Method and apparatus for communicating an uplink channel

Abstract

A lack of a valid dedicated uplink control channel resource configuration can be ascertained by a device. A downlink message can be received by the device, where the downlink message can be based on a device identity of the device. In response to receiving the downlink message, a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement feedback can be transmitted by the device on an uplink control channel. The uplink control channel can be from a set of uplink control channels, where each uplink control channel in the set of uplink control channels can have a same number of symbols.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a controller that ascertains a lack of a valid dedicated uplink control channel resource configuration; and   a transceiver coupled to the controller, where the transceiver
 receives a downlink message, where the downlink message is based on a device identity of the apparatus, and 
 transmits, in response to receiving the downlink message, a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement feedback on an uplink control channel, wherein the uplink control channel is from a set of uplink control channels, where each uplink control channel in the set of uplink control channels has a same number of symbols. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of symbols for each uplink control channel of the set of uplink control channels is determined based on a cell-specific parameter, in response to ascertaining the lack of the valid dedicated uplink control channel resource configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver receives downlink scheduling downlink control information, where the downlink scheduling downlink control information includes information of a device-specific physical resource block offset and cyclic shift information of a base sequence for the hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement feedback transmission. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver receives, via system information, an indication of a number of symbols for the uplink control channel, and
 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting on the uplink control channel of the number of symbols, where the number of symbols is determined based on the received indication.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the indication is an index to predefined set of uplink control channel configurations. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the index identifies a number of symbols in a predefined set of numbers of symbols in the predefined set of uplink control channel configurations, and   wherein the controller identifies the indicated number of symbols from the predefined set of numbers of symbols.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the index further identifies a cell-specific physical resource block offset for the uplink control channel, and   wherein transmitting further includes transmitting, in response to receiving the downlink message, the hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement feedback on the uplink control channel using the identified cell-specific physical resource block offset.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the index also identifies a starting symbol for the uplink control channel, and   wherein transmitting also includes transmitting, in response to receiving the downlink message, the hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement feedback on the uplink control channel using the identified starting symbol.   
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 ascertaining, by a device, a lack of a valid dedicated uplink control channel resource configuration;   receiving, by the device, a downlink message, where the downlink message is based on a device identity of the device; and   transmitting, by the device, in response to receiving the downlink message, a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement feedback on an uplink control channel, wherein the uplink control channel is from a set of uplink control channels, where each uplink control channel in the set of uplink control channels has a same number of symbols.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the number of symbols for each uplink control channel of the set of uplink control channels is determined based on a cell-specific parameter, in response to ascertaining the lack of the valid dedicated uplink control channel resource configuration. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising receiving downlink scheduling downlink control information, where the downlink scheduling downlink control information includes information of a device-specific physical resource block offset and cyclic shift information of a base sequence for the hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement feedback transmission. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising receiving, via system information, an indication of a number of symbols for the uplink control channel, and
 wherein transmitting comprises transmitting on the uplink control channel of the number of symbols, where the number of symbols is determined based on the received indication.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the indication is an index to predefined set of uplink control channel configurations. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the index identifies a number of symbols in a predefined set of numbers of symbols in the predefined set of uplink control channel configurations, and   wherein the method comprises identifying the indicated number of symbols from the predefined set of numbers of symbols.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined set of numbers of symbols is based on a reference numerology indicated in the system information. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the index further identifies a cell-specific physical resource block offset for the uplink control channel, and   wherein transmitting further includes transmitting, in response to receiving the downlink message, the hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement feedback on the uplink control channel using the identified cell-specific physical resource block offset.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein the index also identifies a starting symbol for the uplink control channel, and   wherein transmitting also includes transmitting, in response to receiving the downlink message, the hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement feedback on the uplink control channel using the identified starting symbol.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising transmitting information of supported uplink control channel formats. 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus comprising:
 a controller that controls operations of the apparatus; and   a transceiver coupled to the controller, where the transceiver
 transmits a downlink message, where the downlink message is based on a device identity of a user equipment, and 
 receives, in response to receiving the downlink message, a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement feedback on an uplink control channel, wherein the uplink control channel is from a set of uplink control channels, where each uplink control channel in the set of uplink control channels has a same number of symbols. 
   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein the transceiver transmits an index to predefined set of uplink control channel configurations, where the index identifies the number of symbols for each uplink control channel of the set of uplink control channels.