SIGNALING OF SUPPORTED CARRIER BANDWIDTHS FOR CARRIER AGGREGATION

• US 20130142139A1
• Filed: 11/28/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kitazoe, Masato, Ji, Tingfang, Gaal, Peter, Fong, Gene, Casaccia, Lorenzo, Flore, Oronzo
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,695 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 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth

Abstract

Techniques for signaling carrier bandwidths supported by a user equipment (UE) for carrier aggregation are disclosed. A UE may be configured with a plurality of carriers for carrier aggregation. Each carrier may have one carrier bandwidth of a set of possible carrier bandwidths. The set of possible carrier bandwidths may be dependent on a band in which the carrier belongs. Multiple combinations of carrier bandwidths for the plurality of carriers may be possible. The UE may identify at least one supported carrier bandwidth combination for the plurality of carriers. Each of the supported carrier bandwidth combinations may include a particular carrier bandwidth for each configured carrier. The UE may send signaling indicative of the at least one supported carrier bandwidth combination. The UE may thereafter communicate on the plurality of carriers based on a carrier bandwidth combination selected from the supported carrier bandwidth combination(s).

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

identifying a plurality of carriers configured for a user equipment (UE) for carrier aggregation;

identifying at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers, each carrier bandwidth combination including a particular carrier bandwidth for each of the plurality of carriers; and

sending signaling indicative of the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of carriers are in at least one band, each band being associated with a set of possible carrier bandwidths for a carrier in the band.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a plurality of possible carrier bandwidth combinations are determined based on the set of possible carrier bandwidths for each of the at least one band, and wherein the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE is a subset of the plurality of possible carrier bandwidth combinations.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE is a subset of a plurality of available carrier bandwidth combinations predefined for the at least one band or the plurality of carriers.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the signaling indicates a maximum bandwidth supported by the UE for each of the at least one band.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling comprises a bitmap of a plurality of bits for a plurality of available carrier bandwidth combinations for the plurality of carriers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each bit of the bitmap is associated with a different carrier bandwidth combination for the plurality of carriers.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein each bit of the bitmap is associated with a different set of at least one carrier bandwidth combination for the plurality of carriers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling comprises an index of each of the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of sets of carrier bandwidth combinations are predefined for the plurality of carriers, each of the plurality of sets of carrier bandwidth combinations including at least one carrier bandwidth combination for the plurality of carriers, and wherein the signaling indicates at least one of the plurality of sets of carrier bandwidth combinations.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling indicates a total bandwidth supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the at least one carrier bandwidth combination is associated with an aggregate bandwidth for the plurality of carriers of less than or equal to the total bandwidth.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling indicates a maximum bandwidth supported by the UE for each of the plurality of carriers.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling comprises a UE category of the UE.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending additional signaling indicative of at least one band supported by the UE, wherein the plurality of carriers are in the at least one band.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of carriers are in at least two bands for inter-band carrier aggregation or are in a single band for intra-band carrier aggregation.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a carrier bandwidth combination selected from the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers; and

communicating on the plurality of carriers based on the selected carrier bandwidth combination.

18. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

identify a plurality of carriers configured for a user equipment (UE) for carrier aggregation;

identify at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers, each carrier bandwidth combination including a particular carrier bandwidth for each of the plurality of carriers; and

send signaling indicative of the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to send additional signaling indicative of at least one band supported by the UE, and wherein the plurality of carriers are in the at least one band.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the signaling comprises a bitmap of a plurality of bits for a plurality of available carrier bandwidth combinations for the plurality of carriers.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein each bit of the bitmap is associated with a different carrier bandwidth combination for the plurality of carriers.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

determine a carrier bandwidth combination selected from the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers; and

communicate on the plurality of carriers based on the selected carrier bandwidth combination.

23. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of carriers configured for a user equipment (UE) for carrier aggregation;

means for identifying at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers, each carrier bandwidth combination including a particular carrier bandwidth for each of the plurality of carriers; and

means for sending signaling indicative of the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the signaling comprises a bitmap of a plurality of bits for a plurality of available carrier bandwidth combinations for the plurality of carriers.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein each bit of the bitmap is associated with a different carrier bandwidth combination for the plurality of carriers.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for sending additional signaling indicative of at least one band supported by the UE, wherein the plurality of carriers are in the at least one band.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for determining a carrier bandwidth combination selected from the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers; and

means for communicating on the plurality of carriers based on the selected carrier bandwidth combination.

28. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one processor to identify a plurality of carriers configured for a user equipment (UE) for carrier aggregation;

code for causing the at least one processor to identify at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers, each carrier bandwidth combination including a particular carrier bandwidth for each of the plurality of carriers; and

code for causing the at least one processor to send signaling indicative of the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers.

29. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

identifying a plurality of carriers configured for a user equipment (UE) for carrier aggregation;

receiving, from the UE, signaling indicative of at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers, each carrier bandwidth combination including a particular carrier bandwidth for each of the plurality of carriers; and

communicating with the UE on the plurality of carriers based on a carrier bandwidth combination selected from the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the signaling comprises a bitmap of a plurality of bits for a plurality of available carrier bandwidth combinations for the plurality of carriers.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the signaling comprises an index of each of the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the signaling indicates one of a plurality of sets of carrier bandwidth combinations predefined for the plurality of carriers, each set of carrier bandwidth combinations including at least one carrier bandwidth combination for the plurality of carriers.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the signaling indicates a total bandwidth supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the signaling indicates a maximum bandwidth supported by the UE for each of the plurality of carriers or for each of at least one band comprising the plurality of carriers.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

receiving, from the UE, additional signaling indicative of at least one band supported by the UE, wherein the plurality of carriers are in the at least one band.

36. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

identify a plurality of carriers configured for a user equipment (UE) for carrier aggregation;

receive, from the UE, signaling indicative of at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers, each carrier bandwidth combination including a particular carrier bandwidth for each of the plurality of carriers; and

communicate with the UE on the plurality of carriers based on a carrier bandwidth combination selected from the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the signaling comprises a bitmap of a plurality of bits for a plurality of available carrier bandwidth combinations for the plurality of carriers.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein each bit of the bitmap is associated with a different carrier bandwidth combination for the plurality of carriers.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive, from the UE, additional signaling indicative of at least one band supported by the UE, and wherein the plurality of carriers are in the at least one band.

40. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of carriers configured for a user equipment (UE) for carrier aggregation;

means for receiving, from the UE, signaling indicative of at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers, each carrier bandwidth combination including a particular carrier bandwidth for each of the plurality of carriers; and

means for communicating with the UE on the plurality of carriers based on a carrier bandwidth combination selected from the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, further comprising:

means for receiving, from the UE, additional signaling indicative of at least one band supported by the UE, wherein the plurality of carriers are in the at least one band.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the signaling comprises a bitmap of a plurality of bits for a plurality of available carrier bandwidth combinations for the plurality of carriers.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein each bit of the bitmap is associated with a different carrier bandwidth combination for the plurality of carriers.

44. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one processor to identify a plurality of carriers configured for a user equipment (UE) for carrier aggregation;

code for causing the at least one processor to receive, from the UE, signaling indicative of at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE for the plurality of carriers, each carrier bandwidth combination including a particular carrier bandwidth for each of the plurality of carriers; and

code for causing the at least one processor to communicate with the UE on the plurality of carriers based on a carrier bandwidth combination selected from the at least one carrier bandwidth combination supported by the UE.