Logical channel prioritization procedure for generating multiple uplink transport blocks

Abstract

The invention relates to methods for scheduling of uplink transmission and generating transport blocks according to multiple received uplink assignments. Furthermore, the invention is also related to the implementation of these methods in hardware and software. To propose strategies for generating plural transport blocks within a given time constraint, the invention introduces prioritization of the uplink assignments, so that multiple uplink assignments can be ranked in the mobile terminal in a priority order. The prioritization of the uplink assignments is used to determine the order in which the individual transport blocks corresponding to the uplink assignments are filled, respectively how the data of different logical channels is multiplexed to the transport blocks for transmission in the uplink. Another aspect of the invention is to suggest joint logical channel procedures that operate on virtual transport blocks accumulated from the received uplink assignments. One or more such joint logical channel procedure can be performed in parallel.

1 . A method for controlling the transmit power for uplink transmissions on component carriers of a mobile communication system in a power-limited situation, wherein the component carriers have a priority order, the method comprising the following steps performed by a mobile terminal:
 receiving uplink resource assignments scheduling the uplink transmissions on the component carriers within a transmission time interval,   determining for each of a respective one of the uplink transmissions, a transmit power required for transmitting the respective uplink transmission according to its corresponding uplink resource assignment,   reducing the determined transmit power for each of a respective one of the uplink transmissions according to the priority of the component carriers given by the priority order on which the respective uplink transmission is to be transmitted, and   transmitting the uplink transmissions on the component carriers within the transmission time interval, using the reduced transmit power.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 determining for each of the uplink transmissions i, a scaling factor s i , where s i ε[0, . . . , 1], wherein the determination of the respective scaling factor s i  for each uplink transmission is based on the priority of the component carrier associated with the respective uplink transmission i as given by the priority order,   wherein reducing the transmit power comprises scaling for each of a respective one of the uplink transmissions the determined transmit power according to the priority of the component carriers given by the priority order.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the scaling factors s i  for the uplink transmissions are determined such that the sum of the required transmit powers scaled by the scaling factors s i  for the uplink transmissions is smaller or equal to a maximum transmit power available to the mobile terminal for transmitting the uplink transmissions. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the maximum transmit power available to the mobile terminal is the maximum transmit power the mobile terminal is allowed to use for the uplink transmissions as configured by the network, minus the transmit power required by the mobile terminal for control signaling on the physical uplink control channel within the transmission time interval in which the uplink transmissions are transmitted. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein each uplink resource assignment is allocating radio resources on one of the component carriers, and the component carriers are assigned respective priorities, wherein the priority order of the uplink resource assignments is determined according to the priorities of the component carriers on which the radio resources are allocated by the uplink resource assignments. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein each uplink resource assignment is allocating radio resources on one of the component carriers, and the component carriers are assigned respective priorities, wherein the priority order of the uplink resource assignments is determined according to the priorities of the component carriers on which the radio resources are allocated by the uplink resource assignments. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the priority order of the component carriers is signaled by means of higher layer signaling to the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the priority order of the component carriers is signaled by means of higher layer signaling to the mobile terminal. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the higher layer signaling is MAC control signaling or radio resource signaling. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the priority of each uplink resource assignment is determined by the type of the component carrier to which it pertains. 
     
     
         11 . A mobile terminal for controlling the transmit power for uplink transmissions on component carriers of a mobile communication system in a power-limited situation, wherein the component carriers have a priority order, the mobile terminal comprising:
 a receiver adapted to receive uplink resource assignments scheduling the uplink transmissions on the component carriers within a transmission time interval,   a processor adapted to determine for each of a respective one of the uplink transmissions, a transmit power required for transmitting the respective uplink transmission according to its corresponding uplink resource assignment,   a processor adapted to reduce the determined transmit power for each of a respective one of the uplink transmissions according to the priority of the component carriers given by the priority order on which the respective uplink transmission is to be transmitted, and   a transmitter adapted to transmit the uplink transmissions on the component carriers within the transmission time interval, using the reduced transmit power.   
     
     
         12 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 the processor adapted to determine for each of the uplink transmissions i, a scaling factor s i , where s i ε[0, . . . , 1], wherein the determination of the respective scaling factor s i  for each uplink transmission is based on the priority of the component carrier associated with the respective uplink transmission i as given by the priority order,   wherein reducing the transmit power comprises the processor scaling for each of a respective one of the uplink transmissions the determined transmit power according to the priority of the component carriers given by the priority order.   
     
     
         13 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 12 , wherein the scaling factors s i  for the uplink transmissions are determined such that the sum of the required transmit powers scaled by the scaling factors s i  for the uplink transmissions is smaller or equal to a maximum transmit power available to the mobile terminal for transmitting the uplink transmissions. 
     
     
         14 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 13 , wherein the maximum transmit power available to the mobile terminal is the maximum transmit power the mobile terminal is allowed to use for the uplink transmissions as configured by the network, minus the transmit power required by the mobile terminal for control signaling on the physical uplink control channel within the transmission time interval in which the uplink transmissions are transmitted. 
     
     
         15 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 11 , wherein each uplink resource assignment is allocating radio resources on one of the component carriers, and the component carriers are assigned respective priorities, wherein the priority order of the uplink resource assignments is determined according to the priorities of the component carriers on which the radio resources are allocated by the uplink resource assignments. 
     
     
         16 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 11 , wherein the priority order of the component carriers is signaled by means of higher layer signaling to the mobile terminal, such as MAC control signaling or radio resource signaling. 
     
     
         17 . The mobile terminal according to  claim 11 , wherein the priority of each uplink resource assignment is determined by the type of the component carrier to which it pertains.