symbols are used for the response signal.

3. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The transmitting unit repeatedly transmits the response signal at fixed time intervals across the plurality of time units during operation.

4. The communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The receiving unit receives additional control information related to the length of the time unit via a notification inherent to the cell during operation.

5. A communication method, comprising: Receive control information relating to the number of symbols used for uplink time resources in a time unit, wherein the time unit includes downlink time resources for downlink transmission and uplink time resources for transmission of response signals; as well as If the response signal is repeated, the response signal based on the control information is transmitted at multiple time units. The number of repetitions of the response signal is determined based on the number of bits in the response signal.

6. The communication method as described in claim 5, wherein, In the plurality of time units, the same number of symbols are used for the response signal.

7. The communication method as described in claim 5, The response signal is also repeatedly sent at fixed time intervals on the plurality of time units.

8. The communication method as described in claim 5, It also receives additional control information related to the length of the time unit via a notification inherent to the community.

9. A base station, comprising: A transmitting unit, in operation, transmits control information relating to the number of symbols used for uplink time resources in a time unit, said time unit including downlink time resources for downlink transmission and uplink time resources for transmitting response signals. The receiving unit, in operation, receives, when the response signal is repeated, the response signal mapped onto multiple time units based on the control information. The number of repetitions of the response signal is determined based on the number of bits in the response signal.

10. The base station as described in claim 9, wherein, In the plurality of time units, the same number of symbols are used for the response signal.

11. The base station as described in claim 9, wherein, The receiving unit repeatedly receives the response signal at fixed time intervals on the plurality of time units during operation.

12. The base station as described in claim 9, wherein, The transmitting unit, during operation, sends another control message related to the length of the time unit via a notification inherent to the cell.

13. A communication method, comprising: Control information related to the number of symbols used for uplink time resources in a time unit is transmitted, the time unit including downlink time resources for downlink transmission and uplink time resources for transmission of response signals; as well as In the event that the response signal is repeated, the response signal is received based on the control information mapped over multiple time units. The number of repetitions of the response signal is determined based on the number of bits in the response signal.

14. The communication method as described in claim 13, wherein, The number of symbols is the same across multiple time units.

15. The communication method as described in claim 13, The response signal is also received repeatedly at fixed time intervals on the plurality of time units.

16. The communication method of claim 13 further includes sending additional control information relating to the length of the time unit via a notification inherent to the cell.

17. An integrated circuit, comprising: A receiving circuit that, in operation, controls the reception of control information relating to the number of symbols used for uplink time resources in a time unit, the time unit including downlink time resources for downlink transmission and uplink time resources for transmission of response signals. as well as The transmitting circuit, during operation, controls the transmission of a response signal based on control information at multiple time units when the response signal is repeated. The number of repetitions of the response signal is determined based on the number of bits in the response signal.

18. An integrated circuit, comprising: The transmitting circuit, in operation, controls the transmission of control information relating to the number of symbols used for uplink time resources in a time unit, the time unit including downlink time resources for downlink transmission and uplink time resources for transmission of response signals. as well as The receiving circuit, in operation, controls the reception of the response signal, which is mapped onto multiple time units based on the control information, when the response signal is repeated. The number of repetitions of the response signal is determined based on the number of bits in the response signal.

Images