Assignment of Component Carriers

• US 20120327878A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pedersen, Klaus Ingemann, Wang, Yuanye
• Granted Patent: US 9,548,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling

Abstract

Assignment of component carriers Carrier aggregation, and assignment of component carriers is disclosed. In a method a capability of a communication device for carrier aggregation of a plurality of component carriers is determined. Loading of at least one of the component carriers is determined. The communication device is assigned to one or more of the component carriers on the basis of determining the capability and determining the loading.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a capability of a communication device for carrier aggregation of a plurality of component carriers;

determining loading of at least one of the component carriers; and

assigning the communication device to one or more of the component carriers on the basis of determining the capability and determining the loading.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein determining the capability comprises determining the maximum number of component carriers the communication device supports in carrier aggregation.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein determining the loading comprises determining the number of communication devices assigned to at least one component carrier.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein determining the loading comprises determining a loading limit for each component carrier.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the loading limit is based on a maximum number of communication devices supported by each component carrier.

7. A method according to claim 5 wherein assigning the communication device to one or more component carriers is repeated when the loading of the component carrier is below the loading limit.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein assigning the communication device to one or more component carriers to is repeated when the number component carriers assigned to the communication device is below the maximum number of component carriers the communication device supports in carrier aggregation.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein determining the loading comprises determining the component carrier of the plurality of component carriers which has the lowest loading.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the assigning comprises assigning the component carrier with the lowest loading to the communication device.

11. A method according to claim 9 wherein when there is more than one component carrier with the lowest loading, the determining comprises determining another parameter of the more than one component carriers with the lowest loading.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the another parameter is one or more channel quality parameters relating to a component carrier.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the assigning comprises assigning the communication device to a component carrier when the channel quality parameters meet a predetermined level.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein the channel quality parameters are one or more of received interference power, bandwidth of the component carrier, and signal quality condition.

15. A method according to claim 1 wherein the assigning comprises assigning the communication device to a single component carrier when the communication device is determined not to support component aggregation.

20. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein processor is configured to determine a loading limit for each component carrier.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the loading limit is based a maximum number of communication devices supported by each component carrier.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20 wherein processor is configured to repeat assigning the communication device to one or more component carriers when loading of the component carrier is below the loading limit.

33. A computer program comprising program code means adapted to perform the steps of claim 1 when the program is run on a data processing apparatus.

4. A method according to claim 4 wherein the loading is determined on the basis of one or more of the following:

the number of communication devices assigned to at least one component carrier, required quality of service of the user equipment, and user service quality on a component carrier.

16. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

determine a capability of a communication device for carrier aggregation of a plurality of component carriers;

determine loading of at least one of the component carriers; and

assign the communication device to one or more of the component carriers on the basis of determining the capability and determining the loading.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein processor is configured to determine the maximum number of component carriers the communication device supports in carrier aggregation.

18. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein processor is configured to determine the number of communication devices assigned to at least one component carrier.

19. A method according to claim 18 wherein the loading is determined on the basis of one or more of the following:

the number of communication devices assigned to at least one component carrier, required quality of service of the user equipment, and user service quality on a component carrier.

23. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein processor is configured to repeat assigning the communication device to one or more component carriers when the number component carriers assigned to the communication device is below the maximum number of component carriers the communication device supports in carrier aggregation.

24. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein processor is configured to determine the component carrier of the plurality of component carriers which has the lowest loading.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the processor is configured to assign the communication device to the component carrier with the lowest loading.

26. An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein when processor determines that there is more than one component carrier with the lowest loading, processor is configured to determine another parameter of the component carriers with the lowest loading.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein the another parameter is one or more channel quality parameters relating to a component carrier.

28. A method according to claim 27 wherein the assigning comprises assigning the communication device to a component carrier when the channel quality parameters meet a predetermined level.

29. A method according to claim 27 wherein the channel quality parameters are one or more of received interference power, bandwidth of the component carrier, and signal quality condition.

30. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein processor is configured to assign the communication device to one component carrier when the communication device is determined not to support component aggregation.

31. A base station comprising an apparatus according to claim 16.

32. A base station according to claim 31 wherein the base station is an eNode B.