IP Library Granted Patent US 10,892,876
Granted Patent B2
US 10,892,876 · App. 16/148,796 · Granted Jan 12, 2021

Methods and apparatus for dynamic acknowledgement list selection in detection of uplink control channel formats

Inventor: Yuanbin Guo (Mountain House, CA)
Assignee: Cavium, LLC
H04L5/0057H03M13/136H04L5/0055H04W72/0413H04W72/0446H04W72/085
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,892,876
App. No.
16/148,796
Granted
Jan 12, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus for dynamic acknowledgement list selection in detection of uplink control channel formats. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a dynamic acknowledgement (ACK) list allocation circuit that generates a dynamic ACK list that includes one or two most likely ACK candidates, and a top-Q candidate CQI bits detector that dynamically allocates a detection branch to each of the one or two most likely ACK candidates to detect top-Q candidate CQI bits. The apparatus also includes a merger circuit that mergers the top-Q candidate CQI bits detected for the one or two most likely ACK candidates to generate a merged list, a top-Q CQI symbol generator that generates top-Q CQI symbols for the top-Q candidate CQI bits detected for the one or two most likely ACK candidates, and a joint detector that detects transmitted CQI bits and ACK bits.

Claims (50)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a dynamic acknowledgement (ACK) list allocation circuit that searches ACK candidates to generate a dynamic ACK list that includes two most likely ACK candidates;

a top-Q candidate Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) bits detector that dynamically allocates a detection branch to each of the two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list, and wherein the detection branches detect top-Q candidate CQI bits for the two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list;

a merger circuit that mergers the top-Q candidate CQI bits detected for the two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list to generate a merged list;

a top-Q CQI symbol generator that receives the merged list and generates top-Q CQI symbols for the top-Q candidate CQI bits detected for the two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list; and

a joint detector that receives the top-Q CQI symbols and detects transmitted CQI bits and ACK bits.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two most likely ACK candidates comprises a first most likely ACK candidate called a Max_ACK candidate and a second most likely ACK candidate called a subMAX_ACK candidate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ACK candidates are received in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) in a telecommunication system and wherein the PUCCH includes one or both of CQI information bits and ACK information bits.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each detection branch comprises a Top-Q Reed-Muller (RM) decoder that searches internal computation metrics for all possible entries of CQI information bits to determine the top-Q candidate CQI bits.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the top-Q CQI symbol generator comprises:

a B-bit generator that generates encoded bits from each of the Top-Q CQI candidates;

a scrambler that scrambles the bits to generate scrambled bits; and

a modulator that modulates the scrambled bits to generate the top-Q CQI symbols for the top-Q candidate CQI bits.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the joint detector comprises an energy metric estimator that uses the top-Q CQI symbols to estimate an energy metric (HCQI) for maximum-likelihood (ML) detection.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the joint detector comprises a combiner that combines metrics from pilot, ACK symbol candidates and CQI candidates to produce an energy metric within a slot.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the joint detector comprises a slot combiner that combines metrics from multiple slots.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the joint detector comprises an antenna combiner that combines metrics from multiple antennas to generate a search space of possible top-Q CQI candidates and ACK bit candidates.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the joint detector comprises a joint metric searcher that searches the search space to determine the transmitted CQI bits and ACK bits.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a dynamic acknowledgement (ACK) list allocation circuit that searches ACK candidates to generate a dynamic ACK list that includes one or two most likely ACK candidates;

a top-Q candidate Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) bits detector that dynamically allocates a detection branch to each of the one or two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list, and wherein the detection branches detect top-Q candidate CQI bits for the one or two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list;

a merger circuit that mergers the top-Q candidate CQI bits detected for the one or two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list to generate a merged list;

a top-Q CQI symbol generator that receives the merged list and generates top-Q CQI symbols for the top-Q candidate CQI bits detected for the one or two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list; and

a joint detector that receives the top-Q CQI symbols and detects transmitted CQI bits and ACK bits,

wherein the dynamic ACK list allocation circuit includes a channel estimator that uses ACK hypothesis symbols together with a selected data symbol and a pilot symbol to generate a symbol-level tree from which channel energy is determined; a metric calculator that calculates a channel energy metric from the channel energy; a searcher that search the channel energy metric to determine top four branches; and a decision circuit that selects the one or two most likely ACK candidates from the top four branches.

12. A method, comprising:

searching acknowledgement (ACK) candidates to generate a dynamic ACK list that includes two most likely ACK candidates;

dynamically allocating a detection branch to each of the two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list, and wherein the detection branches detect top-Q candidate Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) bits for the two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list;

merging the top-Q candidate CQI bits detected for the two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list to generate a merged list;

generating top-Q CQI symbols for the top-Q candidate CQI bits detected for the two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list; and

detecting transmitted CQI bits and ACK bits from metrics determined from the top-Q CQI symbols.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the two most likely ACK candidates comprises a first most likely ACK candidate called a Max_ACK candidate and a second most likely ACK candidate called a subMAX_ACK candidate.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving the ACK candidates in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) in a telecommunication system and wherein the PUCCH includes one or both of CQI information bits and ACK information bits.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein each detection branch performs an operation of searching internal computation metrics of a Top-Q Reed-Muller (RM) decoder for all possible entries of CQI information bits to determine the top-Q candidate CQI bits.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the operation of generating the top-Q CQI symbol comprises:

generating encoded bits from each of the Top-Q CQI candidates;

scrambling the bits to generate scrambled bits; and

modulating the scrambled bits to generate the top-Q CQI symbols for the top-Q candidate CQI bits.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the operation of detecting comprises estimating an energy metric (HCQI) based on the top-Q CQI symbols.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the operation of detecting comprises:

combining metrics from pilot, ACK symbol candidates and CQI candidates to produce an energy metric within a slot;

combining metrics from multiple slots; and

combining metrics from multiple antennas to generate a search space of possible top-Q CQI candidates and ACK bit candidates.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the operation of detecting comprises searching the search space to determine the transmitted CQI bits and ACK bits.

20. A method, comprising:

searching acknowledgement (ACK) candidates to generate a dynamic ACK list that includes one or two most likely ACK candidates;

dynamically allocating a detection branch to each of the one or two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list, and wherein the detection branches detect top-Q candidate Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) bits for the one or two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list;

merging the top-Q candidate CQI bits detected for the one or two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list to generate a merged list;

generating top-Q CQI symbols for the top-Q candidate CQI bits detected for the one or two most likely ACK candidates in the dynamic ACK list; and

detecting transmitted CQI bits and ACK bits from metrics determined from the top-Q CQI symbols, wherein the searching further includes generating a symbol-level tree from which channel energy is determined, wherein the symbol-level tree is generated from ACK hypothesis symbols together with a selected data symbol and a pilot symbol; calculating a channel energy metric from the channel energy; searching the channel energy metric to determine top four branches; and selecting the one or two most likely ACK candidates from the top four branches.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2021
From: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
To: CAVIUM, LLC
Reel/Frame 055321/0367 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2021
From: CAVIUM, LLC
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 055321/0517 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2021
From: CAVIUM INTERNATIONAL
To: MARVELL ASIA PTE, LTD.
Reel/Frame 055334/0579 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 18, 2021
From: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
To: CAVIUM INTERNATIONAL
Reel/Frame 055334/0589 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 15, 2020
From: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
Reel/Frame 054659/0608 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 1, 2020
From: GUO, YUANBIN
To: MARVELL SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 054509/0524 →