Abstract: The disclosure relates to technology for a base station to signal user equipment to monitor a narrowband control channel in a wideband system. The base station sends a configuration signaling to configure the user equipment including a designation of subframe(s). The base station then determines whether to signal the user equipment to monitor the subframe(s) using one of a narrowband bandwidth and a system bandwidth. In response to the base station signaling the user equipment to monitor the narrowband bandwidth, the base station communicates with the user equipment using the narrowband bandwidth. In response to the base station signaling the user equipment to monitor the system bandwidth, the base station sends a probe message within the narrowband bandwidth to the user equipment, where the probe message signals to the user equipment to begin monitoring the system bandwidth and to communicate with the user equipment using the system bandwidth.

Abstract: A method for operating a user equipment (UE) configured for estimating channel quality includes receiving a downlink fractional control channel from a non-serving HS-DSCH cell, estimating a quality of the downlink fractional control channel over a specified time period, and deriving downlink synchronization primitives in accordance with the quality of the downlink fractional control channel. Further methods for deriving the transmit power of an uplink control channel from downlink fractional control channels transmitted by the serving and non-serving HS-DSCH cells are disclosed.

Abstract: Channel estimation accuracy is improved by adjusting the power level of a physical control channel allocated to a receiver based on the transmission rate and/or transport format of a corresponding physical data channel allocated to the same receiver. The physical control channel may be a DPCCH, E-DPCCH or other type of physical control channel allocated to a receiver for facilitating uplink or downlink communication. In one embodiment, control channel symbols are transmitted for use in channel estimation by adjusting the power level of a physical control channel allocated to a receiver based on the transmission rate and/or transport format of a physical data channel allocated to the receiver (200). Control channel symbols are transmitted to the receiver over the physical control channel at the adjusted power level (202). The receiver uses the control channel symbols to perform channel estimation (204).

Abstract: An apparatus is configured to perform a method for user equipment (UE) offloading. The method includes receiving, at a network controller, a measurement report from a UE, the measurement report radio link measurement quantities of a serving cell and one or more candidate serving cells, the measurement quantities measured after interference cancellation or suppression. The method also includes, based in part on the measurement report from the UE, determining whether to offload the UE to a second cell among the one or more candidate serving cells.

Abstract: A user equipment (UE) performing transmit power control (TPC) transmission slot assignment includes a receiver, a determining means and a slot allocator. The UE receives one or more TPC commands from two or more radio links, determines a TPC combining period in accordance with a primary slot position, wherein a primary TPC symbol transmission of the primary radio link is present at the primary slot position; a slot allocator that allocates a secondary slot position for a secondary TPC symbol transmission of the secondary radio link in accordance with the TPC combining period. A method and a radio base station are also included herein.

Abstract: Backwards compatibility may be achieved by transmitting an alternating pattern of uplink TPC commands in uplink timeslots. In one example, a served user equipment (UE) receives a downlink TPC command from a serving base station during a downlink timeslot in a sequence of downlink timeslots, and generates an uplink TPC command based on a received power level of the downlink TPC command. The served UE may then transmit the uplink TPC command in an uplink timeslot mapped to the downlink timeslot in which the downlink TPC command was received, as well as transmit an alternating pattern of uplink TPC commands in other uplink timeslots. The alternating pattern of uplink TPC commands may cause a neighboring base station to effectively maintain its transmit power level.

Abstract: An embodiment method for controlling user equipment (UE) offloading includes transmitting, by a node B, to a radio network controller (RNC), a report including at least one downlink quantity associated with a UE and received by the node B from the UE.

Abstract: Transitioning from basic higher order MIMO channel estimation to enhanced higher order MIMO channel estimation (and vice-versa) can be accomplished through the signaling of high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) shared control channel (HS-SCCH) orders to next-generation user equipments (UEs). A base station can be configured to send an HS-SCCH order indicating activation of scheduled pilot channels, and then begin transmitting the scheduled pilot channels after receiving an ACK message from at least one next-generation UE. A base station can also be configured to send an HS-SCCH order indicating de-activation of scheduled pilot channels to next-generation UEs scheduled for downlink transmission, and then stop transmitting the scheduled pilot channels after receiving ACK messages from each next-generation UE. Alternatively, scheduled pilot channels may be activated/de-activated without receiving an ACK message from some or all of the next-generation UEs scheduled for downlink transmission.

Abstract: System and method embodiments are provided for adaptive pilot allocation. In an embodiment, a method in a communication controller for adaptive pilot allocation includes determining at least one channel condition parameter for a wireless channel between the communications controller and a user equipment (UE). The method includes selecting a microframe pilot pattern to use for subsequent communications on the wireless channel according to the at least one channel condition parameter. Additionally, the method includes signaling an indication of the selected microframe pilot pattern to the user equipment. The method further includes transmitting data to the UE using the selected microframe pilot pattern.

Abstract: System and method embodiments are provided for a subframe structure for wideband LTE. In an embodiment, a method in a communications controller for transmitting a packet to a wireless device includes signaling a UL/DL configuration to the wireless device, wherein the UL/DL configuration indicates a quantity of uplink microframes in a group of microframes, wherein each subframe includes a plurality of microframes, and wherein the group of microframes includes a consecutive sequence downlink microframes and a consecutive sequence of uplink microframes. The packet is transmitted to the wireless device in one downlink microframe. The method further includes receiving an acknowledgement of the packet in an uplink microframe, wherein the uplink microframe is determined in accordance with the one downlink microframe and the uplink-downlink configuration, and wherein the acknowledgement is received in a same subframe as a subframe utilized for transmitting the packet to the wireless device.

Abstract: A system and method of scheduling transmissions. A wireless device such as an eNodeB (eNB) may schedule a transmission of a wideband (WB) signal on a micro-frame selected from a plurality of WB micro-frames of a WB carrier. A narrowband (NB) subframe may span a portion of the selected WB micro-frame in the frequency-domain, and the selected WB micro-frame may overlap at least a portion of the NB subframe in the time-domain. The WB signal and an NB signal may be transmitted over the WB micro-frame and the NB subframe in accordance with a first numerology and a second numerology, respectively. A WB subframe may be divided into a plurality of micro-frames. The transmission direction of the WB micro-frame may be scheduled according to a transmission rule based on the contents of a payload in the NB subframe.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for interference cancellation (IC) capability reporting and user equipment (UE) offloading in wireless or heterogeneous networks. In an embodiment, a method performed by a UE includes reporting, to a network, IC capability information of the UE, and receiving, from the network, instructions in accordance with the IC capability information of the UE. A handover procedure is then initiated in accordance with the instructions. In another embodiment, a method performed by a network component includes receiving, from a UE, IC capability information of the UE, evaluating the IC capability information of the UE, and sending instructions to the UE in accordance with the IC capability information of the UE. The instructions determine a handover behavior by the UE.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for configuring channel measurements and reporting by a user equipment (UE). The embodiments avoid unnecessary cell measurements and resulting reporting transmissions by the UE in network scenarios with restricted downlink transmissions from serving cells. A method by a network component includes sending, to the UE, a data transmission pattern for transmissions on downlinks from multiple cells serving the UE. The data transmission pattern indicates a plurality of subframes including one or more restricted subframes where transmissions from one of the cells are restricted. The method further includes sending, to the UE, a measurement pattern allocating measurements and reports for a cell from the UE to the cells at corresponding designated subframes of the subframes in the data transmission pattern. The UE transmits measurement reports to an assisting serving cell during the one or more restricted subframes.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to technology for a base station to signal user equipment to monitor a narrowband control channel in a wideband system. The base station sends a configuration signaling to configure the user equipment including a designation of subframe(s). The base station then determines whether to signal the user equipment to monitor the subframe(s) using one of a narrowband bandwidth and a system bandwidth. In response to the base station signaling the user equipment to monitor the narrowband bandwidth, the base station communicates with the user equipment using the narrowband bandwidth. In response to the base station signaling the user equipment to monitor the system bandwidth, the base station sends a probe message within the narrowband bandwidth to the user equipment, where the probe message signals to the user equipment to begin monitoring the system bandwidth and to communicate with the user equipment using the system bandwidth.

Abstract: Transitioning from basic higher order MIMO channel estimation to enhanced higher order MIMO channel estimation (and vice-versa) can be accomplished through the signaling of high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) shared control channel (HS-SCCH) orders to next-generation user equipments (UEs). A base station can be configured to send an HS-SCCH order indicating activation of scheduled pilot channels, and then begin transmitting the scheduled pilot channels after receiving an ACK message from at least one next-generation UE. A base station can also be configured to send an HS-SCCH order indicating de-activation of scheduled pilot channels to next-generation UEs scheduled for downlink transmission, and then stop transmitting the scheduled pilot channels after receiving ACK messages from each next-generation UE. Alternatively, scheduled pilot channels may be activated/de-activated without receiving an ACK message from some or all of the next-generation UEs scheduled for downlink transmission.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for efficient uplink multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission and retransmission schemes. The embodiments include determining transmission rank and stream for MIMO when there are pending retransmissions on one stream. When retransmitting previously failed transmitted data at a user device, the rank and stream are determined according to a relation between a defined minimum TBS and a TBS selected for transmission according to an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) transport format combination (E-TFC) selection procedure. An embodiment method includes detecting, at a user device, failed transmission of data on a secondary stream. If the selected TBS is less than the minimum TBS, then the user device selects rank-1 for retransmitting, on the primary stream, the data in the failed transmission regardless of rank indication by the network. Otherwise, the user device selects rank-2 for retransmitting, on the secondary stream, the data given a rank-2 indication.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for efficient uplink multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission and retransmission schemes. The embodiments include determining transmission rank and stream for MIMO when there are pending retransmissions on one stream. When retransmitting previously failed transmitted data at a user device, the rank and stream are determined according to a relation between a defined minimum TBS and a TBS selected for transmission according to an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) transport format combination (E-TFC) selection procedure. An embodiment method includes detecting, at a user device, failed transmission of data on a secondary stream. If the selected TBS is less than the minimum TBS, then the user device selects rank-1 for retransmitting, on the primary stream, the data in the failed transmission regardless of rank indication by the network. Otherwise, the user device selects rank-2 for retransmitting, on the secondary stream, the data given a rank-2 indication.

Abstract: A method for transmitting data streams in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) system is provided, where each data stream is mapped to multiple layers in an MIMO channel space for transmission, and the method includes: performing inter-layer interleaving for N data streams to obtain N interleaved data streams; mapping the N interleaved data streams respectively to N layers in the MIMO channel space, and transmitting the N interleaved data streams that are mapped to the N layers. By using the method of the present invention, a combined CQI can be used in a better way to improve MIMO transmission performance. Further, an impact of inter-layer interference is canceled by using an interference cancellation technology (for example, an SIC technology) based on the inter-layer interleaving.

Abstract: A method for operating a user equipment (UE) configured for estimating channel quality includes receiving a downlink fractional control channel from a non-serving HS-DSCH cell, estimating a quality of the downlink fractional control channel over a specified time period, and deriving downlink synchronization primitives in accordance with the quality of the downlink fractional control channel. Further methods for deriving the transmit power of an uplink control channel from downlink fractional control channels transmitted by the serving and non-serving HS-DSCH cells are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a receiver comprising a fast power control unit, said fast power control unit being arranged to continuously control a quality measure of a radio channel. The receiver is characterized in that the quality measure is a modified Signal to Interference plus noise ratio (SIR) in which the influence from self interference has been removed. The invention further relates to a method for continuously controlling a quality measure of a radio channel, wherein a modified Signal to Interference plus noise ratio (SIR) is continuously determined in which the influence from self interference has been removed.