PROVISION OF INTER-FREQUENCY SUBFRAME CONFIGURATION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

• US 20100172272A1
• Filed: 01/04/2010
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tenny, Nathan Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/280
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
• 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 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Providing for inter-frequency timing provision in wireless communication is disclosed herein. By way of example, cells of a wireless network can be configured to acquire information pertaining to subframe timing configurations employed by nearby wireless cells, including cells that employ a different frequency as an acquiring cell. The subframe timing configuration can be forwarded to access terminals served by the acquiring cell, to facilitate proper reception of neighboring signals, including on the different frequency. Various formats are disclosed herein for conveying subframe timing configurations, including a single bit format and multiple bit formats, which can specify various ranges of timing information in relation to a known timing, or can specify a complete subframe timing configuration for one or more such cells.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

employing a communication interface to obtain a time division duplex (TDD) timing configuration for an access point of a wireless network on a first TDD frequency; and

employing a data processor to execute instructions configured to provide inter-frequency TDD timing data via a serving cell of the wireless network on a second TDD frequency, the instructions comprising;

establishing an information element (IE) comprising one or more message fields that specify information about the TDD timing configuration;

forwarding the IE on a wireless air interface utilizing the second TDD frequency for delivery to one or more access terminals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the first TDD frequency with the IE.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising employing a single bit data format or a multi-bit data format for the IE.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the single bit data format indicates the access point employs the same or a different subframe configuration as the serving cell.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the multi-bit data format specifies any one of the following:

the TDD timing configuration of the access point is identical to a subframe configuration employed by the serving cell;

cells of the wireless network employing the first TDD frequency also employ the TDD timing configuration;

or

cells of the wireless network employing the first TDD frequency also employ one of a set of TDD timing configurations which includes the TDD timing configuration.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining and forwarding subframe configuration data for one or more cells neighboring the serving cell.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining and forwarding subframe configuration data for a plurality of TDD frequencies employed by cells neighboring the serving cell.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating and forwarding a neighboring cell list that specifies subframe configuration data for each cell neighboring the serving cell on a per TDD frequency basis.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising specifying a complete subframe configuration of the TDD timing configuration with the IE.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein forwarding the IE further comprises at least one of:

employing dedicated signaling for forwarding the IE to the one or more access terminals actively connected to the serving cell;

or

employing broadcast signaling for forwarding the IE to any access terminal receiving signaling messages from the serving cell.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining an additional TDD timing configuration of a second access point of the wireless network, wherein the second access point employs a third TDD frequency, different from the first TDD frequency and the second TDD frequency;

specifying the additional TDD timing configuration in the IE, or into a second IE dedicated for the second access point or the third TDD frequency; and

forwarding a message containing the IE or the second IE over the second TDD frequency to the one or more access terminals.

12. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a communication interface that obtains subframe timing information employed by an inter-frequency cell in a wireless network;

a data processor for executing modules configured to update an access terminal with network timing, the modules comprising;

a conversion module that generates an information element (IE) comprising one or more message fields for including information about the subframe timing information;

a distribution module for sending the IE over an air interface to the access terminal by way of a wireless transmitter employed by the apparatus; and

memory for storing the modules.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the communication interface is coupled to a backhaul network between a base station associated with the apparatus and the inter-frequency cell.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the backhaul network is a wired electronic communication network or a wireless electronic communication network communicatively coupling the inter-frequency cell and the base station.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the IE is in a single-bit format or a multi-bit format.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the single-bit format indicates the subframe timing information is the same as or different from a serving subframe configuration employed by a serving cell.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the multi-bit format specifies a complete subframe timing configuration employed by the inter-frequency cell.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the inter-frequency cell employs a first time division duplex (TDD) frequency, and a serving cell that serves the access terminal and is associated with the apparatus employs a second TDD frequency, and further wherein the multi-bit format specifies any one of the following:

cells of the wireless network employing the first TDD frequency utilize a serving subframe configuration of the serving cell;

cells of the wireless network employing the first TDD frequency utilize a common subframe configuration, which is different from the serving subframe configuration;

or

cells of the wireless network employing the first TDD frequency also employ one of various subframe configurations.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a listing module that compiles subframe configuration data for a set of neighboring cells of the wireless network obtained from the communication interface on a per-cell or per-frequency basis, wherein the set of neighboring cells comprises the inter-frequency cell and at least one other cell.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a data store communicatively coupled with the apparatus for storing subframe configuration data compiled by the listing module.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the listing module generates a neighbor cell list from the subframe configuration data that comprises a set of IEs each specifying respective subsets of the subframe configuration data for one of the set of neighboring cells of the wireless network or for one TDD frequency of the wireless network, or a combination thereof.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the distribution module sends the neighbor cell list to the access terminal on a system information broadcast channel or a measurement configuration unicast channel.

23. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, comprising:

means for employing a communication interface to obtain a time division duplex (TDD) timing configuration for an access point of a wireless network on a first TDD frequency; and

means for employing a data processor to execute program modules configured to provide inter-frequency TDD timing data via a serving cell of the wireless network on a second TDD frequency, the program modules comprising;

means for establishing an information element (IE) comprising a set of message fields that specifies information about the TDD timing configuration;

means for forwarding the IE utilizing the second TDD frequency to an access terminal within the serving cell.

24. At least one processor configured for wireless communication, comprising:

a module that obtains a time division duplex (TDD) timing configuration for an access point of a wireless network on a first TDD frequency; and

a module that establishes an information element (IE) comprising a set of message fields that specifies information about the TDD timing configuration;

a module that forwards the IE to an access terminal within a serving cell of the wireless network on a second TDD frequency.

25. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium, comprising;

code for causing a computer to obtain a time division duplex (TDD) timing configuration for an access point of a wireless network on a first TDD frequency; and

code for causing the computer to establish an information element (IE) comprising a set of message fields that specifies information about the TDD timing configuration;

code for causing the computer to forward the IE to an access terminal within a serving cell of the wireless network on a second TDD frequency.

26. A method of engaging in wireless communications, comprising:

employing a wireless communication interface to obtain timing information pertaining to multiple frequencies of a wireless network; and

employing a data processor to execute instructions configured to determine inter-frequency timing data for cells of the wireless network, the instructions comprising;

parsing the timing information to identify timing data pertaining to a non-serving cell of the wireless network; and

analyzing the timing data to obtain or infer a subframe configuration of the non-serving cell.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein obtaining the timing data further comprises measuring wireless signals of the non-serving cell to obtain the subframe configuration if the subframe configuration is not within or cannot be inferred from the timing data.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein parsing the timing information further comprises identifying whether the subframe configuration is the same as or different from a serving subframe configuration employed by a serving cell of the wireless network.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising employing the serving subframe configuration for signal analysis of the non-serving cell if the subframe configuration is the same as the serving subframe configuration.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein parsing the timing information further comprises identifying any one of:

cells of the wireless network on a non-serving frequency (non-serving network cells) utilize a serving subframe configuration of a serving frequency;

the non-serving network cells utilize a common subframe configuration that is different from the serving subframe configuration;

or

the non-serving network cells utilize one of a set of multiple different subframe configurations.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising employing the serving subframe configuration for signal analysis of the non-serving cell if such cell utilizes the serving subframe configuration.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising analyzing signals of the non-serving cell to obtain a measured subframe configuration for the non-serving frequency, and imputing the measured subframe configuration to all of the non-serving network cells, if the non-serving network cells utilize the common subframe configuration.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising independently analyzing signals of the non-serving cell to identify which of the set of multiple different subframe configurations is employed by the non-serving cell, if the non-serving network cells utilize one of the set of multiple different subframe configurations.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein the timing information pertaining to the multiple frequencies of the wireless network comprises a neighboring cell list that provides subframe configuration information per cell or per frequency of the wireless network.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the neighboring cell list specifies both a per frequency subframe configuration list and a per cell subframe configuration list.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising associating a per frequency subframe configuration to all non-serving cells employing a particular frequency indicated in the per frequency subframe configuration list, except those non-serving cells employing the particular frequency that have a per cell subframe configuration indicated in the per cell subframe configuration list that is different from the per frequency subframe configuration.

37. An apparatus configured for engaging in wireless communication, comprising:

a wireless communication interface that employs multiple TDD frequencies of a wireless network to communicate with multiple cells of the wireless network;

memory for storing modules configured to obtain network timing configurations; and

at least one data processor to execute the modules, the modules comprising;

an analysis module that inspects timing data obtained by the wireless communication interface from a serving cell of the wireless network to identify subframe configuration data pertaining to a non-serving frequency of the wireless network; and

an implementation module that employs a subframe configuration utilized by network cells on the non-serving frequency for analyzing signals thereof.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising a correlation module that one of:

identifies a subset of the timing data pertaining to the non-serving frequency and determines or infers the subframe configuration from the subset of the timing data;

or

determines from the subset of the timing data that signals of the non-serving frequency must be measured to obtain the subframe configuration.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the subset of the timing data specifies the subframe configuration is the same or not the same as a known subframe configuration employed by the apparatus.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the subset of the timing data specifies the subframe configuration is any one of the following:

the same as a serving subframe configuration and commonly employed by network cells on the non-serving frequency

different from the serving subframe configuration and commonly employed by the network cells on the non-serving frequency;

or

is but one of a set of subframe configurations employed by the network cells on the non-serving frequency.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the correlation module determines the serving subframe configuration is employed by the non-serving frequency, if the subframe configuration is the same as the serving subframe configuration.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the correlation module instructs the apparatus to measure signals of the non-serving frequency to obtain the subframe configuration, and impute the subframe configuration to all network cells on the non-serving frequency, if the subframe configuration is different from the serving subframe configuration and commonly employed by network cells on the non-serving frequency.

43. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the correlation module infers that signals of respective cells on the non-serving frequency must be independently measured to obtain respective subframe configurations of the set of subframe configurations for each such cell, if the subframe configuration is but one of the set of subframe configurations employed by the network cells on the non-serving frequency.

44. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the subset of the timing data specifies a complete subframe configuration for the non-serving frequency or a network cell on the non-serving frequency.

45. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising a signal measurement module that directly evaluates signals of a network cell on the non-serving frequency to derive the subframe configuration.

46. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising a parsing module that sorts the timing data into respective subsets thereof pertaining to respective ones of the multiple TDD frequencies of the wireless network.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the analysis module inspects respective subsets of timing data to identify respective subframe configuration data pertaining to the respective ones of the multiple TDD frequencies of the wireless network.

48. An apparatus for participating in wireless communication, comprising:

means for employing a wireless communication interface to obtain timing information pertaining to a non-serving frequency of a wireless network; and

means for employing a data processor to execute program modules configured to determine inter-frequency timing data for cells of the wireless network, the program modules comprising;

means for inspecting the timing information to identify subframe configuration data pertaining to the non-serving frequency; and

means for employing a subframe configuration utilized by network cells on the non-serving frequency for analyzing signals thereof.

49. At least one processor for participating in wireless communication, comprising:

a module for obtaining timing information pertaining to a non-serving frequency of a wireless network;

a module for inspecting the timing information to identify subframe configuration data pertaining to the non-serving frequency; and

a module for employing a subframe configuration utilized by network cells on the non-serving frequency for analyzing signals thereof.

50. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium, comprising;

code for causing a computer to obtain timing information pertaining to a non-serving frequency of a wireless network;

code for causing the computer to inspect the timing information to identify subframe configuration data pertaining to the non-serving frequency; and

code for causing the computer to employ a subframe configuration utilized by network cells on the non-serving frequency for analyzing signals thereof.