Multicarrier communications employing time alignment timers

• US 10,687,364 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2017
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2012
• 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): Hsu, Alpus
• Application Number:
  US15/845,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20180176960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2011/0096 Network synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2692 with preamble design, i.e. with negotiation of the synchronisation sequence with transmitter or sequence linked to the algorithm used at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/32 Carrier systems characterised by combinations of two or more of the types covered by groups H04L27/02, H04L27/10, H04L27/18 or H04L27/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/00 Access restriction access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08; Network selection; Access point selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/14 Separate analysis of uplink or downlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/248 where transmission power control commands are generated based on a path parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• 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 56/0045 : compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 : Transmission of channel access control information
• 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 76/15 : Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 : Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are described for wireless communications. Cells may be grouped into a plurality of cell groups. Time alignment timers may be associated with cell groups. A wireless device may perform/continue/stop transmissions based on the time alignment timers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a wireless device, at least one control message comprising;

configuration parameters associated with a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell group and a secondary cell group;

a first parameter for a first time alignment timer (TAT) associated with the primary cell group; and

a second parameter for a second TAT associated with the secondary cell group; and

based on the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, performing the following for an activated cell of the secondary cell group;

clearing at least one Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) buffer;

stopping transmissions of uplink transport blocks;

continuing transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements; and

continuing transmissions of channel state information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stopping transmissions of uplink transport blocks comprises at least one of:

stopping re-transmissions of uplink transport blocks or stopping transmissions of new uplink transport blocks.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one HARQ buffer is associated with re-transmissions of at least one of the uplink transport blocks.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising stopping, based on the first TAT expiring, transmissions of uplink transport blocks via a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising clearing, based on the first TAT expiring, at least one HARQ buffer associated with a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements, wherein the HARQ positive acknowledgements and the HARQ negative acknowledgements correspond to transport blocks received via at least one cell, wherein the at least one cell is a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group; and

transmitting channel state information for the at least one cell.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the continuing transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements uses at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell;

or

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the continuing transmissions of channel state information uses at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell;

or

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing, based on the first TAT expiring, uplink transmission of at least one random access preamble via a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the at least one random access preamble via a primary cell.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying, based on the first TAT expiring, a radio resource control protocol layer to release a sounding reference signal via a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying, based on the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, a radio resource control to release a sounding reference signal.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing, based on the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, uplink transmission of at least one second random access preamble via the secondary cell group.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one control message comprises a plurality of media access control dedicated parameters comprising a plurality of TAT values, and wherein one of the plurality of TAT values is associated with one of a plurality of cell groups comprising the primary cell group and the secondary cell group.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

uplink transmission timing associated with the primary cell group is based on a first cell of the primary cell group; and

uplink transmission timing associated with the secondary cell group is based on a second cell of the secondary cell group.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the wireless device, a timing advance command comprising:

a time adjustment value; and

an index indicating the secondary cell group,

wherein the timing advance command is configured to cause substantial alignment of reception timing of uplink signals in frames and subframes of the secondary cell group at a base station.

17. 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;

receive at least one control message comprising;

configuration parameters associated with a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell group and a secondary cell group;

a first parameter for a first time alignment timer (TAT) associated with the primary cell group; and

a second parameter for a second TAT associated with the secondary cell group; and

based on the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, perform the following for an activated cell of the secondary cell group;

clear at least one Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) buffer;

stop transmissions of uplink transport blocks;

continue transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements; and

continue transmissions of channel state information.

18. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, that cause the wireless device to stop transmissions of uplink transport blocks cause the wireless device to:

stop re-transmissions of uplink transport blocks or stop transmissions of new uplink transport blocks.

19. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the at least one HARQ buffer is associated with re-transmissions of at least one of the uplink transport blocks.

20. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to stop, based on the first TAT expiring, transmissions of uplink transport blocks via a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

21. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to clear, based on the first TAT expiring, at least one HARQ buffer associated with a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

22. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to:

transmit HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements, wherein the HARQ positive acknowledgements and the HARQ negative acknowledgements correspond to transport blocks received via at least one cell, wherein the at least one cell is a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group; and

transmit channel state information for the at least one cell.

23. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, that cause the wireless device to continue transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements cause the wireless device to continue transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements by using at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell;

or

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

24. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, that cause the wireless device to continue transmissions of channel state information cause the wireless device to continue transmissions of channel state information by using at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell;

or

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

25. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to allow, based on the first TAT expiring, uplink transmission of at least one random access preamble via a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

26. The wireless device of claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to transmit the at least one random access preamble via a primary cell.

27. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to notify, based on the first TAT expiring, a radio resource control protocol layer to release a sounding reference signal via a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

28. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to notify, based on the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, a radio resource control to release a sounding reference signal.

29. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to allow, based on the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, uplink transmission of at least one second random access preamble via the secondary cell group.

30. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the at least one control message comprises a plurality of media access control dedicated parameters comprising a plurality of TAT values, and wherein one of the plurality of TAT values is associated with one of a plurality of cell groups comprising the primary cell group and the secondary cell group.

31. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein:

uplink transmission timing associated with the primary cell group is based on a first cell of the primary cell group; and

uplink transmission timing associated with the secondary cell group is based on a second cell of the secondary cell group.

32. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to receive a timing advance command comprising:

a time adjustment value; and

an index indicating the secondary cell group,

wherein the timing advance command is configured to cause substantial alignment of reception timing of uplink signals in frames and subframes of the secondary cell group at a base station.

33. A system comprising:

a base station comprising;

first one or more processors; and

first memory storing first instructions that, when executed by the first one or more processors, cause the base station to;

transmit at least one control message comprising;

configuration parameters associated with a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell group and a secondary cell group;

a first parameter for a first time alignment timer (TAT) associated with the primary cell group; and

a second parameter for a second TAT associated with the secondary cell group; and

a wireless device comprising;

second one or more processors; and

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

based on the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, perform the following for an activated cell of the secondary cell group;

clear at least one Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) buffer;

stop transmissions of uplink transport blocks;

continue transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements; and

continue transmissions of channel state information.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the second one or more processors, that cause the wireless device to stop transmissions of uplink transport blocks cause the wireless device to:

stop re-transmissions of uplink transport blocks or stop transmissions of new uplink transport blocks.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one HARQ buffer is associated with re-transmissions of at least one of the uplink transport blocks.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the second one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to stop, based on the first TAT expiring, transmissions of uplink transport blocks via a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the second one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to clear, based on the first TAT expiring, at least one HARQ buffer associated with a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the second one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to:

transmit HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements, wherein the HARQ positive acknowledgements and the HARQ negative acknowledgements correspond to transport blocks received via at least one cell, wherein the at least one cell is a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group; and

transmit channel state information for the at least one cell.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the second one or more processors, that cause the wireless device to continue transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements cause the wireless device to continue transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements by using at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell;

or

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

40. The system of claim 33, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the second one or more processors, that cause the wireless device to continue transmissions of channel state information cause the wireless device to continue transmissions of channel state information by using at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell;

or

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

41. The system of claim 33, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the second one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to allow, based on the first TAT expiring, uplink transmission of at least one random access preamble via a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the second one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to transmit the at least one random access preamble via a primary cell.

43. The system of claim 33, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the second one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to notify, based on the first TAT expiring, a radio resource control protocol layer to release a sounding reference signal via a cell of the primary cell group or a cell of the secondary cell group.

44. The system of claim 33, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the second one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to notify, based on the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, a radio resource control to release a sounding reference signal.

45. The system of claim 33, wherein the second instructions, when executed by the second one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to allow, based on the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, uplink transmission of at least one second random access preamble via the secondary cell group.

46. The system of claim 33, wherein the at least one control message comprises a plurality of media access control dedicated parameters comprising a plurality of TAT values, and wherein one of the plurality of TAT values is associated with one of a plurality of cell groups comprising the primary cell group and the secondary cell group.

47. The system of claim 33, wherein:

uplink transmission timing associated with the primary cell group is based on a first cell of the primary cell group; and

uplink transmission timing associated with the secondary cell group is based on a second cell of the secondary cell group.

48. The system of claim 33, wherein the first instructions, when executed by the first one or more processors, further cause the base station to transmit a timing advance command comprising:

a time adjustment value; and

an index indicating the secondary cell group,

wherein the timing advance command is configured to cause substantial alignment of reception timing of uplink signals in frames and subframes of the secondary cell group at the base station.