UPLINK ACK/NACK SIGNALING FOR AGGREGATED CARRIERS IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK
A system and method for uplink ACK/NACK signaling for aggregated carriers in a communication network includes a step 400 of determining that a user equipment-specific configuration consists of at least two aggregated downlink carriers. A next step 402 includes instructing the user equipment to provide ACK/NACK feedback. A next step 404 includes receiving ACK/NACK feedback.
1 . A method for controlling uplink Acknowledged/Negative Acknowledged (ACK/NACK) signaling for aggregated carriers in a communication network, the method comprising the step of:
determining that a user equipment-specific configuration consists of at least two aggregated downlink carriers;
instructing the user equipment to provide ACK/NACK feedback on an uplink resource; and
receiving ACK/NACK feedback.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructing step includes instructing the user equipment to use physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) Format 2 channel coding to provide ACK/NACK feedback.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving step includes receiving ACK/NACK feedback in PUCCH Format 2 channel coding.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink resource in the instructing step includes the uplink carrier index and the ACK/NACK resource index.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructing step includes basing the uplink resource assignment on a number of fields given in one or more downlink grants to the UE.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructing step includes basing the uplink resource assignment on a user equipment-specific carrier aggregation configuration.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructing step includes selecting an uplink resource based on a predefined Cell Radio Network Temporary ID (C-RNTI) relationship.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructing step includes basing an ACK/NACK resource index assignment on information in one or more fields in one or more downlink assignment grants.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructing step includes basing the uplink resource assignment on Cyclic Redundancy Check masking, where the uplink resource selection is indicated by different masking bit patterns.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructing step includes basing the uplink resource assignment on resources assigned via a radio resource controller.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructing step includes basing the uplink resource assignment on a channel control element number.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the instructing step subsequently includes a substep of changing a given uplink resource assignment.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the changing substep is based on an explicit assignment field instruction.
14 . An eNodeB operable to control uplink ACK/NACK signaling for aggregated carriers in a communication network, the eNodeB comprising:
a processor operable to determine that a user equipment-specific configuration consists of at least two aggregated downlink carriers; and
a transceiver for receiving instructions from to the processor and a memory, the transceiver operable to send information instructing user equipment to provide ACK/NACK feedback, and to receive such feedback.