METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING AND PROCESSING COMPONENT CARRIERS

• US 20100118720A1
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marinier, Paul, Zhang, Guodong, Gauvreau, Jean-Louis, Olvera-Hernandez, Ulises
• Granted Patent: US 8,514,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0096 Indication of changes in allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• 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 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described which perform bandwidth aggregation by simultaneously monitoring and processing a number of simultaneous, non-contiguous or contiguous component carriers in the downlink. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) can be configured by an evolved Node-B (eNodeB) to support additional component carriers. A pre-configured additional component carrier may be used. Various methods for activating and deactivating the additional component carrier are also described.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), for monitoring and processing component carriers, the method comprising:

monitoring and processing a single component carrier;

transmitting a signal indicating a bandwidth aggregation capability of the WTRU;

receiving a radio resource control (RRC) connection reconfiguration message; and

setting up for monitoring and processing at least one pre-configured additional component carrier.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE); and

activating or deactivating the pre-configured additional component carrier.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the pre-configured additional component carrier is immediately activated or deactivated in response to receiving the MAC CE.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the pre-configured additional component carrier is activated or deactivated after a predefined delay.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-configured additional component carrier is an uplink carrier.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-configured additional component carrier is a downlink carrier.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the WTRU monitors and processes the single component carrier while in an idle mode.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates a number of simultaneous non-contiguous component carriers that can be monitored and processed simultaneously in the downlink for each band.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates a number of radio frequency (RF) receivers and the largest bandwidth of each receiver.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates a number of simultaneous contiguous carriers that can be monitored and processed simultaneously in the downlink for each band.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates the largest supported bandwidth of aggregated contiguous carriers.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates the largest total bandwidth of aggregated carriers.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates the largest bandwidth supported per single carrier.

14. A method, implemented by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), for monitoring and processing component carriers, the method comprising:

monitoring and processing a single component carrier;

receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on a specific carrier with a downlink control information (DCI) format that indicates that transmission to, or reception from, a pre-configured additional uplink or downlink carrier will take place in a certain number of subframes; and

setting up for monitoring and processing the pre-configured carrier.

15. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for monitoring and processing component carriers, the WTRU comprising:

a receiver configured to monitor and process a single component carrier;

a transmitter configured to transmit a signal indicating a bandwidth aggregation capability of the WTRU;

the receiver further configured to receive a radio resource control (RRC) connection reconfiguration message; and

a processor configured to set up for monitoring and processing at least one pre-configured additional component carrier.

16. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), and the processor is configured to activate or deactivate the pre-configured additional component carrier.

17. The WTRU of claim 16 wherein the pre-configured additional component carrier is immediately activated or deactivated in response to receiving the MAC CE.

18. The WTRU of claim 16 wherein the pre-configured additional component carrier is activated or deactivated after a predefined delay.

19. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the pre-configured additional component carrier is an uplink carrier.

20. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the pre-configured additional component carrier is a downlink carrier.

21. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the WTRU monitors and processes the single component carrier while in an idle mode.

22. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates a number of simultaneous non-contiguous component carriers that can be monitored and processed simultaneously in the downlink for each band.

23. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates a number of radio frequency (RF) receivers and the largest bandwidth of each receiver.

24. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates a number of simultaneous contiguous carriers that can be monitored and processed simultaneously in the downlink for each band.

25. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates the largest supported bandwidth of aggregated contiguous carriers.

26. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates the largest total bandwidth of aggregated carriers.

27. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein the bandwidth aggregation capability indicates the largest bandwidth supported per single carrier.

28. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for monitoring and processing component carriers, the WTRU comprising:

a receiver configured to monitor and process a single component carrier;

the receiver configured to receive a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on a specific carrier with a downlink control information (DCI) format that indicates that transmission to, or reception from, a pre-configured additional uplink or downlink carrier will take place in a certain number of subframes; and

a processor configured to set up for monitoring and processing the pre-configured carrier.