Method of Handling Uplink Synchronization and Related Communication Device

• US 20110170535A1
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Chun-Chia, Wang, Chun-Yen, Lin, Shiang-Jiun
• Granted Patent: US 9,426,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time

Abstract

A method of handling uplink synchronization for a mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method comprises performing a first random access procedure on a first component carrier of the plurality of component carriers to establish uplink synchronization on the first component carrier, and performing a second random access procedure on at least a component carrier of the plurality of component carriers to establish uplink synchronization on the at least a component carrier.

Claims

1. A method of handling uplink synchronization for a mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

performing a first random access procedure on a first component carrier of the plurality of component carriers to establish uplink synchronization on the first component carrier; and

performing a second random access procedure on at least a component carrier of the plurality of component carriers to establish uplink synchronization on the at least a component carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the second random access procedure on the at least a component carrier of the plurality of component carriers to establish uplink synchronization on the at least a component carrier comprises:

receiving at least a random access preamble assigned by a network of the wireless communication system for the at least a component carrier;

sending at least a random access preamble message including the at least a random access preamble to the network; and

receiving at least a random access response message corresponding to the at least a random access preamble message from the network, wherein the at least a random access response message includes at least a timing advance value determined by the network according to the at least a random access preamble message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the at least a random access preamble for the at least a component carrier from the network of the wireless communication system comprises:

receiving the at least a random access preamble in a contention resolution message of the first random access procedure from the network through at least a component carrier;

or

receiving the at least a random access preamble in at least a first message dedicated for random access preamble assignment from the network through the at least a component carrier;

or

receiving a second message aggregated with the at least a first message from the network through one of the plurality of component carriers.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the at least a random access response message corresponding to the at least a random access preamble message from the network comprises:

receiving a third message aggregated with the at least a random access response message from the network through one of the plurality of component carriers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the second random access procedure on the at least a component carrier of the plurality of component carriers to establish uplink synchronization on the at least a component carrier comprises:

receiving one random access preamble assigned by a network of the wireless communication system for one of the at least a component carrier;

sending a random access preamble message including the random access preamble to the network; and

receiving at least a random access response message corresponding to the random access preamble message from the network, wherein the at least a random access response message includes at least a timing advance determined by the network according to the random access preamble message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving one random access preamble for one of the at least a component carrier from the network of the wireless communication system comprises:

receiving the one random access preamble in a contention resolution message of the first random access procedure from the network through one of the plurality of component carriers;

or

receiving the one random access preamble in a first message dedicated for random access preamble assignment from the network through one of the at least a component carrier.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the at least a random access response message corresponding to the random access preamble message from the network comprises:

receiving a second message aggregated with the at least a random access response message from the network through one of the plurality of component carriers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the first random access procedure on the first component carrier of the plurality of component carriers to establish uplink synchronization on the first component carrier comprises:

receiving no contention resolution message of the first random access procedure; and

determining the first random access procedure is successful performed when a random access preamble of the second random access procedure is received.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a second random access procedure on the at least a component carrier of the plurality of component carriers to establish uplink synchronization on the at least a component carrier comprises:

performing the second random access procedure on the at least a component carrier before the first random access procedure is completely performed.

10. A mobile device of a wireless communication system for handling uplink synchronization, the mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers, the mobile device comprising:

means for carrying out the method steps as defined in the preceding claim 1.

11. A method of handling uplink synchronization for a mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

managing a plurality of time alignment timers each corresponding to some of the plurality of component carriers with the same feature for indicating a synchronization state on the component carriers with the same feature;

or

managing a plurality of time alignment timers each corresponding to a component carrier of the plurality of component carriers for indicating a synchronization state on the component carrier.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the feature is a timing advance value.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

performing a random access procedure on a first component carrier of the component carriers with the same feature to obtain the timing advance value.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein managing the plurality of time alignment timers each corresponding to some of the plurality of component carriers with the same feature for indicating the synchronization state on the component carriers with the same feature comprises:

starting or restarting the time alignment timer when a timing advance command in a medium access control (MAC) control element is received from one of the component carriers with the same feature;

or

starting or restarting the time alignment timer when the timing advance command in a random access response message of the random access procedure is received from the first component carrier, and a random access preamble of the random access procedure is not selected by the mobile device or the time alignment timer is not running.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein managing the plurality of time alignment timers each corresponding to the component carrier of the plurality of component carriers for indicating the synchronization state on the component carrier comprises:

starting or restarting a first time alignment timer of the plurality of time alignment timers when a timing advance command in a medium access control (MAC) control element is received from the corresponding component carrier of the plurality of component carriers;

or

starting or restarting the first time alignment timer when the timing advance command in a random access response message of a random access procedure is received from the corresponding component carrier, and a random access preamble of the random access procedure is not selected by the mobile device or the first time alignment timer is not running.

16. A mobile device of a wireless communication system for handling uplink synchronization, the mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers, the mobile device comprising:

means for carrying out the method steps as defined in the preceding claim 11.

17. A method of handling uplink synchronization for a mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

managing a time alignment timer for the plurality of component carriers; and

maintaining a plurality of indicators corresponding to the plurality of component carriers for indicating timing alignment timer validity for the plurality of component carriers, or maintaining a plurality of indicators each corresponding to some of the plurality of component carriers for indicating timing alignment timer validity for the component carriers with the same feature.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein managing a time alignment timer for the plurality of component carriers comprises:

when a timing advance command in a random access response message of a random access procedure is received on a first component carrier of the plurality of component carriers, determining whether to start or restart the time alignment timer according to at least one of a random access preamble selection of the random access procedure, a running status of the timing advance timer, and a first indicator of the plurality of indicators for indicating timing alignment timer validity for the first component carrier or for component carriers that has the same feature with the first component carrier; and

determining whether to stop the time alignment timer according to a contention resolution of the random access procedure after the time alignment timer is started or restarted.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein when the timing advance command in the random access response message of the random access procedure is received on the first component carrier of the plurality of component carriers, determining whether to start or restart the time alignment timer according to at least one of the random access preamble selection of the random access procedure, the running status of the timing advance timer, and the first indicator of the plurality of indicators for indicating timing alignment timer validity for the first component carrier or for component carriers that has the same feature with the first component carrier comprises at least one of the following steps:

starting or restarting the time alignment timer when a random access preamble of the random access procedure is not selected by the mobile device;

starting or restarting the time alignment timer when the random access preamble is selected by the mobile device and the time alignment timer is not running;

starting or restarting the time alignment timer when the random access preamble is selected by the mobile device, the time alignment timer is running, and the first indicator indicates that the time alignment timer is not valid for the first component carrier or for the component carriers.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein maintaining the plurality of indicators corresponding to the plurality of component carriers for indicating timing alignment timer validity for the plurality of component carriers, or maintaining the plurality of indicators each corresponding to some of the plurality of component carriers for indicating timing alignment timer validity for the component carriers with the same feature comprises at least one of the following steps:

setting the first indicator to a first value when a random access preamble of the random access procedure is not selected by the mobile device;

setting the first indicator to the first value when the random access preamble is selected by the mobile device and the time alignment timer is not running;

setting the first indicator to the first value when the random access preamble is selected by the mobile device, the time alignment timer is running, and the first indicator indicates that the time alignment timer is not valid for the first component carrier or for the component carriers.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein determining whether to stop the time alignment timer according to the contention resolution of the random access procedure after the time alignment timer is started or restarted comprises:

stopping the time alignment timer when the contention resolution of the random access procedure is not successful after the time alignment timer is start or restarted.

22. The method of claim 17, maintaining the plurality of indicators corresponding to the plurality of component carriers for indicating timing alignment timer validity for the plurality of component carriers, or maintaining the plurality of indicators each corresponding to some of the plurality of component carriers for indicating timing alignment timer validity for the component carriers with the same feature comprises:

setting the first indicator to a second value when the time alignment timer is stopped or expires.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein managing a time alignment timer for the plurality of component carriers comprises:

starting or restarting the time alignment timer when a timing advance command in a medium access control (MAC) control element is received on a second component carrier of the plurality of component carriers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein maintaining the plurality of indicators corresponding to the plurality of component carriers for indicating timing alignment timer validity for the plurality of component carriers, or maintaining the plurality of indicators each corresponding to some of the plurality of component carriers for indicating timing alignment timer validity for the component carriers with the same feature comprises:

setting at least a indicator of the plurality of indicators for indicating timing alignment timer validity for at lease a component carrier of the plurality of component carriers to a first value when the timing alignment timer is started or restarted; and

setting the at least a indicator to a second value when the timing alignment timer expires.

25. A mobile device of a wireless communication system for handling uplink synchronization, the mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers, the mobile device comprising:

means for carrying out the method steps as defined in the preceding claim 17.

26. A method of handling uplink synchronization for a mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

initiating a random access procedure or an uplink signal transmission on the plurality of component carriers;

receiving a message including at least a timing advance command for updating at least a timing advance value of at least a component carrier of the plurality of component carriers from a network of the wireless communication system; and

applying the at least a timing advance command to the at least a component carrier for timing advance value update.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the message is a random access response message of the random access procedure or a medium access control (MAC) control element.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the message includes identity information of the at least a component carrier or component carrier identity bitmap information.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the message includes at least a MAC subheader and a MAC payload, or at least a MAC subheader and at least a timing advance command control element, and the MAC subheader and/or MAC payload and/or timing advance command control element includes the identity information of the at least a component carrier and/or the component carrier identity bitmap information.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the MAC subheader includes a first indicator for indicating whether to apply the received timing advance command to all of the plurality of component carriers;

and/or the MAC subheader includes a second indicator for indicating the received timing advance command is for which component carrier; and

/or the timing advance command control element includes a third indicator for indicating the timing advance command is for which component carrier; and

/or the MAC payload includes a fourth indicator for indicating the received timing advance command is for which component carrier.

31. A mobile device of a wireless communication system for handling uplink synchronization, the mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers, the mobile device comprising:

means for carrying out the method steps as defined in the preceding claim 26.

32. A method of handling uplink synchronization for a mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

performing a plurality of random access procedures on the plurality of component carriers to establish uplink synchronization on the plurality of component carriers.

33. A mobile device of a wireless communication system for handling uplink synchronization, the mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers, the mobile device comprising:

means for carrying out the method steps as defined in the preceding claim 32.

34. A method of handling uplink synchronization for a network in a wireless communication system comprising a mobile device capable of receiving and transmitting on a plurality of component carriers, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of timing advance values of the plurality of component carriers based on a random access procedure or an uplink signal transmission initiated by the mobile device on the plurality of component carriers;

determining whether to update the plurality of timing advance values for the plurality of component carriers;

aggregating at least a timing advance command in a message for timing advance update when determining to update at least a component carrier of the plurality of timing advance values; and

sending the message to the mobile device through one of the plurality of component carriers.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the message is a random access response message of the random access procedure or a medium access control (MAC) control element.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the message includes identity information of the at least a component carrier or component carrier identity bitmap information.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the message includes at least a MAC subheader and a MAC payload, or at least a MAC subheader and at least a timing advance command control element, and the MAC subheader and/or MAC payload and/or timing advance command control element includes the identity information of the at least a component carrier and/or the component carrier identity bitmap information.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the MAC subheader includes a first indicator for indicating whether to apply the received timing advance command to all of the plurality of component carriers;

and/or the MAC subheader includes a second indicator for indicating the received timing advance command is for which component carrier; and

/or the timing advance command control element includes a third indicator for indicating the timing advance command is for which component carrier; and

/or the MAC payload includes a fourth indicator for indicating the received timing advance command is for which component carrier.

39. A network of a wireless communication system for handling uplink synchronization comprising:

means for carrying out the method steps as defined in the preceding claim 34.