Method and apparatus for using contention-based resource zones for transmitting data in a wireless network

1. A method of operating a user equipment device in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving contention-based configuration data from a base station in the wireless communication system, the contention-based configuration data comprising:

zone data that identifies a plurality of contention-based resource zones for a shared channel supported by the base station, each of the contention-based resource zones defining an area comprising a respective number of physical resource blocks;

modulation and coding scheme data that identifies modulation and coding schemes assigned to the contention-based resource zones; and

minimum power headroom data that identifies minimum power headroom values assigned to the contention-based resource zones;

comparing currently available power headroom of the user equipment device to the received minimum power headroom values to identify a subset of the contention-based resource zones for which the currently available power headroom of the user equipment device satisfies the received minimum power headroom values; and

selecting, from the subset of the contention-based resource zones, a transmit resource zone to be used for data packet transmission.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a transmit modulation and coding scheme from the received modulation and coding schemes, the transmit modulation and coding scheme being assigned to the transmit resource zone; and

transmitting a data packet from the user equipment device, using the transmit modulation and coding scheme.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising randomly selecting a demodulation reference signal cyclic shift, wherein transmitting the data packet is performed using the transmit modulation and coding scheme and the randomly selected demodulation reference signal cyclic shift.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the minimum power headroom data identifies a different minimum power headroom value for each of the contention-based resource zones.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least two of the minimum power headroom values are the same.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving step receives the contention-based configuration data using Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving step receives the contention-based configuration data using a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

8. A user equipment device for operation in a wireless communication system, the user equipment device comprising:

a wireless communication module that supports a shared channel between the user equipment device and a base station in the wireless communication system, and that supports a signaling channel between the user equipment device and the base station, wherein the wireless communication module receives contention-based configuration data from the base station using the signaling channel; and

a processor module operatively associated with the wireless communication module and configured to process the received contention-based configuration data; wherein

the contention-based configuration data comprises:

zone data that identifies a plurality of contention-based resource zones for the shared channel, each of the contention-based resource zones comprising a respective number of physical resource blocks;

modulation and coding scheme data that identifies modulation and coding schemes assigned to the contention-based resource zones; and

minimum power headroom data that identifies minimum power headroom values assigned to the contention-based resource zones;

the processor module compares currently available power headroom of the user equipment device to the received minimum power headroom values to identify a subset of the contention-based resource zones for which the currently available power headroom of the user equipment device satisfies the received minimum power headroom values;

the processor module selects, from the subset of the contention-based resource zones, a transmit resource zone; and

the wireless communication module transmits a data packet using the selected transmit resource zone.

9. The user equipment device of claim 8 , wherein:

the processor module identifies which of the modulation and coding schemes is assigned to the transmit resource zone; and

the wireless communication module transmits the data packet using the identified modulation and coding scheme.

10. The user equipment device of claim 9 , wherein:

the processor module randomly selects a demodulation reference signal cyclic shift; and

the wireless communication module transmits the data packet using the identified modulation and coding scheme and the randomly selected demodulation reference signal cyclic shift.

11. The user equipment device of claim 8 , wherein the minimum power headroom data identifies a different minimum power headroom value for each of the contention-based resource zones.

12. The user equipment device of claim 8 , wherein at least two of the minimum power headroom values are the same.

13. The user equipment device of claim 8 , wherein the wireless communication module receives the contention-based configuration data using Radio Resource Control (RRC).

14. The user equipment device of claim 8 , wherein the wireless communication module receives the contention-based configuration data using a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

15. A method of operating a user equipment device in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving contention-based configuration data from a base station in the wireless communication system, the contention-based configuration data comprising zone data that identifies a plurality of contention-based resource zones for a shared channel supported by the base station, comprising modulation and coding scheme data that identifies modulation and coding schemes assigned to the contention-based resource zones, and comprising minimum power headroom data that identifies minimum power headroom values assigned to the contention-based resource zones;

selecting one of the contention-based resource zones by

comparing currently available power headroom of the user equipment device to the received minimum power headroom values

to identify a subset of the contention-based resource zones for which the currently available power headroom of the user equipment device satisfies the received minimum power headroom values; and

selecting the one of the contention-based resource zones from the subset of the contention-based resource zones;

randomly selecting a demodulation reference signal cyclic shift from a plurality of available demodulation reference signal cyclic shifts; and

transmitting a data packet from the user equipment device, using the selected one of the contention-based resource zones and its assigned modulation and coding scheme, and using the randomly selected demodulation reference signal cyclic shift.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the receiving step receives the contention-based configuration data using Radio Resource Control (RRC).

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the receiving step receives the contention-based configuration data using a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

18. A user equipment device for operation in a wireless communication system, the user equipment device comprising:

a wireless communication module that supports a shared channel between the user equipment device and a base station in the wireless communication system, and that supports a signaling channel between the user equipment device and the base station, wherein the wireless communication module receives contention-based configuration data from the base station using the signaling channel; and

a processor module operatively associated with the wireless communication module and configured to process the received contention-based configuration data; wherein

the contention-based configuration data comprises zone data that identifies a plurality of contention-based resource zones for the shared channel, modulation and coding scheme data that identifies modulation and coding schemes assigned to the contention-based resource zones, and minimum power headroom data that identifies minimum power headroom values assigned to the contention-based resource zones;

the processor module

selects one of the contention-based resource zones by comparing currently available power headroom of the user equipment device to the received minimum power headroom values to identify a subset of the contention-based resource zones for which the currently available power headroom of the user equipment device satisfies the received minimum power headroom values, and by selecting the one of the contention-based resource zones from the subset of the contention-based resource zones, and

randomly selects a demodulation reference signal cyclic shift from a plurality of available demodulation reference signal cyclic shifts; and

the wireless communication module transmits a data packet using the selected one of the contention-based resource zones and its assigned modulation and coding scheme, and using the randomly selected demodulation reference signal cyclic shift.

19. The user equipment device of claim 18 , wherein the wireless communication module receives the contention-based configuration data using Radio Resource Control (RRC).

20. The user equipment device of claim 18 , wherein the wireless communication module receives the contention-based configuration data using a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).