Method and apparatus of configuring downlink timing and transmitting random access response in mobile communication system using carrier aggregation

• US 10,602,492 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jang, Jaehyuk, Jeong, Kyeongin
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck, Gregory B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Persaud, Amar
• Application Number:
  US15/439,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20170164312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 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 of configuring downlink timings and transmitting a random access response message is provided for a random access procedure in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system supporting carrier aggregation. The method for adjusting timing of a terminal in a wireless communication system supporting carrier aggregation of at least one carrier includes transmitting a Random Access Preamble to a base station, and receiving a Random Access Response with a Timing Advance Command (TAC) for commanding uplink timing adjustment from the base station, wherein the Random Access Response comprises information indicating a Timing Advance Group (TAG) to which the TAC is applied.

Claims

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

receiving, from a base station, a radio resource control (RRC) message, the RRC message including information on respective time alignment timer (TAT)s of at least two timing advance group (TAG)s and configuration information on a random access channel (RACH) for a secondary cell (SCell);

transmitting, to the base station, a random access preamble based on the configuration information on the RACH for the SCell;

receiving, from the base station, a random access response including timing advance information based on a transmission of the random access preamble;

receiving, from the base station, a medium access control (MAC) control element including an identity of a TAG including the SCell, and a timing advance command (TAC) for the TAG including the SCell;

applying the TAC to the TAG including the SCell if the MAC control element is received; and

starting a TAT associated with the TAG including the SCell based on the information on the respective TATs of at least two TAGs if the MAC control element is received,

wherein the TAT associated with the TAG is used to control how long the terminal considers at least one cell included in the TAG to be uplink aligned.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the base station, a MAC control element including information indicating activation of the SCell; and

activating the SCell based on the MAC control element including the information indicating activation of the SCell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the TAG is set to 0, if the TAG is a primary TAG including a primary cell (PCell).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a length of a field of the identity is 2 bits and a length of a field of the TAC is 6 bits.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identity of the TAG is set to a value other than 0 if the TAG is not a primary TAG.

6. A terminal comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a signal; and

at least one processor configured to;

receive, from a base station, a radio resource control (RRC) message, the RRC message including information on respective time alignment timer (TAT)s of at least two timing advance group (TAG)s and configuration information on a random access channel (RACH) for a secondary cell (SCell),

transmit, to the base station, a random access preamble based on the configuration information on the RACH for the SCell,

receive, from the base station, a random access response including timing advance information based on a transmission of the random access preamble,

receive, from the base station, a medium access control (MAC) control element including an identity of a TAG including the SCell and a timing advance command (TAC) for the TAG including the SCell,

apply the TAC to the TAG including the SCell if the MAC control element is received, and

start a TAT associated with the TAG including the SCell based on the information on the respective TATs of at least two TAGs if the MAC control element is received,

wherein the TAT associated with the TAG is used to control how long the terminal considers at least one cell included in the TAG to be uplink aligned.

7. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive, from the base station, a MAC control element including information indicating activation of the SCell, and

activate the SCell based on the MAC control element including the information indicating activation of the SCell.

8. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the identity of the TAG is set to 0, if the TAG is a primary TAG including a primary cell (PCell).

9. The terminal of claim 6, wherein a length of a field of the identity is 2 bits and a length of a field of the TAC is 6 bits.

10. The terminal of claim 6, wherein the identity of the TAG is set to a value other than 0 if the TAG is not a primary TAG.

11. A base station comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive a signal; and

at least one processor configured to;

transmit, to a terminal, a radio resource control (RRC) message, the RRC message including information on respective time alignment timer (TAT)s of at least two timing advance group (TAG)s and configuration information on a random access channel (RACH) for a secondary cell (SCell),

receive, from the terminal, a random access preamble based on the configuration information on the RACH for the SCell,

transmit, to the terminal, a random access response including timing advance information based on a transmission of the random access preamble, and

transmit, to the terminal, a medium access control (MAC) control element including an identity of a TAG including the SCell, and a timing advance command (TAC) for the TAG including the SCell,

wherein the TAC is applied to the TAG including the SCell if the MAC control element is received by the terminal,

wherein the TAT associated with the TAG including the SCell is started based on the information on the respective TATs of at least two TAGs if the MAC control element is received by the terminal, and

wherein the TAT associated with the TAG is used to control how long the terminal considers at least one cell included in the TAG to be uplink aligned.

12. The base station of claim 11,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit, to the terminal, a MAC control element including information indicating activation of the SCell, and

wherein the SCell is activated based on the received MAC control element including information indicating activation of the SCell.

13. The base station of claim 11, wherein the identity of the TAG is set to 0, if the TAG is a primary TAG including a primary cell (PCell).

14. The base station of claim 11, wherein a length of a field of the identity is 2 bits and a length of a field of the TAC is 6 bits.

15. The base station of claim 11, wherein the identity of the TAG is set to a value other than 0 if the TAG is not a primary TAG.

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

transmitting, to a terminal, a radio resource control (RRC) message, the RRC message including information on respective time alignment timer (TAT)s of at least two timing advance group (TAG)s and configuration information on a random access channel (RACH) for a secondary cell (SCell);

receiving, from the terminal, a random access preamble based on the configuration information on the RACH for the SCell;

transmitting, to the terminal, a random access response including timing advance information based on a transmission of the random access preamble; and

transmitting, to the terminal, a medium access control (MAC) control element including an identity of a TAG including the SCell, and a timing advance command (TAC) for the TAG including the SCell,

wherein the TAC is applied to the TAG including the SCell if the MAC control element is received by the terminal,

wherein the TAT associated with the TAG including the SCell is started based on the information on the respective TATs of at least two TAGs if the MAC control element is received by the terminal, and

wherein the TAT associated with the TAG is used to control how long the terminal considers at least one cell included in the TAG to be uplink aligned.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting, to the terminal, a MAC control element including information indicating activation of the SCell,

wherein the SCell is activated based on the received MAC control element including information indicating activation of the SCell.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the identity of the TAG is set to 0, if the TAG is a primary TAG including a primary cell (PCell).

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a length of a field of the identity is 2 bits and a length of a field of the TAC is 6 bits.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the identity of the TAG is set to a value other than 0 if the TAG is not a primary TAG.