CONFIGURING COMPONENT CARRIERS IN CARRIER AGGREGATION

• US 20110267978A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Etemad, Kamran
• Granted Patent: US 8,537,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1614 using bitmaps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0016 Time-frequency-code
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/003 Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0051 of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/12 using signalling between network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• 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 72/52 : based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 : Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for configuring component carriers in carrier aggregation is disclosed. The method comprises communicating a carrier aggregation capability for a selected UE to an enhanced Node B (eNode B) configured to provide service for a plurality of UEs. A plurality of component carriers at the eNode B can be configured for the selected UE based on the carrier aggregation capability of the selected UE. A component carrier configuration message is broadcast from the eNode B containing component carrier configuration information that is common to the plurality of UEs. Specific configuration information that is specific to the selected UE is communicated using dedicated communication signaling. Selected configured component carriers are then activated by the eNode B for the selected UE. Activation can be based on the UE'"'"'s quality of service needs, bandwidth needs, and strength of signal for the component carriers.

Claims

1. A method for configuring component carriers in carrier aggregation, comprising:

receiving a carrier aggregation capability from a selected user equipment (UE) at an enhanced Node B (eNode B) configured to provide service for a plurality of UEs within the eNode B'"'"'s network;

configuring a plurality of component carriers at the eNode B for the selected UE based on the carrier aggregation capability of the selected UE;

broadcasting from the eNode B component carrier a configuration message containing component carrier configuration information that is common to the plurality of UEs;

communicating from the eNode B component carrier configuration information that is specific to one of the plurality of UEs using dedicated communication signaling to form configured component carriers; and

activating selected configured component carriers at the eNode B for the selected UE based on bandwidth and quality of service needs of the selected UE.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving radio resource management (RRM) measurements of signal strength from each of the plurality of UEs at the eNode B for a plurality of component carriers available for carrier aggregation that are provided by the eNode B.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein reporting RRM measurements of signal strength further comprises measuring signal strength of each component carrier at each of the plurality of UEs using at least one of Reference Symbol Received Power (RSRP), Reference Symbol Received Quality (RSSQ), and Carrier Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) communicated via RRC signaling.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein activating selected configured component carriers at the eNode B further comprises activating selected configured component carriers at the eNode B for the selected UE based on the RRM measurements provided by the selected UE following configuration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the carrier aggregation'"'"'s capability further comprises receiving at the eNode B from the selected UE at least one of a maximum number of component carriers supported for an uplink to the eNode B, a maximum number of component carriers supported for a downlink from the eNode B, a maximum bandwidth supported for the uplink and the downlink, and support of selected frequency bands.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting component carrier configuration information from the eNode B for each component carrier including:

carrier center frequency, carrier bandwidth, and carrier duplex mode.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning each component carrier at the eNode B:

an eNode B specific carrier index (CI) provided in the broadcast configuration message; and

a UE specific configured physical carrier index provided in the dedicated communication signaling to reduce overhead when referencing each component carrier in communication between the eNode B and the plurality of UEs.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the selected UE to one of the component carriers and defining the component carrier as a primary component carrier (PCC).

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting a downlink of the PCC to carry downlink control information (DCI) on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for the plurality of component carriers.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a downlink component carrier of the plurality of component carriers to carry downlink control information (DCI) on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for the plurality of component carriers.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting an uplink component carrier for each downlink component carrier to carry physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) and uplink feedback information on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), wherein the uplink component carrier is paired as part of carrier configuration with the downlink component carrier that is also carrying corresponding uplink assignments in the PDCCH.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting an uplink component carrier of the PCC to carry feedback information for each physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission on each downlink component carrier for the plurality of component carriers.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising carrying a physical hybrid ARQ (Automatic Repeat request) indicator channel (PHICH) on a same component carrier used to carry a physical downlink control channel.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating from the eNode B further comprises identifying in the component carrier configuration information:

for each downlink component carrier where a corresponding physical uplink control channel is transmitted;

for each down link component carrier where a corresponding physical downlink control channel is transmitted;

for each uplink component carrier, where a corresponding physical downlink control channel is transmitted; and

for a primary component carrier, whether a random access channel is included.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the selected configured component carriers further comprises transmitting activation information as a media access control (MAC) control element from the eNode B to the selected UE for each component carrier.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising activating and deactivating each component carrier for the selected UE using a bitmap transmitted from the eNode B to the UE, wherein bits in the bitmap are mapped to an ordered list of indexes for the plurality of component carriers.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting one of a “

1” and

a “

0”

value at each bit in the bitmap to indicate one of activation and deactivation of the component carrier.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising deactivating selected component carriers based on selected deactivation rules.

19. A system for configuring component carriers in carrier aggregation, comprising:

a carrier aggregation module operating at an enhanced Node B (eNode B) configured to provide service for a plurality of UEs, the carrier aggregation module configured to;

receive a carrier aggregation capability at the eNode B from a carrier configuration module operating at a selected UE;

configure a plurality of component carriers at the eNode B for the selected UE based on the carrier aggregation capability of the selected UE;

broadcast from the eNode B a component carrier configuration message containing component carrier configuration information that is common to the plurality of UEs;

unicast from the eNode B to the selected UE component carrier configuration information that is specific to the selected UE; and

activate selected configured component carriers at the eNode B for the selected UE based on at least one of quality of service needs and bandwidth needs of the selected UE.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the carrier aggregation module at the eNode B is further configured to receive radio resource management (RRM) measurements of signal strength from each of the plurality of UEs for the plurality of component carriers available for carrier aggregation at the eNode B.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the carrier aggregation module at the eNode B is further configured to communicate from the eNode B to the selected UE the component carrier configuration information that is specific to the selected UE using level 2 communication.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the carrier aggregation module at the eNode B is further comprised to communicate a component carrier bitmap to perform at least one of activation and deactivation of selected component carriers for the selected UE using a bitmap transmitted from the eNode B to the selected UE, wherein bits in the bitmap are mapped to an ordered list of indexes for the plurality of component carriers.

23. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for configuring component carriers in carrier aggregation, comprising:

receiving a carrier aggregation capability from a selected UE at an enhanced Node B (eNode B) configured to provide service for a plurality of UEs;

configuring a plurality of component carriers at the eNode B for the selected UE based on the carrier aggregation capability of the selected UE;

broadcasting from the eNode B a component carrier configuration message containing component carrier configuration information that is common to the plurality of UEs;

communicating from the eNode B component carrier configuration information that is specific to the selected UE using dedicated communication signaling;

receiving radio resource management (RRM) measurements of signal strength from each of the plurality of UEs at the eNode B; and

activating selected configured component carriers from the eNode B for the selected UE based on the signal strength measurements.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving the carrier aggregation capability further comprises receiving at the eNode B from the selected UE at least one of a maximum number of component carriers supported for an uplink to the eNode B, a maximum number of component carriers supported for a downlink from the eNode B, a maximum bandwidth supported for the uplink and the downlink, and support of selected frequency bands.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising broadcasting from the eNode B component carrier configuration information for each component carrier, the component carrier configuration information including:

a carrier center frequency of each component carrier, a carrier bandwidth of each component carrier, and a carrier duplex mode of an uplink and a downlink of each component carrier.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising activating and deactivating each component carrier for the selected UE using a bitmap transmitted from the eNode B to the UE, wherein bits in the bitmap are mapped to an ordered list of indexes for the plurality of component carriers.