System and Method for Multi-Carrier Network Operation

• US 20130010964A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Burbidge, Richard Charles, Cai, Zhijun, Suzuki, Takashi, Earnshaw, Andrew Mark, Heo, Youn Hyoung, Xu, Hua, Li, Jun, McBeath, Sean Michael, Fong, Mo-Han
• Granted Patent: US 9,002,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/277
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A system and method for configuring a component carrier is presented. A component carrier assignment message is received. The component carrier assignment message may be configured to identify the component carrier and include at least one of, at least one of a downlink carrier frequency, a carrier frequency of a paired uplink carrier, a bandwidth of the component carrier, and a bandwidth of the paired uplink carrier, an indication of whether the component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier configured to signal data channel assignment information for the component carrier, and a logical index of the component carrier. The component carrier assignment message may then be used to configure the component carrier on a user equipment (UE).

Claims

1. A method of configuring another component carrier, comprising:

receiving a component carrier assignment message from one component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifying the other component carrier and including at least one of;

system information block type 1 data including at least one of a physical cell identity (PCI), cell global identity (CGI), and closed subscriber group (CSG) information,

system information block type 2 data identifying a radio resource configuration,

an indication of a type of the other component carrier,

an indication of whether the other component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier configured to signal data channel assignment information associated with the other component carrier,

when the other component carrier is a Type B component carrier, scheduling information for system information of the other component carrier, an indication of a paging occasion on the other component carrier for system information change notifications,

a physical component carrier index

when the other component carrier is a Type B component carrier, a virtual physical cell identify (PCI) of the other component carrier,

a cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) for the other component carrier,

an antenna configuration for the other component carrier, and an indication of whether a signal reception on the other component carrier should be enabled; and

using the component carrier assignment message to configure the other component carrier on a user equipment (UE).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel is a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the component carrier comprises a cell.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifies a second component carrier associated with the component carrier and a control channel of the component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the second component carrier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the component carrier is not a control channel monitoring component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifies a second component carrier, wherein a control channel of the second component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the component carrier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the component carrier assignment message assigns the component carrier an index corresponding to the second component carrier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the component carrier assignment message is received using dedicated signaling.

8. The method of claim 1, including, when the indication of whether the signal reception on the component carrier should be enabled indicates signal reception should be enabled:

allocating the component carrier to a set of active component carriers; and

enabling signal reception on the component carrier.

9. The method of claim 1, including, when the indication of whether the signal reception on the component carrier should be enabled indicates signal reception should not be enabled, allocating the component carrier to a set of assigned component carriers wherein signal reception is not enabled.

10. The method of claim 9, including:

after allocating the component carrier to the set of component carriers wherein signal reception is not enabled, receiving an instruction to enable signal reception on the component carrier; and

enabling signal reception on the component carrier.

11. A method of configuring another component carrier, comprising:

receiving a component carrier assignment message from one component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifying the other component carrier and including

an indication of whether the other component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier configured to signal data channel assignment information for the other component carrier; and

using the other component carrier assignment message to configure the component carrier on a user equipment (UE).

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the component carrier assignment message includes:

system information block type 1 data including at least one of a physical cell identity (PCI), cell global identity (CGI), and closed subscriber group (CSG) information,

system information block type 2 data identifying a radio resource configuration,

at least one of a physical component carrier index and a mapped logical component carrier index of the component carrier, and

an antenna configuration for the component carrier.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein, when the component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifies a second component carrier associated with the component carrier and a control channel of the component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the second component carrier.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein, when the component carrier is not a control channel monitoring component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifies a second component carrier, wherein a control channel of the second component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the component carrier.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the component carrier assignment message assigns the component carrier an index corresponding to the second component carrier.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the component carrier assignment message is received using dedicated signaling.

17. The method of claim 11, including, when an instruction to enable signal reception on the component carrier is received:

allocating the component carrier to a set of active component carriers; and

enabling signal reception on the component carrier.

18. The method of claim 11, including, when an instruction to enable signal reception on the component carrier is not received, allocating the component carrier to a set of assigned component carriers wherein signal reception is not enabled.

19. The method of claim 18, including:

after allocating the component carrier to the set of component carriers wherein signal reception is not enabled, receiving an instruction to enable signal reception on the component carrier; and

enabling signal reception on the component carrier.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the component carrier comprises a cell.

21. A method of configuring an assigned component carrier, comprising:

receiving a component carrier assignment message, the component carrier assignment message identifying an assigned component carrier and a difference between system information of the assigned component carrier and system information of a second component carrier; and

using the component carrier assignment message to configure the assigned component carrier.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second component carrier is an anchor component carrier.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the assigned component carrier comprises a cell.

24. A method of configuring another component carrier for a user equipment, comprising:

transmitting, by one component carrier, a component carrier assignment message, the component carrier assignment message identifying the other component carrier and including

an indication of whether the other component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier configured to signal data channel assignment information for the other component carrier; and

communicating with the user equipment using the other component carrier.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the component carrier assignment message includes:

system information block type 1 data including at least one of a physical cell identity (PCI), cell global identity (CGI), and closed subscriber group (CSG) information,

system information block type 2 data identifying a radio resource configuration,

an indication of whether the component carrier is a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring component carrier,

at least one of a physical component carrier index and a mapped logical component carrier index of the component carrier, and

an antenna configuration for the component carrier.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the component carrier assignment message is transmitted using dedicated signaling.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein, when the component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifies a second component carrier associated with the component carrier and a control channel of the component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the second component carrier.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein, when the component carrier is not a control channel monitoring component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifies a second component carrier and a control channel of the second component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the component carrier.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the component carrier is assigned an index corresponding to the second component carrier.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the component carrier comprises a cell.

31. A method of using a security-anchor component carrier, comprising:

identifying a security-anchor component carrier; and

using an attribute of the security-anchor component carrier to compute a security key for a second component carrier.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein computing the security key for the second component carrier includes using at least one of a physical cell identity (PCI) of the security-anchor component carrier and a carrier frequency of the security-anchor component carrier.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the security-anchor carrier is an anchor component carrier after connection establishment.

34. The method of claim 31, including:

after identifying the security-anchor component carrier, receiving an instruction to switch from a first anchor component carrier to a second anchor component carrier;

switching from the first anchor component carrier to the second anchor component carrier; and

after switching to the second anchor component carrier, continuing to use the security key in communications with the second anchor component carrier.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the first and second anchor component carrier serve the same geographic region.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the first and second anchor component carriers are served from the same base station.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the security-anchor component carrier comprises a cell.

38. A user equipment, comprising:

a processor, the processor being configured to;

receive a component carrier assignment message from one component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifying another component carrier and including

an indication of whether the other component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier configured to signal data channel assignment information for the other component carrier; and

use the component carrier assignment message to configure the other component carrier on a user equipment (UE).

39. The user equipment of claim 38, wherein the component carrier assignment message includes:

system information block type 1 data including at least one of a physical cell identity (PCI), cell global identity (CGI), and closed subscriber group (CSG) information,

system information block type 2 data identifying a radio resource configuration,

at least one of a physical component carrier index and a mapped logical component carrier index of the component carrier, and

an antenna configuration for the component carrier.

40. The user equipment of claim 38, wherein, when the component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifies a second component carrier associated with the component carrier and a control channel of the component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the second component carrier.

41. The user equipment of claim 38, wherein, when the component carrier is not a control channel monitoring component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifies a second component carrier, wherein a control channel of the second component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the component carrier.

42. A user equipment, comprising:

a processor, the processor being configured to;

receive a component carrier assignment message, the component carrier assignment message identifying an assigned component carrier and a difference between system information of the assigned component carrier and system information of a second component carrier; and

use the component carrier assignment message to configure the assigned component carrier.

43. The user equipment of claim 42, wherein the second component carrier is an anchor component carrier.

44. The user equipment of claim 42, wherein the assigned component carrier comprises a cell.