Method for partial retransmission

Abstract

Methods and systems for partial retransmission are provided. According to one aspect, a method for receiving, at a receiver, a partial retransmission from a sender, comprises: receiving a control information message indicating a second transmission to be received, the second transmission comprising retransmitted data, the retransmitted data comprising a retransmission of a portion of a first transmission; receiving the second transmission; determining, based on a mapping indicator, a location of the retransmitted data within the second transmission; and decoding the retransmitted data at the determined location within the second transmission. The mapping indicator may be received as part of the control information message or may be received separately from the control information message. In one embodiment, the combination of the control information and the mapping indicator indicates what portions of the first transmission are being retransmitted and where they are located within the second transmission.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for partial retransmission from a sender to a receiver, the method comprising:
 the sender sending, to the receiver, a first transmission of a transport block;   the sender receiving, from the receiver, an indication identifying a subset of code blocks of the transport block that should be retransmitted;   the receiver receiving, from the sender, a control information message indicating that a second transmission will be transmitted in a Transmission Time Interval, TTI, comprising a plurality of symbols, the second transmission comprising retransmitted data in a subset of the plurality of symbols of the TTI, the retransmitted data comprising the subset of code blocks of the transport block, wherein the control information message comprises a mapping indicator indicating the subset of the plurality of symbols of the TTI;   the receiver receiving, from the sender, the second transmission comprising the retransmitted data;   based on the mapping indicator, the receiver determining a symbol location of the retransmitted data within the TTI of the transmission; and   the receiver decoding the retransmitted data at the determined symbol location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the control information message comprises a Downlink Control Information, DCI, message. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the control information message identifies what portion of the subset of code blocks of the transport block is being retransmitted. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein determining the symbol location of the retransmitted data comprises determining the symbol location based on the mapping indicator. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the receiver comprises a wireless device or user equipment. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the mapping indicator indicates that the retransmitted data will occupy a same location or locations in the transmission as originally transmitted data occupied in the subset of code blocks of the previously transmitted transport block. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the mapping indicator indicates that the retransmitted data will occupy contiguous locations within the transmission. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the mapping indicator indicates that the retransmitted data will be distributed throughout the transmission. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the mapping indicator identifies what portion of the subset of code blocks of the previously transmitted transport block is being retransmitted. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the mapping indicator identifies one mapping from among a plurality of mappings, each mapping identifying at least one of:
 a location of the retransmitted data within the-transmission; and 
 what portion of the subset of code blocks of the previously transmitted transport block is being retransmitted. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the control information message or the mapping indicator includes a combination instruction that indicates whether the retransmitted data will replace originally transmitted data or will be soft combined with the originally transmitted data. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the combination instruction comprises a redundancy version. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the receiver indicates unsuccessful reception of a portion or portions of the transmission via transmitting a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request, HARQ, feedback. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the HARQ feedback comprises multiple bits per transport block. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the multiple bits are used to signal a HARQ Acknowledgement, ACK, or Negative ACK, NACK, per transport block or per code block. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sender comprises a network node. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the network node comprises a radio access node. 
     
     
         18 . A system for partial retransmission from a sender to a receiver, where:
 the sender comprises: at least one radio unit; and a control system adapted to cause the sender to:
 send, to the receiver, a first transmission of a transport block; 
 receive, from the receiver, an indication identifying a subset of code blocks of the transport block that should be retransmitted; 
   the receiver comprises: at least one transceiver; and processing circuitry adapted to cause the receiver to:
 receive, from the sender, a control information message indicating that a second transmission will be transmitted in a Transmission Time Interval, TTI, comprising a plurality of symbols, the second transmission comprising retransmitted data in a subset of the plurality of symbols of the TTI, the retransmitted data comprising the subset of code blocks of the transport block, wherein the control information message comprises a mapping indicator indicating the subset of the plurality of symbols of the TTI; 
 receive, from the sender, the second transmission comprising the retransmitted data; 
 determine, based on the mapping indicator, a symbol location of the retransmitted data within the TTI of the transmission; and 
 decode the retransmitted data at the determined symbol location. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the sender comprises a network node. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the receiver comprises a wireless device or user equipment.