Transmission of acknowledgement information in adaptively configured TDD communication systems

1. A method comprising:

configuring, by a base station to a User Equipment (UE) a first Time Division Duplex (TDD) UpLink-DownLink (UL-DL) configuration, a second TDD UL-DL configuration, and a third TDD UL-DL configuration; and

transmitting, by the base station to the UE in a DL or special SubFrame (SF) of the third TDD UL-DL configuration, either a Physical DL Control CHannel (PDCCH) or an Enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) conveying a DL Control Information (DCI) format that schedules to the UE either a reception of a Physical DL Shared CHannel (PDSCH) or a release of a Semi-Persistently Scheduled (SPS) PDSCH in the DL or special SF, wherein if the DCI format is conveyed by the EPDCCH it includes an Acknowledgement Resource Offset (ARO) field,

wherein, in response to receiving the first TDD UL-DL configuration, the second TDD UL-DL configuration, and the third TDD UL-DL configuration, the UE:

determines, according to the second TDD UL-DL configuration, an UL SF to transmit acknowledgement information in response to at least one reception of PDSCH or SPS PDSCH release in a set of DL or special SFs of the third TDD UL-DL configuration;

receives a number of PDSCHs and SPS PDSCH release in a subset of the set of DL or special SFs;

determines:

acknowledgement information for the set of DL and special SFs in response to at least the reception of the number of PDSCHs and SPS PDSCH release in the subset of the set of DL or special SFs,

a first subset of the set of DL or special SFs that are DL or special SFs in the first TDD UL-DL configuration for which acknowledgement information is transmitted in the UL SF and a second subset of the set of DL or special SFs comprising of DL or special SFs that are not in the first subset; and

a first set of resources and a second set of resources in the UL SF, wherein

a resource in the first set of resources corresponds to a SF in the subset that is in the first subset wherein the resource is determined either using a first offset if the reception is scheduled by a PDCCH or using the ARO field and a second offset if the reception is scheduled by an EPDCCH;

a resource in the second set of resources corresponds to a SF in the subset that is in the second subset wherein the resource is determined using a third offset if the reception is scheduled by a PDCCH or using the ARO field and the second offset if the reception is scheduled by an EPDCCH;

selects, from the first set of resources or from the second set of resources, a resource of a physical UL control channel to transmit the acknowledgement information, wherein the resource is selected based on the values of the acknowledgement information; and

transmits, to the base station, the acknowledgement information in the selected resource.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base station configures the UE the first TDD UL-DL configuration by signaling of a system information block or by Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, the second TDD UL-DL configuration by RRC signaling, and the third TDD UL-DL configuration by signaling of a control channel that conveys a DL Control Information (DCI) format indicating the third TDD UL-DL configuration, wherein the first TDD UL-DL configuration has a number of UL SFs that is larger than or equal to a number of UL SFs of the third TDD UL-DL configuration and the second and TDD UL-DL configuration has a number of DL or special SFs that is larger than or equal to a number of DL or special SFs of the third TDD UL-DL configuration, wherein the base station configures the UE the first offset by signaling of a system information block, the second offset by RRC signaling, and wherein either the base station configures the UE the third offset by RRC signaling or the UE determines the third offset based on a total size of DL control channels the base station transmits in the first subset of the set of DL or special SFs.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

configuring, by the base station to the UE using radio resource control signaling, a third resource for transmission of acknowledgement information in the UL SF in response to a reception of a SPS PDSCH, wherein the UE selects from the first set of resources, the second set of resources, and the third resource, the resource of the physical UL control channel to transmit the acknowledgement information based on the values of the acknowledgement information.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the ARO field is by a predetermined function mapping a ARO field value in a respective DCI format to a resource offset, and wherein a first function is used when the DCI format is detected in a SF from the subset of the one or more DL or special SFs that is in the first set and a second function is used when the DCI format is detected in a SF from the subset of the one or more DL or special SFs that is in the second set.

5. A method comprising:

configuring, by a base station to a User Equipment (UE), a first Time Division Duplex (TDD) UpLink-DownLink (UL-DL) configuration, a second TDD UL-DL configuration, and a third TDD UL-DL configuration; and

transmitting, by the base station to the UE in a DL or special SubFrame (SF) of the third TDD UL-DL configuration, a Physical DL Control CHannel (PDCCH) wherein the PDCCH is of a first type or of a second type and conveys a DL Control Information (DCI) format that schedules to the UE in the DL or special SF either a reception of a Physical DL Shared CHannel (PDSCH) or a release of a Semi-Persistently Scheduled (SPS) PDSCH,

wherein, in response to receiving the first TDD UL-DL configuration, the second TDD UL-DL configuration, and the third TDD UL-DL configuration, the UE:

determines, according to the second TDD UL-DL configuration, an UL SF to transmit acknowledgement information in response to at least one reception of PDSCH or SPS PDSCH release in a set of DL or special SFs of the third TDD UL-DL configuration;

receives a number of PDSCHs and SPS PDSCH release in a subset of the set of DL or special SFs;

determines:

acknowledgement information for the set of DL and special SFs in response at least to the reception of the number of PDSCHs and SPS PDSCH release in the subset of the set of DL or special SFs; and

a first subset of the set of DL or special SFs that are DL or special SFs in the first TDD UL-DL configuration for which acknowledgement information is transmitted in the UL SF and a second subset of the set of DL or special SFs comprising of DL or special SFs that are not in the first subset; and

transmits, to the base station, the acknowledgement information wherein acknowledgement information corresponding to DL or special SFs in the first subset is ordered prior to acknowledgement information corresponding to DL SFs in the second subset if the transmission is in a Physical UL Control CHannel (PUCCH) and wherein acknowledgement information is ordered according to the index of a DL or special SF in the second TDD UL-DL configuration if the transmission is in a Physical UL Shared CHannel (PUSCH).

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the base station configures the UE the first TDD UL-DL configuration by signaling of a system information block signaling or by radio resource control signaling, the second TDD UL-DL configuration by radio resource control signaling, and the third TDD UL-DL configuration by signaling of a control channel that conveys a DL Control Information (DCI) format indicating the third TDD UL-DL configuration.

7. A base station comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit to a User Equipment (UE):

signaling indicating a first Time Division Duplex (TDD) UpLink-DownLink (UL-DL) configuration, signaling indicating a second TDD UL-DL configuration, and signaling indicating a third TDD UL-DL configuration; and

either a Physical DL Control CHannel (PDCCH) or an Enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH), in a DL or special SFs of the third TDD UL-DL configuration, conveying a DL Control Information (DCI) format that schedules to the UE either a reception of a Physical DL Shared CHannel (PDSCH) or a release of a Semi-Persistently Scheduled (SPS) PDSCH in the DL or special SF, wherein if the DCI format is conveyed by the EPDCCH it includes an Acknowledgement Resource Offset (ARO) field;

a receiver configured to receive, from the UE, acknowledgement information in a resource of a physical UL control channel from a first set of resources or from a second set of resources; and

a processor configured to determine

an UL SF, according to the second TDD UL-DL configuration, for receiving acknowledgement information for a set of DL or special SFs in the third TDD UL-DL configuration wherein the acknowledgement information is in response to at least one transmission of PDSCH or SPS PDSCH release in the set of DL or special SFs;

a first subset of the set of DL or special SFs that are DL or special SFs in the first TDD UL-DL configuration for which acknowledgement information is transmitted in the UL SF and a second subset of the set of DL or special SFs comprising of DL or special SFs that are not in the first subset; and

the first set of resources and the second set of resources in the UL SF, wherein

a resource in the first set of resources corresponds to a SF in the first set and is determined either using a first offset if the transmission is scheduled by a PDCCH or using the ARO field and a second offset if the transmission is scheduled by an EPDCCH;

a resource in the second set of resources corresponds to a SF that is in the second set and is determined using a third offset if the transmission is scheduled by a PDCCH or using the ARO field and the second offset if the transmission is scheduled by an EPDCCH.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the base station configures the UE the first TDD UL-DL configuration by signaling of a system information block or by Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, the second TDD UL-DL configuration by RRC signaling, and the third TDD UL-DL configuration by signaling of a control channel that conveys a DL Control Information (DCI) format indicating the third TDD UL-DL configuration, wherein the first TDD UL-DL configuration has a number of UL SFs that is larger than or equal to a number of UL SFs of the third TDD UL-DL configuration and the second and TDD UL-DL configuration has a number of DL or special SFs that is larger than or equal to a number of DL or special SFs of the third TDD UL-DL configuration, wherein the base station configures the UE the first offset by signaling of a system information block, the second offset by RRC signaling, and wherein either the base station configures the UE the third offset by RRC signaling or the UE determines the third offset based on a total size of DL control channels the base station transmits in the first subset of the set of DL or special SFs.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:

signaling, by the base station to the UE using radio resource control signaling, a third resource for transmission of acknowledgement information in the UL SF in response to a reception of a SPS PDSCH, wherein the acknowledgement information is received in a resource of a physical UL control channel from the first set of resources or from the second set or in the third resource based on the values of the acknowledgement information.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein using the ARO field is by a predetermined function mapping a ARO field value in a respective DCI format to a resource offset, and wherein a first function is used when the DCI format is detected in a SF from the subset of the one or more DL or special SFs that is in the first set and a second function is used when the DCI format is detected in a SF from the subset of the one or more DL or special SFs that is in the second set.

11. A User Equipment (UE) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive from a base station:

signaling indicating a first Time Division Duplex (TDD) UpLink-DownLink (UL-DL) configuration, signaling indicating a second TDD UL-DL configuration, and signaling indicating a third TDD UL-DL configuration; and

either a Physical DL Control CHannel (PDCCH) or an Enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH), in a DL or special SFs of the third TDD UL-DL configuration, conveying a DL Control Information (DCI) format that schedules to the UE either a reception of a Physical DL Shared CHannel (PDSCH) or a release of a Semi-Persistently Scheduled (SPS) PDSCH in the DL or special SF, wherein if the DCI format is conveyed by the EPDCCH it includes an Acknowledgement Resource Offset (ARO) field;

a transmitter configured to transmit, to the base station, acknowledgement information in a resource of a physical UL control channel from a first set of resources or from a second set of resources; and

a processor configured to determine:

an UL SF, according to the second TDD UL-DL configuration, for the transmitting the acknowledgement information for a set of DL or special SFs in the third TDD UL-DL configuration wherein the acknowledgement information is in response to at least one reception of PDSCH or SPS PDSCH release in the set of DL or special SFs;

a first subset of the set of DL or special SFs that are DL or special SFs in the first TDD UL-DL configuration for which acknowledgement information is transmitted in the UL SF and a second subset of the set of DL or special SFs comprising of DL or special SFs that are not in the first subset; and

the first set of resources and the second set of resources in the UL SF, wherein

a resource in the first set of resources corresponds to a SF in the first set and is determined either using a first offset if the reception is scheduled by a PDCCH or using the ARO field and a second offset if the reception is scheduled by an EPDCCH;

a resource in the second set of resources corresponds to a SF that is in the second set and is determined using a third offset if the reception is scheduled by a PDCCH or using the ARO field and the second offset if the reception is scheduled by an EPDCCH.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the base station configures the UE the first TDD UL-DL configuration by signaling of a system information block or by Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, the second TDD UL-DL configuration by RRC signaling, and the third TDD UL-DL configuration by signaling of a control channel that conveys a DL Control Information (DCI) format indicating the third TDD UL-DL configuration, wherein the first TDD UL-DL configuration has a number of UL SFs that is larger than or equal to a number of UL SFs of the third TDD UL-DL configuration and the second and TDD UL-DL configuration has a number of DL or special SFs that is larger than or equal to a number of DL or special SFs of the third TDD UL-DL configuration, wherein the base station configures the UE the first offset by signaling of a system information block, the second offset by RRC signaling, and wherein either the base station configures the UE the third offset by RRC signaling or the UE determines the third offset based on a total size of DL control channels the base station transmits in the first subset of the set of DL or special SFs.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a receiver configured to receive radio resource control signaling from the base station indicating a third resource for transmission of acknowledgement information in the UL SF in response to a reception of a SPS PDSCH, wherein the acknowledgement information is transmitted in a resource of a physical UL control channel from the first set of resources or from the second set or in the third resource based on the values of the acknowledgement information.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein using the ARO field is by a predetermined function mapping a ARO field value in a respective DCI format to a resource offset, and wherein a first function is used when the DCI format is detected in a SF from the subset of the one or more DL or special SFs that is in the first set and a second function is used when the DCI format is detected in a SF from the subset of the one or more DL or special SFs that is in the second set.