HARQ PROCESS NUMBER MANAGEMENT FOR DOWNLINK CARRIER AGGREGATION

摘要

A method for use with a mobile user agent, the method for managing Hybrid Automatic Repeat request (HARQ) processes in a multi carrier communication system that uses HARQ process indicators (HPIs) to manage HARQ processes, the method comprising the steps of designating a first subset of the HPIs as shared HPIs wherein each shared HPI designates a HARQ process irrespective of which of a plurality of system carrier frequencies are used to transmit a traffic packet, designating a second subset of the HPIs as non-carrier-shared HPIs wherein each non-carrier-shared HPI1 in conjunction with the carrier frequency used to transmit a traffic packet, designates a carrier frequency unique HARQ process, receiving an HPI at the mobile user agent, receiving a first traffic packet via a carrier frequency at the user agent that is associated with the HPI, where the HPI is a first subset HPI using the HPI to identify a HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet irrespective of the carrier frequency used to transmit the traffic packet and providing the traffic packet to the identified HARQ process and where the HPI is a second subset HPI using the HPI and the carrier frequency on which the first traffic packet was received to identify a carrier frequency specific HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet and providing the first traffic packet to the carrier frequency specific HARQ process.