Physical uplink control channel ACK/NACK indexing
View Patent ↗A method for controlling channel signaling between a UE and a wireless network access node is described. The method includes determining whether an examined sub-frame of a plurality of sub-frames in a first resource region is unused. The index of the examined sub-frame is a last index of the plurality of sub-frames allocated for use in a first channel. The plurality of sub-frames is organized in a reverse indexing manner such that a last indexed sub-frame is adjacent to a second resource region. The second resource region is allocated to a second channel. In response to determining that the examined sub-frame is unused, the examined sub-frame is re-allocated for temporary use in the second channel. The method also includes providing an indication of the allocation. Apparatus and computer readable media are also described.
1. A method comprising:
Determining, by at least one processor, whether an examined sub-frame of a plurality of sub-frames in a first resource region is unused,
where the index of the examined sub-frame is a last index of the plurality of sub-frames allocated for use in a first channel,
where the plurality of sub-frames are organized in a reverse indexing manner such that a last indexed sub-frame is adjacent to a second resource region, and
where the second resource region is allocated to a second channel;
in response to determining that the examined sub-frame is unused, re-allocating, by the at least one processor, the examined sub-frame for temporary use in the second channel; and
providing an indication of the allocation by the at least one processor.
2. The method of claim 1 , where the first channel is a physical uplink control channel and the second channel is a physical uplink shared channel.
3. The method of claim 1 , where the first channel is used at least in part for physical uplink control channel acknowledge/negative-acknowledge transmission.
4. The method of claim 1 , where the first channel is used at least in part for transmission of downlink control channel elements.
5. The method of claim 4 , where at least one sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, is allocated for use in acknowledge/negative-acknowledge bundling transmission.
6. The method of claim 1 , where the second channel is used at least in part for physical uplink shared channel data transmission.
7. The method of claim 1 , where the examined sub-frame is a first examined sub-frame and further comprising:
Determining, by the at least one processor, whether a second examined sub-frame is to be used in the first channel,
where the index of the second examined sub-frame is a first index of at least one sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames allocated for use in the second channel, and
in response to determining that the second examined sub-frame is to be used in the first channel, re-allocating, by the at least one processor, the second examined sub-frame for use in the first channel.
8. The method of claim 1 , where a sub-frame is a physical resource block.
9. The method of claim 1 , where the first resource region is adjacent to a second resource region.
10. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory storing computer program code,
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
determine whether an examined sub-frame of a plurality of sub-frames in a first resource region is unused, where the index of the examined sub-frame is a last index of the plurality of sub-frames allocated for use in a first channel, where the plurality of sub-frames are organized in a reverse indexing manner such that a last indexed sub-frame is adjacent to a second resource region, and where the second resource region is allocated to a second channel;
in response to determining that the examined sub-frame is unused, re-allocate the examined sub-frame for temporary use in the second channel; and
provide an indication of the allocation.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , where the first channel is used at least in part for physical uplink control channel acknowledge/negative-acknowledge transmission.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , where the first channel is used at least in part for transmission of downlink control channel elements and where at least one sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, is allocated for use in acknowledge/negative-acknowledge bundling transmission.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , where the examined sub-frame is a first examined sub-frame and the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to perform the following:
determine whether a second examined sub-frame is to be used in the first channel, where the index of the second examined sub-frame is a first index of at least one sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames allocated for use in the second channel, and
in response to determining that the second examined sub-frame is to be used in the first channel, re-allocate the second examined sub-frame for use in the first channel.
14. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a transmitter configured to transmit the indication of the allocation.
15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:
code for determining whether an examined sub-frame of a plurality of sub-frames in a first resource region is unused, where the index of the examined sub-frame is a last index of the plurality of sub-frames allocated for use in a first channel, where the plurality of sub-frames are organized in a reverse indexing manner such that a last indexed sub-frame is adjacent to a second resource region, and where the second resource region is allocated to a second channel;
code for in response to determining that the examined sub-frame is unused, re-allocating the examined sub-frame for temporary use in the second channel; and
code for providing an indication of the allocation.
16. The computer program product of claim 15 , where the first channel is used at least in part for transmission of downlink control channel elements and where at least one sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames, is allocated for use in acknowledge/negative-acknowledge bundling transmission.
17. The computer program product of claim 15 , where the examined sub-frame is a first examined sub-frame and the computer code further comprises:
code for determining whether a second examined sub-frame is to be used in the first channel, where the index of the second examined sub-frame is a first index of at least one sub-frame of the plurality of sub-frames allocated for use in the second channel, and
code for, in response to determining that the second examined sub-frame is to be used in the first channel, re-allocating the second examined sub-frame for use in the first channel.