Multi-group communication using multiple channels or cells

• US 10,034,274 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Shohei
• Primary Examiner(s): AMBAYE, MEWALE A
• Application Number:
  US14/846,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20150382345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0618 Space-time coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A User Equipment (UE) configured for multi-group communications is described. The UE includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that is in electronic communication with the processor. The UE detects a plurality of cells. The UE also determines to use multiple groups of one or more cells. The UE further determines a primary secondary cell (PSCell) for a non-primary cell (non-PCell) group based on UE-specific radio resource control (RRC) signaling. The UE additionally receives information using the multiple groups.

Claims

1. A User Equipment (UE) comprising:

a computer processor;

a memory in electronic communication with the computer processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the computer processor to;

receive a radio resource control (RRC) message including a configuration to configure multiple groups, each of which is constituted by one or more serving cells;

wherein

a cell configured with a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), which is included in one group of the multiple groups, is a primary cell (PCell), and

a cell configured with a PUCCH, which is included in another group of the multiple groups, is a primary secondary cell (PSCell),

one or more hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgements (HARQ-ACK(s)) for the one group are mapped to the PUCCH on the PCell and one or more hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgements (HARQ-ACK(s)) for the another group are mapped to the PUCCH on the PSCell.

5. The User Equipment (UE) of claim 1, further comprising instructions being executable by the computer processor to receive an RRC message indicating the PSCell.

2. A base station comprising:

a computer processor;

a memory in electronic communication with the computer processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the computer processor to;

transmit a radio resource control (RRC) message including a configuration to configure multiple groups, each of which is constituted by one or more serving cells;

wherein

a cell configured with a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), which is included in one group of the multiple groups, is a primary cell (PCell), and

a cell configured with a PUCCH, which is included in another group of the multiple groups, is a primary secondary cell (PSCell),

one or more hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgements (HARQ-ACK(s)) for the one group are mapped to the PUCCH on the PCell and one or more hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgements (HARQ-ACK(s)) for the another group are mapped to the PUCCH on the PSCell.

6. The base station of claim 2, further comprising instructions being executable by the computer processor to transmit an RRC message indicating the PSCell.

3. A method performed by a User Equipment (UE) comprising:

receiving, from a base station a radio resource control (RRC) message including a configuration to configure multiple groups, each of which is constituted by one or more serving cells;

wherein

a cell configured with a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), which is included in one group of the multiple groups, is a primary cell (PCell), and

a cell configured with a PUCCH, which is included in another group of the multiple groups, is a primary secondary cell (PSCell),

one or more hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgements (HARQ-ACK(s)) for the one group are mapped to the PUCCH on the PCell and one or more hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgements (HARQ-ACK(s)) for the another group are mapped to the PUCCH on the PSCell.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving an RRC message indicating the PSCell.

4. A method performed by a base station comprising:

transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), a radio resource control (RRC) message including a configuration to configure multiple groups, each of which is constituted by one or more serving cells;

wherein

a cell configured with a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), which is included in one group of the multiple groups, is a primary cell (PCell), and

a cell configured with a PUCCH, which is included in another group of the multiple groups, is a primary secondary cell (PSCell),

one or more hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgements (HARQ-ACK(s)) for the one group are mapped to the PUCCH on the PCell and one or more hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgements (HARQ-ACK(s)) for the another group are mapped to the PUCCH on the PSCell.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising transmitting an RRC message indicating the PSCell.