Method and apparatus for allocating resources and processing confirmation information

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for allocating ACKnowledgement (ACK)/Non-ACKnowledgement (NACK) channel resources and processing confirmation information are disclosed. The method includes: The network side determines one physical channel area among multiple physical channel areas to be used by an ACK/NACK channel, and notifies the determined physical channel area to a User Equipment (UE) so as to enable the UE to determine a channel for receiving or sending ACK/NACK information in the determined physical channel area according to a mapping rule. Moreover, the network side may send or receive ACK/NACK information on the physical channel area that includes the ACK/NACK channel. The method and apparatus improve the utilization ratio and flexibility of the ACK/NACK channel, and reduce the probability of conflict generated by the ACK/NACK channel.

1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a terminal device from a base station, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) on a downlink carrier of at least two downlink carriers, wherein the at least two downlink carriers are capable of being configured for the terminal device;   determining, by the terminal device, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource for carrying acknowledgement or non-acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) in response to the PDSCH, wherein the PUCCH resource is dynamically located within a first PUCCH resource area or a second PUCCH resource area; and   transmitting, by the terminal device on the PUCCH resource, the ACK/NACK in response to the PDSCH.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the terminal device from the base station, an indication indicating a PUCCH resource area in the first PUCCH resource area or the second PUCCH resource area; and   determining, by the terminal device, the PUCCH resource area based on the indication.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the indication is carried on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first PUCCH resource area is for feeding back ACK/NACK in a legacy system, and the second PUCCH resource area is for feeding back confirmation information in a system compatible with the legacy system. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first PUCCH resource area is for carrying ACK/NACK information in a long term evolution (LTE) system, and the second PUCCH resource area is for carrying ACK/NACK information in a long term evolution advanced (LTE-A) system compatible with the LTE system. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining, by the terminal device, the PUCCH resource in the determined PUCCH area according to a mapping rule, wherein the mapping rule is a principle of selecting a PUCCH resource for transmitting ACK/NACK information in a PUCCH resource area.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the first PUCCH resource area and the second PUCCH resource area correspond to different mapping rules. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein one mapping rule in the different mapping rules is that the PUCCH resource is indicated by a start offset information combined with a sequence number of a control channel element (CCE). 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a storage medium including executable instructions; and   a processor, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 receive a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) on a downlink carrier of at least two downlink carriers, wherein the at least two downlink carriers are capable of being configured for the terminal device; 
 determine a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource for carrying acknowledgement or non-acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) in response to the PDSCH, wherein the PUCCH resource is dynamically located within a first PUCCH resource area or a second PUCCH resource area; and 
 transmit, on the PUCCH resource, the ACK/NACK in response to the PDSCH. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:
 receive an indication indicating a PUCCH resource area in the first PUCCH resource area or the second PUCCH resource area; and   determine the PUCCH resource area based on the indication.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the indication is carried on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the first PUCCH resource area is for feeding back ACK/NACK in a legacy system, and the second PUCCH resource area is for feeding back confirmation information in a system compatible with the legacy system. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the first PUCCH resource area is for carrying ACK/NACK information in a long term evolution (LTE) system, and the second PUCCH resource area is for carrying ACK/NACK information in a long term evolution advanced (LTE-A) system compatible with the LTE system. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:
 determine the PUCCH resource in the determined PUCCH area according to a mapping rule, wherein the mapping rule is a principle of selecting a PUCCH resource for transmitting ACK/NACK information in a PUCCH resource area.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the first PUCCH resource area and the second PUCCH resource area correspond to different mapping rules. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 15 , wherein one mapping rule in the different mapping rules is that the PUCCH resource is indicated by a start offset information combined with a sequence number of a control channel element (CCE). 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 transmitting, by a base station to a terminal device, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) on a downlink carrier of at least two downlink carriers, wherein the at least two downlink carriers are capable of being configured for the terminal device;   determining, by the base station, a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource for carrying acknowledgement or non-acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) in response to the PDSCH, wherein the PUCCH resource is dynamically located within a first PUCCH resource area or a second PUCCH resource area; and   receiving, by the base station on the PUCCH resource, the ACK/NACK.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising:
 transmitting, by the base station, an indication indicating a PUCCH resource area in the first PUCCH resource area or the second PUCCH resource area.   
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the first PUCCH resource area is for feeding back ACK/NACK in a legacy system, and the second PUCCH resource area is for feeding back confirmation information in a system compatible with the legacy system. 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a storage medium including executable instructions; and   a processor, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 transmit a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) on a downlink carrier of at least two downlink carriers, wherein the at least two downlink carriers are capable of being configured for a terminal device; 
 determine a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource for carrying acknowledgement or non-acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) in response to the PDSCH, wherein the PUCCH resource is dynamically located within a first PUCCH resource area or a second PUCCH resource area; and 
 receive, on the PUCCH resource, the ACK/NACK. 
   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to:
 transmit an indication indicating a PUCCH resource area in the first PUCCH resource area or the second PUCCH resource area.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the first PUCCH resource area is for feeding back ACK/NACK in a legacy system, and the second PUCCH resource area is for feeding back confirmation information in a system compatible with the legacy system.