Carrier activation in a multi-carrier wireless network

• US 10,673,584 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2019
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Dinan, Esmael Hejazi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Assistant Examiner(s): Decker, Cassandra L
• Application Number:
  US16/267,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20190173627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0027 Scheduling of signalling, e.g. occurrence thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

A wireless device may receive, during a transmission time interval (TTI), a media-access-control control element (MAC CE) comprising at least one parameter indicating, to the wireless device, to activate at least one licensed cell and at least one unlicensed cell. The wireless device may perform channel monitoring on the at least one unlicensed cell before a first maximum duration after the TTI. The wireless device may perform channel monitoring on the at least one licensed cell after initiating the channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell and before a second maximum duration after the TTI. The first maximum duration and the second maximum duration may be different.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting at least one first message indicating that a wireless device supports configuration of;

a licensed cell; and

an unlicensed cell;

receiving, during a transmission time interval (TTI), an activation command comprising at least one parameter indicating, to the wireless device, to activate;

the licensed cell; and

the unlicensed cell;

initiating, before a first maximum duration after the TTI, channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell; and

initiating, after the initiating channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell and before a second maximum duration after the TTI, channel monitoring on the licensed cell, wherein the first maximum duration is different from the second maximum duration.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second message comprising one or more configuration parameters for:

the licensed cell; and

the unlicensed cell.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more configuration parameters comprise a deactivation timer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmission of first valid channel state information (CSI) reports for the unlicensed cell starts before the first maximum duration after the TTI.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transmission of first out of range (OOR) CSI reports for the unlicensed cell starts before the first valid CSI reports are available.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the transmission of the first valid CSI reports starts a first duration after the TTI.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel monitoring on the licensed cell starts a first duration after the TTI.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first maximum duration is smaller than the second maximum duration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a first activation delay of the licensed cell is different from a second activation delay of the unlicensed cell.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second activation delay of the unlicensed cell is shorter than the first activation delay of the licensed cell.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel monitoring comprises monitoring a physical downlink control channel.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the TTI comprises a subframe.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first maximum duration or the second maximum duration comprises a subframe.

14. A method comprising:

transmitting a message indicating that a wireless device supports configuration of;

a licensed cell; and

an unlicensed cell;

receiving, during a first transmission time interval (TTI), a first activation command comprising at least one first parameter indicating, to the wireless device, to activate the licensed cell;

receiving, during a second TTI, a second activation command comprising at least one second parameter indicating, to the wireless device, to activate the unlicensed cell;

initiating, before a first maximum duration after the first TTI, channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell; and

initiating, after the initiating channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell and before a second maximum duration after the second TTI, channel monitoring on the licensed cell, wherein the first maximum duration is different from the second maximum duration.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving at least one second message comprising configuration parameters for a plurality of cells that comprise the licensed cell and the unlicensed cell.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein transmission of first valid channel state information (CSI) reports for the unlicensed cell starts before the first maximum duration after the first TTI.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the transmission of the first valid CSI reports starts a first duration after the first TTI.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein transmission of second valid CSI reports for the licensed cell starts before the second maximum duration after the second TTI.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the transmission of the second valid CSI reports starts a first duration after the second TTI.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell starts a first duration after the second TTI.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the channel monitoring on the licensed cell starts a first duration after the first TTI.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the first maximum duration is smaller than the second maximum duration.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first TTI or the second TTI comprises a subframe.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first maximum duration or the second maximum duration comprises a subframe.

25. A wireless device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to;

transmit at least one first message indicating that the wireless device supports configuration of;

a licensed cell; and

an unlicensed cell;

receive, during a transmission time interval (TTI), an activation command comprising at least one parameter indicating, to the wireless device, to activate;

the licensed cell; and

the unlicensed cell;

initiate, before a first maximum duration after the TTI, channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell; and

initiate, after initiation of the channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell and before a second maximum duration after the TTI, channel monitoring on the licensed cell, wherein the first maximum duration is different from the second maximum duration.

26. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to receive a second message comprising one or more configuration parameters for:

the licensed cell; and

the unlicensed cell.

27. The wireless device of claim 26, wherein the one or more configuration parameters comprise a deactivation timer.

28. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein transmission of first valid channel state information (CSI) reports for the unlicensed cell starts before the first maximum duration after the TTI.

29. The wireless device of claim 28, wherein transmission of first out of range (OOR) CSI reports for the unlicensed cell starts before the first valid CSI reports are available.

30. The wireless device of claim 28, wherein the transmission of the first valid CSI reports starts a first duration after the TTI.

31. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the channel monitoring on the licensed cell starts a first duration after the TTI.

32. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the first maximum duration is smaller than the second maximum duration.

33. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein a first activation delay of the licensed cell is different from a second activation delay of the unlicensed cell.

34. The wireless device of claim 33, wherein the second activation delay of the unlicensed cell is shorter than the first activation delay of the licensed cell.

35. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the channel monitoring comprises monitoring a physical downlink control channel.

36. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the TTI comprises a subframe.

37. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first maximum duration or the second maximum duration comprises a subframe.

38. A wireless device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to;

transmit a message indicating that the wireless device supports configuration of;

a licensed cell; and

an unlicensed cell;

receive, during a first transmission time interval (TTI), a first activation command comprising at least one first parameter indicating, to the wireless device, to activate the licensed cell;

receive, during a second TTI, a second activation command comprising at least one second parameter indicating, to the wireless device, to activate the unlicensed cell;

initiate, before a first maximum duration after the first TTI, channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell; and

initiate, after initiation of the channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell and before a second maximum duration after the second TTI, channel monitoring on the licensed cell, wherein the first maximum duration is different from the second maximum duration.

39. The wireless device of claim 38, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to receive at least one second message comprising configuration parameters for a plurality of cells that comprise the licensed cell and the unlicensed cell.

40. The wireless device of claim 39, wherein transmission of first valid channel state information (CSI) reports for the unlicensed cell starts before the first maximum duration after the first TTI.

41. The wireless device of claim 40, wherein the transmission of the first valid CSI reports starts a first duration after the first TTI.

42. The wireless device of claim 38, wherein transmission of second valid CSI reports for the licensed cell starts before the second maximum duration after the second TTI.

43. The wireless device of claim 42, wherein the transmission of the second valid CSI reports for the unlicensed cell starts a first duration after the second TTI.

44. The wireless device of claim 38, wherein the channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell starts a first duration after the first TTI.

45. The wireless device of claim 38, wherein the channel monitoring on the licensed cell starts a first duration after the second TTI.

46. The wireless device of claim 38, wherein the first maximum duration is smaller than the second maximum duration.

47. The wireless device of claim 38, wherein at least one of the first TTI or the second TTI comprises a subframe.

48. The wireless device of claim 38, wherein at least one of the first maximum duration or the second maximum duration comprises a subframe.

49. A system comprising:

a wireless device; and

a base station;

wherein the wireless device is configured to;

receive, during a transmission time interval (TTI), an activation command comprising at least one parameter instructing the wireless device to activate a licensed cell and an unlicensed cell;

initiate, before a first maximum duration after the TTI, channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell; and

initiate, after initiation of the channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell and before a second maximum duration after the TTI, channel monitoring on the licensed cell, wherein the first maximum duration is different from the second maximum duration; and

wherein the base station is configured to send, to the wireless device, the activation command.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the base station is further configured to transmit a second message comprising one or more configuration parameters for the licensed cell and the unlicensed cell.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the one or more configuration parameters comprise a deactivation timer.

52. The system of claim 49, wherein transmission of first valid channel state information (CSI) reports for the unlicensed cell starts before the first maximum duration after the TTI.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein transmission of first out of range (OOR) CSI reports for the unlicensed cell start before the first valid CSI reports are available.

54. The system of claim 52, wherein the transmission of the first valid CSI reports starts a first duration after the TTI.

55. The system of claim 49, wherein the channel monitoring on the licensed cell starts a first duration after the TTI.

56. The system of claim 49, wherein the first maximum duration is smaller than the second maximum duration.

57. The system of claim 49, wherein a first activation delay of the licensed cell is different from a second activation delay of the unlicensed cell.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the second activation delay of the unlicensed cell is shorter than the first activation delay of the licensed cell.

59. The system of claim 49, wherein the channel monitoring comprises monitoring a physical downlink control channel.

60. The system of claim 49, wherein the TTI comprises a subframe.

61. The system of claim 49, wherein at least one of the first maximum duration or the second maximum duration comprises a subframe.

62. A system comprising:

a wireless device; and

a base station;

wherein the wireless device is configured to;

receive, during a first transmission time interval (TTI), a first activation command comprising at least one first parameter instructing the wireless device to activate a licensed cell;

receive, during a second TTI, a second activation command comprising at least one second parameter instructing the wireless device to activate an unlicensed cell;

initiate, before a first maximum duration after the first TTI, channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell; and

initiate, after initiation of the channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell and before a second maximum duration after the second TTI, channel monitoring on the licensed cell, wherein the first maximum duration is different from the second maximum duration; and

wherein the base station is configured to;

send, to the wireless device, the first activation command; and

send, to the wireless device, the second activation command.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein the base station is further configured to transmit at least one second message comprising configuration parameters for a plurality of cells that comprise the licensed cell and the unlicensed cell.

64. The system of claim 62, wherein transmission of first valid channel state information (CSI) reports for the unlicensed cell starts before the first maximum duration after the first TTI.

65. The system of claim 64, wherein the transmission of the first valid CSI reports starts a first duration after the first TTI.

66. The system of claim 62, wherein transmission of second valid CSI reports for the licensed cell starts before the second maximum duration after the second TTI.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the transmission of the second valid CSI reports for the unlicensed cell starts a first duration after the second TTI.

68. The system of claim 62, wherein the channel monitoring on the unlicensed cell starts a first duration after the first TTI.

69. The system of claim 62, wherein the channel monitoring on the licensed cell starts a first duration after the second TTI.

70. The system of claim 62, wherein the first maximum duration is smaller than the second maximum duration.

71. The system of claim 62, wherein at least one of the first TTI or the second TTI comprises a subframe.

72. The system of claim 62, wherein at least one of the first maximum duration or the second maximum duration comprises a subframe.