Patent Publication Number: US-2013231067-A1

Title: Radio communication apparatus and radio communication method

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of International Application PCT/JP2010/069137, filed on Oct. 28, 2010 and designating the U.S., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The embodiments discussed herein are related to a radio communication apparatus and radio communication method. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Conventionally, communication speed in mobile radio communication systems has increased. Because of this, there has been an increase in the volume of calculation necessary for modulation and demodulation processing. Accordingly, configuration may be such that, with the demodulation processing on the receiving side and the modulation processing on the transmitting side performed by separate hardware blocks and processors such as digital signal processors (DSPs), the modulation and demodulation processing will be finished within a limited time. 
     Meanwhile, in a radio communication system in which a base station transmits the time as a reference to a terminal and the terminal performs time management based on the received time, there is a technology of demodulating a modulated transmission signal, detecting a delay time at the time of the demodulation, and adjusting a starting time of transmission processing, using the detected delay time. In a transceiver performing transmission and reception with different timings and intermittently, there is a technology of controlling a power source so that, to reduce power consumption, a transmitting circuit will be operated only during a data transmission period and a receiving circuit will be operated only during a data reception period. For examples of such technology, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. H7-131408 and H7-212269. 
     In the case of performing the demodulation processing on the receiving side and the modulation processing on the transmitting side by different hardware blocks and processors, however, there is the following problem. For example, it is possible that a predetermined timing difference is prescribed between a downlink signal to be subject to the demodulation processing and an uplink signal to be subject to the modulation processing. An example of such a system is, for example, a high speed packet access (HSPA)+ system called 3.5 generation in wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) mobile radio communication. 
     The third generation partnership project (3GPP) specifies, in the state of performing dedicated channel communication, the timing difference between a downlink dedicated physical channel (DL DPCH) and an uplink dedicated physical channel (UL DPCH) as 1024 chips (see 3GPP TS 25.211 V8.6.0 (2009 December)). Therefore, there must be a matching of timing recognition of a control operation, with respect to the hardware and firmware for control of the hardware to be arranged in the DSP. 
     The terminal can recognize the timing of a radio signal by executing a cell search and a path search. Cell search processing and path search processing, however, are incorporated in a demodulation processing block of the terminal but are not incorporated in a modulation processing block. Therefore, when the modulation processing block and the demodulation processing block are configured by physically different pieces of hardware, the timing (e.g., slot number) of the radio signal detected in the demodulation processing block is reported to the modulation processing block. Since, in the process of such reporting, a delay is caused in the signal transfer between the blocks, a delay occurs in the transfer of the timing of the radio signal. Since a discrepancy, corresponding to such a delay, in the recognition of the slot boundary is caused between the modulating processing block and the demodulation processing block, synchronizing of the timings becomes difficult. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of an embodiment, a radio communication apparatus includes a reception processing unit that processes a received signal; a transmission processing unit that processes a transmission signal; a timer controller that updates a value of a timer referred to by the reception processing unit and the transmission processing unit; and memory that stores a timing discrepancy amount output from the reception processing unit. The reception processing unit obtains an amount of discrepancy between timing information included in the received signal and timing information obtained from the timer controller, determines the timing for the received signal based on the amount of discrepancy, and stores the amount of discrepancy as the timing discrepancy amount to the memory. Further, the transmission processing unit reads out the amount of discrepancy from the memory and determines the timing for the transmission signal based on the amount of discrepancy. 
     The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a radio communication apparatus according to a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a radio communication method according to the first embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the radio communication apparatus according to a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  depicts a free-running counter in the radio communication apparatus according to the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  is an explanatory diagram of parameters of a reference timing; 
         FIG. 6  is an explanatory diagram of a DL DPCH and a UL DPCH; 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart of an initial setting process of the radio communication method according to the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart of a correction process of the radio communication method according to the second embodiment; 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart of the correction process of the radio communication method according to the second embodiment; and 
         FIG. 10  is a block diagram of the radio communication apparatus according to a third embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of a radio communication apparatus and a radio communication method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The radio communication apparatus and the radio communication method obtain the amount of discrepancy between timing information included in a received signal and the timing information obtained from a timer and determine the timing for the received signal and a transmission signal, based on this amount of discrepancy and the timing information obtained from the timer. The present invention is not limited by the embodiments. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the radio communication apparatus according to a first embodiment. As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the radio communication apparatus has a reception processing unit  1 , a transmission processing unit  2 , a timer controller  3 , and memory  4 . The reception processing unit  1  processes a received signal. The reception processing unit  1  obtains the amount of discrepancy between the timing information included in the received signal and the timing information obtained from the timer controller  3  and determines the timing for the received signal, based on this amount of discrepancy. The reception processing unit  1  stores the amount of discrepancy to the memory  4 . The transmission processing unit  2  processes a transmission signal. The transmission processing unit  2  reads out the amount of discrepancy from the memory  4  and determines the timing for the transmission signal, based on the amount of discrepancy. The timer controller  3  updates the value of a timer that can be referred to by the reception processing unit  1  and the transmission processing unit  2 . The memory  4  stores the amount of discrepancy of the timing to be output from the reception processing unit  1 . 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a radio communication method according to the first embodiment. As depicted in  FIG. 2 , upon starting of radio communication processing, the reception processing unit  1  detects the timing information included in the received signal (step S 1 ). The reception processing unit  1  obtains the amount of discrepancy between the detected timing information and the timing information obtained from the timer controller  3  (step S 2 ). The reception processing unit  1  determines the timing for the received signal, based on the amount of discrepancy obtained at step S 2  (step S 3 ). The reception processing unit  1  transfers the obtained amount of discrepancy to the transmission processing unit  2  (step S 4 ). The transmission processing unit  2  determines the timing for the transmission signal, based on the amount of discrepancy transferred from the reception processing unit  1  (step S 5 ). The radio communication apparatus ends the series of operations. Step S 4  may be performed before step S 3  and steps S 4  and S 5  may be performed before step S 3 . 
     According to the first embodiment, since the reception processing unit  1  and the transmission processing unit  2  determine respective timings, based on the amount of discrepancy between the timing information included in the received signal and the timing information obtained from the timer controller  3 , the timings can be synchronized between the reception processing unit  1  and the transmission processing unit  2 . Therefore, the timings can be synchronized between the received signal demodulation processing block included in the reception processing unit  1  and the transmission signal modulation processing block included in the transmission processing unit  2 . 
     A second embodiment is an application to a mobile radio communication system of a cellular phone, etc. For example, a second generation or third generation cellular phone system, a HSPA+ system, a long term evolution (LTE) system called 3.9 generation, or a fourth or subsequent generation cellular phone system can be cited as one example of the cellular phone system. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of the radio communication apparatus according to a second embodiment. As depicted in  FIG. 3 , the radio communication apparatus according to the second embodiment has, for example, an automatic gain control (AGC)/demodulation controller  11  and a decoding controller  16  as, for example, the reception processing unit, a modulation/power controller  12  as, for example, the transmission processing unit, a global timer controller  13  as, for example, the timer controller, and memory  14 . For example, the AGC/demodulation controller  11  may be implemented by hardware and hardware-control firmware to be arranged in a DSP. The modulation/power controller  12  may be implemented by the hardware and the hardware-control firmware to be arranged in the DSP and different from those for the AGC/demodulation controller  11 . 
     The radio communication apparatus converts a radio frequency (RF) signal received by an antenna  18  to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal at a frequency converter  15 . The AGC/demodulation controller  11  demodulates the IF signal output from the frequency converter  15  into a baseband signal and controls the output level of the baseband signal (demodulated signal) to be constant. The decoding controller  16  decodes the demodulated signal output from the AGC/demodulation controller  11 . 
     The modulation/power controller  12  modulates the baseband signal encoded at an encoding controller  17  (encoded data) into the IF signal and controls transmission power. The radio communication apparatus converts the IF signal output from the modulation/power controller  12 , into an RF signal at the frequency converter  15  and transmits the RF signal from the antenna  18 . 
     The global timer controller  13  has, for example, a free-running counter to be described later. This free-running counter can be referred to by the AGC/demodulation controller  11 , the modulation/power controller  12 , and the decoding controller  16 . The memory  14  stores parameters of a reference timing. The memory  14  can be accessed by the AGC/demodulation controller  11  and the modulation/power controller  12 . For example, the amount of discrepancy between the timing information obtained by counting by the free-running counter and the timing information obtained from, for example, a common pilot channel (CPICH) sent by a non-depicted base station can be cited as an example of the parameters of the reference timing. 
     For example, a system frame timing (SFT) can be cited as an example of an amount of discrepancy. The SFT denotes, for example, a timing difference between a current value of the free-running counter and the head of a leading frame of the CPICH. A method of obtaining the SFT will be described later. If the SFT is obtained, the DL DPCH and the UL DPCH can be obtained. A method of obtaining the DL DPCH and the UL DPCH will be described later. 
       FIG. 4  depicts the free-running counter in the radio communication apparatus according to the second embodiment. As depicted in  FIG. 4 , the free-running counter has, for example, three parameters including a modem frame number (MFN)  21 , a frame timing value (FTV)  22 , and a slot timing value (STV)  23 . 
     The free-running counter count each sample time, 10240 samples (slot timing value: 0 to 10239) making up one slot, 15 slots (frame timing value: 0 to 14) making up one frame, 4096 frames (modem frame number: 0 to 4095) making up one period. Thus, although in the second embodiment, the frame structure of the free-running counter is made the same as the frame structure of the CPICH, the frame structure of the free-running counter may be different. 
       FIG. 5  is an explanatory diagram of the parameters of the reference timing. In  FIG. 5 , a system frame number (SFN)  26  represents the frame number of the CPICH. The AGC/demodulation controller  11  has a function of performing a path search and, by performing a path search, can detect the timing of the boundary between the CPICH frame at the time of performing the path search and the immediately preceding frame, namely, the head of the current frame of the CPICH. 
     The AGC/demodulation controller  11  can also detect the timing of the boundary between the frame of the free-running counter at the time of performing the path search and the immediately preceding frame, namely, the head of the current frame of the free-running counter. Therefore, the AGC/demodulation controller  11  detects a timing difference MFT (modem frame timing (also called path timing)) between the head of the current frame of the CPICH and the head of the current frame of the free-running counter. 
     In the example depicted in  FIG. 5 , the current frame of the CPICH is a frame  27  of the number m and the current frame of the free-running counter is a frame  28  of the number n. Accordingly, the timing difference between the head of the frame  27  having the SFN of m and the head of the frame  28  having the MFN of n is the MFT. The MFT is the timing difference of less than one frame. 
     The decoding controller  16 , by decoding a synchronization-use channel, can detect the timing difference between the head of the frame of the free-running counter of the same number as that of the current frame of the CPICH and the head of the current frame of the free-running counter. This timing difference is given as a frame offset. 
     In the example depicted in  FIG. 5 , the frame of the free-running counter of the same number as number m of the current frame of the CPICH is a frame  29  of the number m. The current frame of the free-running counter is the frame  28  of the number n. Therefore, the frame offset is the timing difference between the head of the frame  29  of the number m and the head of the frame  28  of the number n. If the frame number of the free-running counter at timing t is expressed as MFN(t) and the frame number of the CPICH at timing t is expressed as SFN(t), then the frame offset can be expressed as Eq. (1). 
       Frame offset [sample]=( MFN ( t )− SFN ( t )) [frame]×15 [slot/frame]×10240 [sample/slot]  (1)
 
     If the frame offset is known, the AGC/demodulation controller  11  can obtain the parameter SFT of the reference timing. As depicted in  FIG. 5 , the parameter SFT of the reference timing is the frame offset expressed by Eq. (1) with the MFT added thereto. Therefore, the parameter SFT of the reference timing can be expressed by Eq. (2). 
         SFT  [sample]=( MFN ( t )− SFN ( t )) [frame]×15 [slot/frame]×10240 [sample/slot]+ MFT   (2)
 
       FIG. 6  is an explanatory diagram of the DL DPCH and the UL DPCH. In  FIG. 6 , a DPCH offset (DOFF) is an offset value of the head of the leading frame of the CPICH and the head of the leading frame of the DL DPCH. The DOFF is notified by an upper layer such as the network to the radio communication apparatus such as a terminal. Therefore, as depicted in  FIG. 6 , the AGC/demodulation controller  11  and the modulation/power controller  12  can obtain a DL DPCH timing  31  by adding the DOFF to the SFT. The DL DPCH timing can be expressed by Eq. (3). 
         DL DPCH  timing= SFT+DOFF  [sample]  (3)
 
     As described, since the timing difference between the DL DPCH and the UL DPCH is 1024 chips, the modulation/power controller  12  can obtain a UL DPCH timing  32  by adding 1024 chips to the above DL DPCH timing. The UL DPCH timing can be expressed by Eq. (4). 
         UL DPCH  timing= DL DPCH  timing+1024 [chips]  (4)
 
     For example, at the time of an initial setting when the communication by the dedicated channel is started, the above adjustment is performed with respect to the DL DPCH and the UL DPCH. When a path timing discrepancy occurs consequent to a network or environmental factor during communication by a dedicated channel, the above adjustment of the DL DPCH and the UL DPCH is performed at the time of correcting the discrepancy. 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart of an initial setting process of the radio communication method according to the second embodiment. As depicted in  FIG. 7 , upon starting of the initial setting process at the time of starting the dedicated channel communication, the AGC/demodulation controller  11  performs a cell search and a path search to detect the MFT of the signal to be transmitted from a communication counterpart cell, namely, a reference cell (step S 11 ). The AGC/demodulation controller  11  then demodulates a primary common control physical channel (PCCPCH) to transmit notification information and transfers results of the demodulation to the decoding controller  16  (step S 12 ). 
     The AGC/demodulation controller  11  then transfers the MFT to the decoding controller  16  (step S 13 ). The decoding controller  16  detects the frame offset expressed by Eq. (1) and notifies the AGC/demodulation controller  11  of the value of the frame offset (step S 14 ). The AGC/demodulation controller  11  calculates the parameter SFT of the reference timing expressed by Eq. (2) (step S 15 ). 
     The AGC/demodulation controller  11  transfers the parameter SFT of the reference timing to the modulation/power controller  12  (step S 16 ). For example, configuration may be such that the parameter SFT of the reference timing will be transferred from the AGC/demodulation controller  11  to the modulation/power controller  12 , by the AGC/demodulation controller  11  storing the parameter SFT of the reference timing to the memory  14  and the modulation/power controller  12  reading out the parameter SFT of the reference timing from the memory  14 . 
     The AGC/demodulation controller  11  and the modulation/power controller  12  then calculate the DL DPCH timing expressed by Eq. (3) (step S 17 ). The modulation/power controller  12  calculates the UL DPCH timing expressed by Eq. (4) (step S 18 ), ending a series of the operations. 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  are a flowchart of a correction process of the radio communication method according to the second embodiment. As depicted in  FIG. 8 , during the dedicated channel communication, the AGC/demodulation controller  11  periodically performs a path search to detect the MFT of the signal to be transmitted from the reference cell (step S 21 ). The AGC/demodulation controller  11  then transfers the MFT to the modulation/power controller  12  (step S 22 ). The MFT as well may be transferred by way of the memory  14  in the same manner as in the transfer of the SFT. 
     The modulation/power controller  12  determines whether a notification of the MFT is a first notification (step S 23 ). If the notification is the first notification (step S 23 : YES), the modulation/power controller  12  updates the value of the MFT to be applied in the detection of the frame offset by the decoding controller  16 , to the value of the MFT transferred from the AGC/demodulation controller  11  at step S 22  (step S 24 ). The modulation/power controller  12  also updates the value held as the latest MFT value, to the value of the MFT transferred from the AGC/demodulation controller  11  at step S 22  (step S 25 ). On the other hand, if the notification of the MFT is not the first notification (step S 23 : NO), then the modulation/power controller  12  updates the latest MFT value but does not update the value of the MFT to be applied to the detection of the frame offset (step S 25 ). 
     Then, as depicted in  FIG. 9 , the modulation/power controller  12  determines whether to perform the determination of whether to update the SFT, the DL DPCH, and the UL DPCH (step S 26 ). Step S 26  is performed, for example, when the mobile radio communication system is a system in which the radio communication apparatus is permitted to change the timing of the transmission signal once every predetermined period. For example, the cellular phone system of the 3GPP specification can be cited as one example of such a mobile radio communication system. In the cellular phone system of the 3GPP specification, for example, the timing of the transmission signal of a mobile station can be changed once every 20 ms, by up to one sample. If the SFT, the DL DPCH, and the UL DPCH are changed each time the modulation/power controller  12  is notified of the MFT, step S 26  may be omitted. 
     If the determination of updating is performed (step S 26 : YES), then the modulation/power controller  12  determines whether the current MFT value being applied to the detection of the frame offset is not equal to the latest MFT value after updating at step S 25  (step S 27 ). Configuration may be such that if a difference between the current MFT value being applied to the detection of the frame offset and the latest MFT value is within a given range, then both will be treated as equal and that if the difference is not within the given range, then both will be treated as unequal. 
     If the current MFT value being applied to the detection of the frame offset and the latest MFT value are not equal (step S 27 : YES), then the modulation/power controller  12  updates the current MFT value being applied to the detection of the frame offset, to the latest MFT value and holds the updated value. The modulation/power controller  12  updates the current value of the parameter SFT of the reference timing to the value reflecting the MFT after the updating (step S 28 ). In the case of the cellular phone system of the 3GPP specification, since the timing of the transmission signal of the mobile station can be changed by up to one sample as described above, the modulation/power controller  12  updates the MFT and the SFT to the values corrected by one sample. 
     The modulation/power controller  12  transfers to the AGC/demodulation controller  11 , the parameter SFT of the reference timing after the updating (step S 29 ). For example, the SFT may be transferred by way of the memory  14  in the same manner as in the transfer of the SFT from the AGC/demodulation controller  11  to the modulation/power controller  12  described above. 
     The AGC/demodulation controller  11  and the modulation/power controller  12  calculate the DL DPCH timing expressed by Eq. (3) (step S 30 ). The modulation/power controller  12  calculates the UL DPCH timing expressed by Eq. (4) (step S. 31 ), ending a series of operations. If the determination of updating is not performed (step S 26 : NO), the series of operations is ended. If the current MFT value being applied to the detection of the frame offset and the latest MFT value are equal (step S 27 : NO), the series of operations is ended. Thus, the discrepancy of the DL DPCH and the UL DPCH is corrected. 
     According to the second embodiment, since the AGC/demodulation controller  11  and the modulation/power controller  12  determine or correct the DL DPCH and the UL DPCH based on the timing difference between the value of the free-running counter and the CPICH, the timings can be synchronized between the AGC/demodulation controller  11  and the modulation/power controller  12 . 
     A third embodiment is designed to perform power source control during a given period, for example, during a period of being in the state of waiting for an incoming call, in the second embodiment. Components identical to those in the second embodiment are given a same reference numerals used in the second embodiment and redundant description omitted. 
       FIG. 10  is a block diagram of the radio communication apparatus according to the third embodiment. As depicted in  FIG. 10 , the radio communication apparatus according to the third embodiment has a controller  19  to perform the power source control in the radio communication apparatus according to the embodiment. The controller  19  separately controls the power source of a transmitting side block  41  including the modulation/power controller  12  and the encoding controller  17  and the power source of a receiving side block  42  including the AGC/demodulation controller  11  and the decoding controller  16 . The receiving side block  42  may include, for example, the global timer controller  13 , the memory  14 , and the frequency converter  15 . 
     The AGC/demodulation controller  11 , when the notification information can be received, recognizes that the radio communication apparatus is within a range of the cell of a base station and is in the communicating state. The AGC/demodulation controller  11 , when the notification information cannot be received, recognizes that the radio communication apparatus is not within the range of the cell of a base station, namely, the apparatus is out of the range of the cell. The AGC/demodulation controller  11  stores in the memory  14  the information of whether the radio communication apparatus is in the communicating state or is out of the range of the cell. 
     The controller  19  reads out from the memory  14 , the information of whether the apparatus is in the communicating state or is out of the range of the cell and performs the power source control. For example, when the radio communication apparatus is out of the range of the cell, since the radio communication apparatus cannot transmit, the controller  19  turns off the power source of the transmitting side block  41 . When the radio communication apparatus is in the state of waiting, the controller  19 , by a message from the upper layer, recognizes that the radio communication apparatus is in the state of waiting. For example, when the radio communication apparatus is in the state of waiting, since the radio communication apparatus is not required to perform the transmission processing, the controller  10  turns off the power source of the transmitting side block  41 . 
     Even when the radio communication apparatus is out of the range of the cell, the power source of the receiving side block  42  may be in the “on” state since the radio communication apparatus, when moving and entering the cell of a base station, is required to receive the notification information. When the radio communication apparatus is in the state of waiting, the power source of the receiving side block  42  may be in the “on” state since the radio communication apparatus is required to respond to a call from the base station at the time of an incoming call. In the “off” state of the power source of the transmitting side block  41 , since the timings of the AGC/demodulation controller  11  and the modulation/power controller  12  are not required to be synchronized, the global timer controller  13  may be in the “off” state. Alternatively, the global timer controller  13  may be in an activated state even when the power source of the transmitting side block  41  is in the “off” state. In this case, the AGC/demodulation controller  11  can recognize the timing of the radio signal. 
     According to the third embodiment, since the power source of the transmitting side block  41  is put in the “off” state when the radio communication apparatus is out of the range of the cell or is in the state of waiting, power consumption can be reduced. In particular, during the operation of the radio communication apparatus, since the time for which the radio communication apparatus is in the state of waiting usually constitutes a large part of the operating time, the power consumption can be reduced. 
     According to the radio communication apparatus and the radio communication method, timings can be synchronized between the modulation processing block and the demodulation processing block. 
     All examples and conditional language provided herein are intended for pedagogical purposes of aiding the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to further the art, and are not to be construed as limitations to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although one or more embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.