CONTROL OF RADIO LINKS IN A MULTIPLE CARRIER SYSTEM

• US 20100271939A1
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gholmieh, Aziz, Kapoor, Rohit, Sambhwani, Sharad Deepak, Zhang, Danlu, Ozturk, Ozcan, Hou, Jilei, Mohanty, Bibhu Prasad, Lee, Heechoon, Bharadwaj, Arjun
• Granted Patent: US 8,599,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0096 Indication of changes in allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management

Abstract

Methods, systems and apparatuses for controlling radio links in a multiple carrier wireless communication system are disclosed. A method can include aggregating control functions from at least two carriers onto one carrier to form an anchor carrier and one or more associated secondary carriers; establishing communication links for the anchor carrier and each secondary carrier; and controlling communication based on the anchor carrier.

Claims

1. A method for controlling radio links in a multiple carrier wireless communication system, the method comprising:

aggregating control functions from at least two carriers onto one carrier to form an anchor carrier and one or more associated secondary carriers;

establishing communication links for the anchor carrier and each secondary carrier; and

controlling communication based on the anchor carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the communication links comprises:

establishing a communication link for the anchor carrier before establishing any communication links for the secondary carriers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the communication links comprises:

individually synchronizing each carrier with a physical channel by receiving a first threshold number of physical layer “

in sync”

indications for the carrier, each communication link being established when the first threshold number of “

in sync”

indications is received for the carrier.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving data on any established carrier.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving data on any established carrier only after a second threshold number of “

in sync”

indications is received for each of the carriers.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving data on any established carrier only after a second threshold number of “

in sync”

indications is received for all the carriers in aggregate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing the communication links comprises:

synchronizing the anchor carrier with a physical channel by receiving a first threshold number of physical layer “

in sync”

indications for the anchor carrier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein one or more communication links of the secondary carriers is established when the first threshold number of “

in sync”

indications is received for the anchor carrier.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein all of the communication links are established when the first threshold number of “

in sync”

indications is received for the anchor carrier.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assessing radio link failure for the anchor carrier according to the anchor carrier communication link.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein assessing radio link failure comprises:

monitoring the anchor carrier communication link for successive physical layer “

in sync”

indications; and

triggering a radio link failure for the anchor carrier if a threshold number of successive physical layer “

in sync”

indications is not received within a given period of time.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

assessing radio link failure for the associated secondary carriers according to the radio link failure assessment for the anchor carrier.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

declaring a radio link failure for the anchor carrier; and

maintaining at least one of the secondary carrier communication links.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

attempting to reestablish the anchor carrier communication link while maintaining the at least one secondary carrier communication link.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

declaring a radio link failure for all associated secondary carrier communication links if the reestablishment fails for the anchor carrier communication link.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a signalling radio bearer (SRB) delay and a power control (PC) preamble for each carrier;

applying the PC preamble during a number of frames indicated in the PC preamble for the corresponding carrier; and

refraining from sending data during a number of frames indicated in the SRB delay for the corresponding carrier.

17. An apparatus for controlling radio links in a multiple carrier wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor programmed with instructions to;

aggregate control functions from at least two carriers onto one carrier to form an anchor carrier and one or more associated secondary carriers;

establish communication links for the anchor carrier and each secondary carrier; and

control communication based on the anchor carrier.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions to establish the communication links comprises:

instructions to establish a communication link for the anchor carrier before establishing any communication links for the secondary carriers.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions to establish the communication links comprises:

instructions to individually synchronize each carrier with a physical channel by receiving a first threshold number of physical layer “

in sync”

indications for the carrier, each communication link being established when the first threshold number of “

in sync”

indications is received for the carrier.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

instructions to receive data on any established carrier.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions to establish the communication links comprises:

instructions to synchronize the anchor carrier with a physical channel by receiving a first threshold number of physical layer “

in sync”

indications for the anchor carrier.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein one or more communication links of the secondary carriers is established when the first threshold number of “

in sync”

indications is received for the anchor carrier.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

instructions to assess radio link failure for the anchor carrier according to the anchor carrier communication link.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

instructions to assess radio link failure for the associated secondary carriers according to the radio link failure assessment for the anchor carrier.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

instructions to declare a radio link failure for the anchor carrier; and

instructions to maintain at least one of the secondary carrier communication links.

26. An apparatus for controlling radio links in a multiple carrier wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

means for aggregating control functions from at least two carriers onto one carrier to form an anchor carrier and one or more associated secondary carriers;

means for establishing communication links for the anchor carrier and each secondary carrier; and

means for controlling communication based on the anchor carrier.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for establishing the communication links comprises:

means for establishing a communication link for the anchor carrier before establishing any communication links for the secondary carriers.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for establishing the communication links comprises:

means for individually synchronizing each carrier with a physical channel by receiving a first threshold number of physical layer “

in sync”

indications for the carrier, each communication link being established when the first threshold number of “

in sync”

indications is received for the carrier.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

means for receiving data on any established carrier.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for establishing the communication links comprises:

means for synchronizing the anchor carrier with a physical channel by receiving a first threshold number of physical layer “

in sync”

indications for the anchor carrier.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein one or more communication links of the secondary carriers is established when the first threshold number of “

in sync”

indications is received for the anchor carrier.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:

means for assessing radio link failure for the anchor carrier according to the anchor carrier communication link.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

means for assessing radio link failure for the associated secondary carriers according to the radio link failure assessment for the anchor carrier.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

means for declaring a radio link failure for the anchor carrier; and

means for maintaining at least one of the secondary carrier communication links.

35. A computer program product for controlling radio links in a multiple carrier wireless communication system, comprising:

computer-readable storage medium comprising;

code for causing a computer to aggregate control functions from at least two carriers onto one carrier to form an anchor carrier and one or more associated secondary carriers;

code for causing a computer to establish communication links for the anchor carrier and each secondary carrier; and

code for causing a computer to control communication based on the anchor carrier.

36. The computer programs product of claim 35, wherein the code for causing a computer to establish the communication links comprises:

code for establishing a communication link for the anchor carrier before establishing any communication links for the secondary carriers.

37. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the code for causing a computer to establish the communication links comprises:

code for individually synchronizing each carrier with a physical channel by receiving a first threshold number of physical layer “

in sync”

indications for the carrier, each communication link being established when the first threshold number of “

in sync”

indications is received for the carrier.

38. The computer program product of claim 36, further comprising:

code for causing a computer to receive data on any established carrier.

39. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the code for causing a computer to establish the communication links comprises:

code for synchronizing the anchor carrier with a physical channel by receiving a first threshold number of physical layer “

in sync”

indications for the anchor carrier.

40. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein one or more communication links of the secondary carriers is established when the first threshold number of “

in sync”

indications is received for the anchor carrier.

41. The computer program product of claim 35, further comprising:

code for causing a computer to assess radio link failure for the anchor carrier according to the anchor carrier communication link.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, further comprising:

code for causing a computer to assess radio link failure for the associated secondary carriers according to the radio link failure assessment for the anchor carrier.

43. The computer program product of claim 41, further comprising:

code for causing a computer to declare a radio link failure for the anchor carrier; and

code for causing a computer to maintain at least one of the secondary carrier communication links.