CARRIER TIMING FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS

• US 20100238857A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gholmieh, Aziz, Zhang, Danlu, Mohanty, Bibhu P., Hou, Jilei
• Granted Patent: US 8,937,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/707 using direct sequence modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems

Abstract

Synchronization of uplink carriers for transmission is disclosed in accordance with different aspects. The uplink carriers that transmit information are configured such that at least one of the uplink carriers is an anchor carrier. When a plurality of carriers are thus configured for the uplink, they are synchronized such that they bear a predetermined phase relationship with each other. The predetermined phase relationship between the plurality of carriers depends on the transmit timing of the anchor carrier or a combination of transmit timings of the anchor carrier and one or more non-anchor carriers comprised within the uplink carriers.

Claims

1. An apparatus operable in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor, that generates transmission data for one or more uplink carriers;

a synchronizing component that synchronizes transmit timings associated with the one or more uplink carriers;

a transmission component that transmits the one or more uplink carriers after synchronization by the synchronizing component; and

a memory coupled to the processor for storing the transmission data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more carriers comprise at least an anchor carrier such that common uplink transmit timing is determined by uplink transmit timing of the anchor carrier or a combination of transmit timings of the anchor carrier and one or more non-anchor carriers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a multiplexer for multiplexing the transmission data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a digital-to-analogue converter that converts a single digital data stream, obtained by combining data streams of the one or more uplink carriers after synchronization by the synchronizing component into an analogue signal.

5. A method used in wireless communication system, the method comprising:

configuring one or more uplink carriers to transmit information;

synchronizing the one or more uplink carriers such that the one or more uplink carriers bear a predetermined phase relationship with each other; and

transmitting the uplink carriers subsequent to the synchronization.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuring includes configuring an anchor carrier.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising pairing the uplink carriers with at least a subset of received downlink carriers upon synchronization.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the synchronizing includes synchronizing the one or more uplink carriers based on transmit timing of the anchor carrier or a combination of transmit timings of the anchor carrier and one or more non-anchor carriers comprised within the uplink carriers.

9. A computer program product, comprising:

A computer-readable medium comprising code for;

configuring one or more uplink carriers to transmit information; and

synchronizing transmit timing among the uplink carriers such that the uplink carriers are aligned in time with each other.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising instructions to configure at least one of the uplink carriers as an anchor carrier.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising instructions for maintaining the time alignment between the uplink carriers based at least on a transmit timing of the anchor carrier or a combination of transmit timings of the anchor carrier and one or more non-anchor carriers comprised within the uplink carriers.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising instructions for combining the uplink carriers into a single stream.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising instructions to convert the single stream into an analogue signal for transmission.

14. An apparatus operable in wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

means for configuring one or more carriers to transmit data; and

means for synchronizing transmit timing among the carriers such that the carriers maintain a predetermined time alignment with each other.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein at least one of the one or more carriers is an anchor carrier.

16. An apparatus operable in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving one or more uplink carriers from a transmitting UE; and

a processor that reads data received from the UE via the one or more uplink carriers wherein transmit timings of the uplink carriers are synchronized with each other.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one of the uplink carriers is an anchor carrier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, the transmit timing of the uplink carriers is determined based on transmit timing assigned to the anchor carrier or a combination of transmit timings associated with the anchor carrier and one or more non-anchor carriers comprised within the uplink carriers.

19. A method used in wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of carriers comprising at least one uplink anchor carrier; and

estimating transmit timings of a non-anchor carrier comprised within the plurality of carriers based on a transmit timing of a corresponding uplink anchor carrier or a combination of transmit timings of the corresponding uplink anchor carrier and one or more other non-anchor carriers associated with the corresponding uplink anchor carrier.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining position of a UE transmitting at least a subset of the plurality of carriers based at least on the transmit timings of the subset of the plurality of carriers.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving the plurality of carriers from a plurality of UEs.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising processing transmissions from the plurality of UEs simultaneously based at least on the estimated transmit timings of respective uplink carriers.

23. A computer program product, comprising:

A computer-readable medium comprising code for;

receiving a plurality of carriers comprising one or more uplink anchor carriers; and

determining transmit timing of at least one non-anchor carrier comprised within the plurality of carriers based on a transmit timing of a corresponding uplink anchor carrier or a combination of transmit timings of the corresponding uplink anchor carrier and one or more other non-anchor carriers associated with the corresponding uplink anchor carrier.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising code for determining position of a UE transmitting at least a subset of the plurality of carriers based at least on transmit timings of the subset of the plurality of carriers.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising code for receiving the plurality of carriers from a plurality of UEs.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, further comprising code for processing transmissions from the plurality of UEs simultaneously based at least on the transmit timings of respective non-anchor carriers.

27. An apparatus operable in a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of carriers comprising at least one anchor carrier; and

means for determining transmit timings of at least one non-anchor carrier comprised within the plurality of carriers based at least on transmit timing of the anchor carrier or a combination of transmit timings of the anchor carrier and one or more other non-anchor carriers comprised within the plurality of carriers.