Method and apparatus for managing multiple timing advance groups in mobile communication system supporting carrier aggregation

• US 10,098,106 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Sangbum, Jeong, Kyeongin
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Steve R
• Application Number:
  US15/340,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20170048835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1835 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1851 using multiple timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1874 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1883 using multiple timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2662 Symbol synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0005 synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/005 : compensating for timing error by adjustment in the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 : Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 : Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 : in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 : in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 : Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/085 : collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0858 : collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0891 : for synchronized access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 : Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 : triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for managing multiple Timing Advance Groups (TAGs) operating with different timings are provided for use in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system. The method for managing multiple TAGs at a base station of a wireless communication system supporting carrier aggregation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes categorizing a plurality of carriers into at least one TAG according to a predetermined rule, assigning a TAG index to each TAG, transmitting the TAG index to a terminal, generating a Timing Advance Command (TAC) for synchronization, and transmitting the TAC to the terminal in a random access process. The method and apparatus for managing TAGs according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention is capable of informing of the timing advance group to which each carrier belongs and managing multiple timing advance groups efficiently without signaling overhead.

Claims

1. A method by a terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, from a base station, radio resource control (RRC) connection reconfiguration information for configuring a secondary cell (SCell), wherein the RRC connection reconfiguration information includes an identifier of a timing advance group (TAG) to which the SCell belongs if the SCell does not belong to a primary TAG (PTAG) to which a primary cell (PCell) belongs and the RRC connection reconfiguration information does not include an identifier of a TAG for the SCell if the SCell belongs to the PTAG;

receiving, from the base station, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) for activating the SCell;

monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for the SCell based on the received MAC CE;

receiving, from the base station, a PDCCH order for initiating a random access procedure on the SCell based on the monitoring;

performing the random access procedure on the SCell based on the PDCCH order; and

receiving, from the base station, a MAC CE including a timing advance command (TAC) for a TAG including the SCell based on the random access procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the PDCCH order includes a random access resource and a random access preamble index.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the random access procedure is a non-contention based random access procedure.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the MAC CE including the TAC further includes an identifier of a TAG including the SCell, and

wherein the identifier is 0 if the TAG is the PTAG and the identifier is not 0 if the TAG is not the PTAG.

5. A terminal comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a signal; and

a controller configured to;

control the transceiver to receive, from a base station, radio resource control (RRC) connection reconfiguration information for configuring a secondary cell (SCell), wherein the RRC connection reconfiguration information includes an identifier of a timing advance group (TAG) to which the SCell belongs if the SCell does not belong to a primary TAG (PTAG) to which a primary cell (PCell) belongs and the RRC connection reconfiguration information does not include an identifier of a TAG for the SCell if the SCell belongs to the PTAG,

control the transceiver to receive, from the base station, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) for activating the SCell,

monitor a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for the SCell based on the received MAC CE,

control the transceiver to receive, from the base station, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) order for initiating a random access procedure on the SCell based on the monitoring,

perform the random access procedure on the SCell based on the PDCCH order, and

receive, from the base station, a MAC CE including a timing advance command (TAC) for a TAG including the SCell based on the random access procedure from the base station.

6. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the PDCCH order includes a random access resource and a random access preamble index.

7. The terminal of claim 5, wherein the random access procedure is a non-contention based random access procedure.

8. The terminal of claim 5,

wherein the MAC CE including the TAC further includes an identifier of a TAG including the SCell, and

wherein the identifier is 0 if the TAG is the PTAG and the identifier is not 0 if the TAG is not the PTAG.

9. A method by a base station, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a terminal, radio resource control (RRC) connection reconfiguration information for configuring a secondary cell (SCell), wherein the RRC connection reconfiguration information includes an identifier of a timing advance group (TAG) to which the SCell belongs if the SCell does not belong to a primary TAG (PTAG) to which a primary cell (PCell) belongs and the RRC connection reconfiguration information does not include an identifier of a TAG for the SCell if the SCell belongs to the PTAG;

transmitting, to the terminal, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) for activating the SCell;

transmitting, to the terminal, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) order for initiating a random access procedure on the SCell;

initiating the random access procedure on the SCell based on the PDCCH order; and

transmitting, to the terminal, a MAC CE including a timing advance command (TAC) for a TAG including the SCell based on the random access procedure,

wherein the PDCCH order is received at the terminal by monitoring a PDCCH for the SCell based on the received MAC CE by the terminal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the PDCCH order includes a random access resource and a random access preamble index.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the random access procedure is a non-contention based random access procedure.

12. The method of claim 9,

wherein the MAC CE including the TAC further includes an identifier of a TAG including the SCell, and

wherein the identifier is 0 if the TAG is the PTAG and the identifier is not 0 if the TAG is not the PTAG.

13. A base station comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a signal; and

a controller configured to;

control the transceiver to transmit, to a terminal, radio resource control (RRC) connection reconfiguration information for configuring a secondary cell (SCell), wherein the RRC connection reconfiguration information includes an identifier of a timing advance group (TAG) to which the SCell belongs if the SCell does not belong to a primary TAG (PTAG) to which a primary cell (PCell) belongs and the RRC connection reconfiguration information does not include an identifier of a TAG for the SCell if the SCell belongs to the PTAG,

control the transceiver to transmit, to the terminal, a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) for activating the SCell,

control the transceiver to transmit, to the terminal, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) order for initiating a random access procedure on the SCell,

initiate the random access procedure on the SCell based on the PDCCH order, and

control the transceiver to transmit, to the terminal, a MAC CE including a timing advance command (TAC) for a TAG including the SCell based on the random access procedure,

wherein the PDCCH order is received at the terminal by monitoring a PDCCH for the SCell based on the received MAC CE by the terminal.

14. The base station of claim 13, wherein the PDCCH order includes a random access resource and a random access preamble index.

15. The base station of claim 13, wherein the random access procedure is a non-contention based random access procedure.

16. The base station of claim 13,

wherein the MAC CE including the TAC further includes an identifier of a TAG including the SCell, and

wherein the identifier is 0 if the TAG is the PTAG and the identifier is not 0 if the TAG is not the PTAG.