Soft buffer memory configuration in a communication system

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to determine a total number of soft channel bits, a first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and a second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

the processor further configured to select a size of a soft buffer memory partition based at least in part on the total number of soft channel bits, the first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and the second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes;

wherein the first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes comprises a maximum number of downlink hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and the second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes comprises a configured maximum number of hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

wherein the size of the soft buffer memory partition is selected based at least in part on the following:

N

IR

=

⌊

N

soft

K

MIMO

·

min

⁡

(

M

DL_HARQ

,

M

limit

)

⌋

Wherein N IR is the size of the soft buffer memory partition;

N soft is the total number of soft channel bits;

K MIMO is the maximum number of transport blocks transmittable to a user equipment in one transmission time interval;

M DL — HARQ is the maximum number of downlink hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

M limit is the configured maximum number of hybrid automatic retransmit request processes.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the total number of soft channel bits is determined based at least in part on a user equipment category, the first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes is determined based at least in part on duplex mode; the second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes is determined based at least in part on a number of Multiple Input Multiple Output streams, round-trip delay, and/or a maximum number of transport blocks transmittable to a user equipment in one transmission time interval.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said apparatus is part of at least one of a base station and a user equipment.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor configured to determine a total number of soft channel bits, a first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and a second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

the processor further configured to select a size of a soft buffer memory partition based at least in part on the total number of soft channel bits, the first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and the second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes;

wherein the first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes comprises a maximum number of downlink hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and the second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes comprises a configured maximum number of hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

wherein the size of the soft buffer memory partition is selected based at least in part on the following:

N

IR

=

⌊

N

soft

min

⁡

(

K

MIMO

·

M

DL_HARQ

,

M

limit

)

⌋

Wherein N IR is the size of the soft buffer memory partition;

N soft is the total number of soft channel bits;

K MIMO is the maximum number of transport blocks transmittable to a user equipment in one transmission time interval;

M DL — HARQ is the maximum number of downlink hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

M limit is the configured maximum number of hybrid automatic retransmit request processes.

5. A computer-executable method, comprising:

determining a total number of soft channel bits, a first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and a second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

selecting a size of a soft buffer memory partition based at least in part on the total number of soft channel bits, the first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and the second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes;

wherein the first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes comprises a maximum number of downlink hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and the second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes comprises a configured maximum number of hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

wherein the size of the soft buffer memory partition is selected based at least in part on the following:

N

IR

=

⌊

N

soft

K

MIMO

·

min

⁡

(

M

DL_HARQ

,

M

limit

)

⌋

Wherein N IR is the size of the soft buffer memory partition;

N soft is the total number of soft channel bits;

K MIMO is the maximum number of transport blocks transmittable to a user equipment in one transmission time interval;

M DL — HARQ is the maximum number of downlink hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

M limit is the configured maximum number of hybrid automatic retransmit request processes.

6. The computer-executable method according to claim 5 , wherein the total number of soft channel bits is determined based at least in part on a user equipment category, the first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes is determined based at least in part on duplex mode; the second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes is determined based at least in part on a number of Multiple Input Multiple Output streams, round-trip delay, and/or a maximum number of transport blocks transmittable to a user equipment in one transmission time interval.

7. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program configured to control a processor to perform a method comprising:

determining a total number of soft channel bits, a first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and a second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

selecting a size of a soft buffer memory partition based at least in part on the total number of soft channel bits, the first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and the second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes;

wherein the first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes comprises a maximum number of downlink hybrid automatic retransmit request processes and the second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes comprises a configured maximum number of hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

wherein the size of the soft buffer memory partition is selected based at least in part on the following:

N

IR

=

⌊

N

soft

K

MIMO

·

min

⁡

(

M

DL_HARQ

,

M

limit

)

⌋

Wherein N IR is the size of the soft buffer memory partition;

N soft is the total number of soft channel bits;

K MIMO is the maximum number of transport blocks transmittable to a user equipment in one transmission time interval;

M DL — HARQ is the maximum number of downlink hybrid automatic retransmit request processes; and

M limit is the configured maximum number of hybrid automatic retransmit request processes.

8. The computer program according to claim 7 , wherein the total number of soft channel bits is determined based at least in part on a user equipment category, the first number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes is determined based at least in part on duplex mode; the second number associated with hybrid automatic retransmit request processes is determined based at least in part on a number of Multiple Input Multiple Output streams, round-trip delay, and/or a maximum number of transport blocks transmittable to a user equipment in one transmission time interval.