Method for transmission of unicast control in broadcast/multicast transmission time intervals
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the invention provide methods for maximizing the bandwidth utilization in the uplink of a communication system supporting time division multiplexing between unicast and multicast/broadcast communication modes during transmission time intervals in the downlink of a communication system. This is accomplished by multiplexing at least unicast control signaling for UL scheduling assignments in TTIs supporting the multicast/broadcast communication mode. Moreover, multiplexing of unicast control signaling can also be accomplished by splitting a symbol of the multicast/broadcast TTI into two shorter symbols with the first of these two shorter symbols carrying at least unicast control signaling and the second of these shorter symbols carrying multicast/broadcast signaling.
1. A method for a base station to schedule a data transmission from a User Equipment (UE) wherein said scheduling occurs in a broadcast/multicast Transmission Time Interval (TTI), said method comprising:
partitioning the multicast/broadcast TTI in two consecutive sets of symbols with the first set of symbols is placed prior to the second set of symbols;
transmitting, from said base station, unicast signaling in said first set of symbols of said multicast/broadcast TTI, said unicast signaling comprising only unicast control signaling and unicast pilot signaling;
transmitting, from said base station, multicast/broadcast signaling in said second set of symbols of said multicast/broadcast TTI, said multicast/broadcast signaling comprising only multicast/broadcast data signaling and multicast/broadcast pilot signaling;
transmitting, from said base station, unicast data signaling in a TTI in response to the reception of said unicast control signaling in said broadcast/multicast TTI, wherein said unicast control signaling is
transmitted with priority to multicast/broadcast signaling at the beginning of said multicast/broadcast TTI.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said unicast control signaling provides scheduling assignments for data signal transmission.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said unicast control signaling provides timing control or power control information.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said unicast pilot signaling, is transmitted with priority to multicast/broadcast signaling at the beginning of said multicast/broadcast TTI.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said multicast/broadcast TTI comprises of symbols and said unicast control signaling is multiplexed with multicast/broadcast signaling in the same symbol.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said multicast/broadcast TTI comprises of symbols and said unicast control signaling and multicast/broadcast signaling are multiplexed in different symbols.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said communication system employs the OFDMA transmission method.
8. An apparatus, comprising:
circuitry for partitioning multicast/broadcast Transmission Time Interval (TTI) in two consecutive sets of symbols with the first set of symbols is placed prior to the second set of symbols;
circuitry for transmitting, from said apparatus, unicast signaling in said first set of symbols of said multicast/broadcast TTI, said unicast signaling comprising only unicast control signaling and unicast pilot signaling;
circuitry for transmitting, from said apparatus, multicast/broadcast signaling in said second set of symbols of said multicast/broadcast TTI, said multicast/broadcast signaling comprising only multicast/broadcast data signaling and multicast/broadcast pilot signaling;
transmitting, from said apparatus, unicast data signaling in a TTI in response to the reception of said unicast control signaling in said broadcast/multicast TTI, wherein said unicast control signaling is transmitted with priority to multicast/broadcast signaling at the beginning of said multicast/broadcast TTI.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said unicast control signaling provides scheduling assignments for data signal transmission.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said unicast control signaling provides timing control or power control information.
11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said unicast pilot signaling is transmitted with priority to multicast/broadcast signaling at the beginning of said multicast/broadcast TTI.
12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said multicast/broadcast comprises of symbols and said unicast control signaling is multiplexed with multicast/broadcast signaling in the same symbol.
13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said multicast/broadcast TTI comprises of symbols and said unicast control signaling and multicast/broadcast signaling are multiplexed in different symbols.
14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said communication system employs the OFDMA transmission method.
15. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said apparatus is a base station.