Carrier Information Transmission to Wireless Devices

• US 20130142141A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ofinno Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Dinan, Esmael Hejazi
• Granted Patent: US 8,842,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A base station configured to communicate over a plurality of carriers. The plurality of carriers comprise at least one backward compatible carrier and at least one non-backward compatible carrier. The base station transmits a control message to a wireless device. The control message comprises an identifier for a carrier and information identifying a carrier type. The carrier type is either a backward compatible type or a non-backward compatible type. The base station configured to transmit a plurality of packets to a wireless device on non-backward compatible carrier(s) and backward compatible carrier(s).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) transmitting, by a base station, at least one control message to a wireless device, said at least one control message comprising;

i) an identifier for each carrier in a plurality of carriers, said plurality of carriers comprising;

(1) at least one backward compatible carrier; and

(2) at least one non-backward compatible carrier, a first common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier being substantially lower than a second common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one backward compatible carrier;

ii) information identifying a carrier type for each of said plurality of carriers, said carrier type being one of at least a backward compatible type and non-backward compatible type; and

iii) information associating each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier with one of said at least one backward compatible carrier;

b) receiving, by said base station, channel state information of one of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier from said wireless device on an uplink carrier of one of said at least one backward compatible carrier;

c) transmitting, by said base station, a plurality of second control messages to said wireless device on a backward compatible carrier, said plurality of second control messages comprising scheduling information for transmission of packets on the non-backward compatible carrier associated with said backward compatible carrier; and

d) transmitting, by said base station, a plurality of packets to said wireless device on said non-backward compatible carrier according to said scheduling information.

2. The method of claim 1, before said at least one control message is transmitted, further comprising:

a) encrypting said at least one control message; and

b) protecting said at least one control message by an integrity header.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one control message:

a) further includes configuration information for physical channels for said wireless device; and

b) causes said wireless device to set up or modify at least one radio bearer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said at least one control message configures at least one of a physical layer parameter, a MAC layer parameter and an RLC layer parameter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said at least one control message comprises radio link configuration information comprising uplink channel configuration and handover parameters.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said base station receives from said wireless device, a response message, said response message comprising a preferred PLMN ID.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said at least one control message comprises a radio resource configuration comprising a physical channel configuration.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising said base station transmitting a channel state information reference signal on:

a) said at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

b) said at least one backward compatible carrier.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising said base station transmitting a demodulation reference signal on:

a) said at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

b) said at least one backward compatible carrier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the format of said channel state information is configured by one of said at least one control message.

11. A method comprising:

a) receiving, by a wireless device, at least one control message from a base station, said at least one control message comprising;

i) an identifier for each carrier in a plurality of carriers, said plurality of carriers comprising;

(1) at least one backward compatible carrier; and

(2) at least one non-backward compatible carrier, a first common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier being substantially lower than a second common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one backward compatible carrier;

ii) information identifying a carrier type for each of said plurality of carriers, said carrier type being one of a backward compatible type and non-backward compatible type; and

iii) information associating each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier with one of said at least one backward compatible carrier;

b) receiving, by said wireless device, a plurality of second control messages from said base station on a backward compatible carrier, said plurality of second control messages comprising scheduling information for transmission of packets on the non-backward compatible carrier associated with said backward compatible carrier; and

c) receiving, by said wireless device, a plurality of packets from said base station on said non-backward compatible carrier according to said scheduling information.

12. The method of claim 11, after said at least one control message is received, further comprising:

a) decrypting said at least one control message; and

b) verifying an integrity header for each of said at least one control message.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one control message:

a) further includes configuration information for physical channels for said wireless device; and

b) causes said wireless device to set up or modify at least one radio bearer.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein one of said at least one control message configures at least one of a physical layer parameter, a MAC layer parameter and an RLC layer parameter.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein one of said at least one control message comprises radio link configuration information comprising an uplink channel configuration and handover parameters.

16. A base station comprising:

a) one or more communication interfaces;

b) one or more processors; and

c) memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause said base station to;

i) transmit at least one control message to a wireless device, said at least one control message comprising;

(1) an identifier for each carrier in a plurality of carriers, said plurality of carriers comprising;

(a) at least one backward compatible carrier; and

(b) at least one non-backward compatible carrier, a first common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier being substantially lower than a second common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one backward compatible carrier;

(2) information identifying a carrier type for each of said plurality of carriers, said carrier type being one of a backward compatible type and non-backward compatible type; and

(3) information associating each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier with one of said at least one backward compatible carrier;

ii) receive channel state information of one of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier from said wireless device on an uplink carrier of one of said at least one backward compatible carrier.

17. The base station of claim 16, wherein said instructions that, when executed, cause said base station to further transmit a channel state information reference signal on:

a) said at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

b) said at least one backward compatible carrier.

18. The base station of claim 16, wherein said instructions that, when executed, cause said base station to further transmit a demodulation reference signal on:

a) said at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

b) said at least one backward compatible carrier.

19. The base station of claim 16, wherein the format of said channel state information is configured by one of said at least one control message.

20. The base station of claim 16, wherein one of said at least one control message comprises a radio resource configuration, said radio resource configuration comprises a physical channel configuration.