Enhanced node B, user equipment and methods for discontinuous reception in inter-eNB carrier aggregation

• US 10,405,371 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Heo, Youn Hyoung, Zhang, Yujian
• Primary Examiner(s): Acolatse, Kodzovi
• Application Number:
  US15/588,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0278 using buffer status reports dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00692 using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/54 Signalisation aspects of the TPC commands, e.g. frame structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• 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 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 : Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of user equipment (UE) and methods for enhanced discontinuous reception (DRX) operations for inter eNB carrier aggregation (CA) in an LTE network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a UE is configured to be served by multiple serving cells. The first set of the serving cells may be associated with a first eNB and a second set of serving cells may be associated with a second eNB. In these embodiments, DRX operations may be performed independently in multiple serving cells belonging to the different eNBs. Other embodiments for enhanced DRX operations are also described.

Claims

1. An apparatus of user equipment (UE) configurable for connectivity with multiple cell groups entities, the apparatus comprising:

memory; and

processing circuitry, configured to;

decode radio-resource control (RRC) signaling from a first cell group associated with a first enhanced node B (eNB), the RRC signaling to configure the UE with a second cell group, the second cell group associated with a secondary eNB, the UE configured to utilize scheduled radio resources of both the first and second cell groups;

decode a first medium-access control (MAC) configuration element received for the first cell group and a second MAC configuration element for the second cell group, the MAC configuration elements to configure the UE for independent discontinuous reception (DRX) operations and independent buffer status reporting operations for each cell group, wherein the first MAC configuration element includes DRX configuration information and buffer status report (BSR) configuration information for the first cell group, and wherein the second MAC configuration element includes DRX configuration information and BSR configuration information for the second cell group;

perform buffer status reporting and DRX operations for the second cell group independently of buffer status reporting and DRX operations for the first cell group, wherein an independent retxBSR-Timer and periodicBSR-Timer are maintained for each of cell group;

configure first uplink data for transmission to the first eNB in accordance with scheduling information received for the first cell group; and

configure second uplink data for transmission to the second eNB in accordance with scheduling information received for the second cell group.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein to perform DRX operations for the first cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to monitor discontinuously a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) associated with the first cell group based on the DRX configuration information for the first cell group, wherein to perform DRX operations for the second cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to monitor discontinuously a PDCCH associated with the second cell group based on the DRX configuration information for the second cell group, and wherein the DRX operations for the first and second cell are performed independently.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the DRX configuration information for the first cell group includes an on-duration timer, a DRX inactivity time and a DRX-retransmission timer for the first cell group, and wherein the DRX configuration information for the second cell group includes an on-duration timer, a DRX inactivity time and a DRX-retransmission timer for the second cell group, when DRX is configured for the first cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to monitor discontinuously the PDCCH associated with the first cell group based on the DRX configuration information for the first cell group, and when DRX is configured for the second cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to monitor discontinuously the PDCCH associated with the second cell group based on the DRX configuration information for the second cell group.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the DRX configuration information for the first cell group indicates a first active time and the DRX configuration information for the second cell group indicates a second active time.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each active time includes time while a scheduling request sent by the UE on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) of an associated cell group is pending.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein each active time includes time while an uplink grant for a pending hybrid-automatic repeat request (HARQ) retransmission can occur and data is present in a corresponding HARQ buffer.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to process resource blocks received from the first eNB and the second eNB in accordance with a carrier aggregation technique when the first and second active times are synchronized.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein to perform buffer status reporting for the first cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to perform a first buffer status reporting procedure, based on the BSR configuration information for the first cell group, to inform the first eNB about data available for transmission in uplink buffers associated with MAC operations for the first eNB;

and

wherein to perform buffer status reporting for the second cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to perform a second buffer status reporting procedure, based on the BSR configuration information for the second cell group, to inform the second eNB about data available for transmission in uplink buffers associated with MAC operations for the second eNB, wherein the first and second buffer status reporting procedures are performed independently.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising transceiver circuitry to receive the RRC signaling, to transmit BSRs in accordance with the buffer status reporting operations, and to transmit the first and second uplink data.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the RRC signaling from the first cell group includes information to configure the UE with the second cell group.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by processing circuitry of a user equipment (UE) to configure the UE to perform operations to:

decode radio-resource control (RRC) signaling from a first cell group associated with a first enhanced node B (eNB), the RRC signaling to configure the UE with a second cell group, the second cell group associated with a secondary eNB, the UE configured to utilize scheduled radio resources of both the first and second cell groups;

decode a first MAC configuration element received for the first cell group and a second MAC configuration element for the second cell group, the MAC configuration elements to configure the UE for independent discontinuous reception (DRX) operations and independent buffer status reporting operations for each cell group, wherein the first MAC configuration element includes DRX configuration information for the first MAC entity, and wherein the second MAC configuration element includes DRX configuration information for the second cell group;

perform buffer status reporting and DRX operations for the second cell group independently of buffer status reporting and DRX operations for the first cell group, wherein an independent retxBSR-Timer and periodicBSR-Timer are maintained for each of cell group;

configure first uplink data for transmission to the first eNB in accordance with scheduling information received for the first cell group; and

configure second uplink data for transmission to the second eNB in accordance with scheduling information received for the second cell group.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein to perform DRX operations for the first cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to monitor discontinuously a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) associated with the first cell group based on the DRX configuration information for the first cell group, wherein to perform DRX operations for the second cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to monitor discontinuously a PDCCH associated with the second cell group based on the DRX configuration information for the second cell group, and wherein the DRX operations for the first and second cell are performed independently.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the DRX configuration information for the first cell group includes an on-duration timer, a DRX inactivity time and a DRX-retransmission timer for the first cell group, and wherein the DRX configuration information for the second cell group includes an on-duration timer, a DRX inactivity time and a DRX-retransmission timer for the second cell group, when DRX is configured for the first cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to monitor discontinuously the PDCCH associated with the first cell group based on the DRX configuration information for the first cell group, and when DRX is configured for the second cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to monitor discontinuously the PDCCH associated with the second cell group based on the DRX configuration information for the second cell group.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the DRX configuration information for the first cell group indicates a first active time and the DRX configuration information for the second cell group indicates a second active time.

15. An apparatus of user equipment (UE) configurable for connectivity with two cell groups, the apparatus comprising:

memory; and

processing circuitry, configured to;

decode a first medium-access control (MAC) configuration element received for the first cell group and a second MAC configuration element for the second cell group, the MAC configuration elements to configure the UE for independent buffer status reporting operations for each cell group, wherein the first MAC configuration element includes buffer status report (BSR) configuration information for the first cell group, and wherein the second MAC configuration element includes BSR configuration information for the second cell group;

maintain an independent retxBSR-Timer and periodicBSR-Timer for each of cell group;

perform buffer status reporting operations for the second cell group independently of buffer status reporting operations for the first cell group;

configure BSRs for transmission to the first eNB in accordance with scheduling information received for the first cell group; and

configure BSRs for transmission to the second eNB in accordance with scheduling information received for the second cell group.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to decode radio-resource control (RRC) signaling from the first cell group associated with a first enhanced node B (eNB), the RRC signaling to configure the UE with the second cell group, the second cell group associated with a secondary eNB, the UE configured to utilize scheduled radio resources of both the first and second cell groups.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein to perform buffer status reporting for the first cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to perform a first buffer status reporting procedure, based on the BSR configuration information for the first cell group, to inform the first eNB about data available for transmission in uplink buffers associated with MAC operations for the first eNB;

and

wherein to perform buffer status reporting for the second cell group, the processing circuitry is to configure the UE to perform a second buffer status reporting procedure, based on the BSR configuration information for the second cell group, to inform the second eNB about data available for transmission in uplink buffers associated with MAC operations for the second eNB, wherein the first and second buffer status reporting procedures are performed independently.