GROUP MESSAGE BASED CARRIER AGGREGATION CONTROL

• US 20130301444A1
• Filed: 11/11/2010
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Joachim Sachs
• Inventors: Baldemair, Robert, Irnich, Tim, Kronander, Jonas, SACHS, Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 10,149,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0041 Frequency-non-contiguous
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A mobile communication system includes a network based aggregation controller for controlling aggregation of component carriers from a first spectrum and a second spectrum. In addition, the mobile communication system includes a group of mobile terminals. The network based aggregation controller is configured to send a group message on at least one component carrier of the first spectrum to the group of mobile terminals. The mobile terminals receive the group message. A terminal based aggregation controller in each of the mobile terminals is configured to control operation of the respective mobile terminal with respect to the at least one component carrier of the second spectrum. This control is accomplished in response to the received group message.

Claims

1. A method of controlling aggregation of component carriers from a first spectrum and a second spectrum, comprising:

transmitting a group message on at least one component carrier from the first spectrum to a group of mobile terminals,

wherein said group message controls operation of the mobile terminals of the group with respect to at least one component carrier from the second spectrum.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein said group message controls the mobile terminals of the group to deactivate usage of the at least one component carrier from the second spectrum.

3. The method according to claim 2, comprising:

transmitting the group message in response to detecting that a primary user of the second spectrum requires usage of the at least one component carrier from the second spectrum.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

determining a characteristic of a mobile terminal; and

on the basis of the characteristic, assigning the mobile terminal to the group.

5. The method according to claim 4,

wherein said characteristic of the mobile terminal comprises a capability to use component carriers from the second spectrum.

6. The method according to claim 4,

wherein said characteristic of the mobile terminal comprises a location, velocity and/or direction of movement of the mobile terminal.

7. The method according to claim 4,

wherein said characteristic of the mobile terminal comprises a traffic demand of the mobile terminal.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

determining a characteristic of the second spectrum; and

on the basis of the characteristic of the second spectrum, assigning the mobile terminal to the group.

9. The method according to claim 8,

wherein said characteristic of the second spectrum comprises an availability of the second spectrum at a location of the mobile terminal.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

assigning a group identifier to the group of mobile terminals.

11. The method according to claim 1,

wherein said group message further controls operation of the mobile terminals of the group with respect to at least one component carrier from the first spectrum.

12. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one component carrier from the first spectrum comprises a component carrier which is allocated to all mobile terminals of the group.

13. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the first spectrum is allocated to a radio access technology and the second spectrum is not allocated to this radio access technology.

14. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the second spectrum is allocated to a television technology, a satellite technology, or a radar technology.

24. A computer program product comprising program code to be executed by a processor of a device, thereby causing the device to operate in accordance with a method as defined in claim 1.

15. A method of controlling aggregation of component carriers from a first spectrum and a second spectrum, comprising:

in a mobile terminal, receiving a group message on at least one component carrier from the first spectrum, the group message being addressed to a group of mobile terminals including said mobile terminal; and

controlling operation of said mobile terminal with respect to the at least one component carrier of the second spectrum in response to the received group message.

16. The method according to claim 15, comprising:

transmitting the group message on the at least one component carrier from the first spectrum to a group of mobile terminals that includes the mobile terminal,

wherein said group message controls operation of the mobile terminals of the group with respect to the at least one component carrier from the second spectrum.

17. A network device, comprising:

an aggregation controller configured to control aggregation of component carriers from a first spectrum and a second spectrum,

wherein the aggregation controller comprises a control interface configured to transmit a group message on at least one component carrier from the first spectrum to a group of mobile terminals, said group message controlling operation of the mobile terminals of the group with respect to the at least one component carrier from the second spectrum.

18. The network device according to claim 17, comprising:

an access node communicating with the mobile terminals of the group over a radio interface.

19. The network device according to claim 17,

wherein said group message controls the mobile terminals of the group to deactivate usage of the at least one component carrier from the second spectrum.

20. A mobile terminal, comprising:

an aggregation controller configured to control aggregation of component carriers from a first spectrum and a second spectrum; and

a radio interface configured to receive a group message on at least one component carrier from the first spectrum, the group message being addressed to a group of mobile terminals including said mobile terminal,

wherein the aggregation controller is configured to control operation of the mobile terminal with respect to at least one component carrier of the second spectrum in response to the received group message.

21. The mobile terminal according to claim 20,

wherein said group message controls the mobile terminals of the group to deactivate usage of the at least one component carrier from the second spectrum, and

wherein the aggregation controller is configured to deactivate usage of the at least one component carrier from the second spectrum responsive to the group message.

22. A mobile communication system, comprising:

a network based aggregation controller for controlling aggregation of component carriers from a first spectrum and a second spectrum; and

a group of mobile terminals,

wherein the network based aggregation controller comprises a control interface configured to send a group message on at least one component carrier from the first spectrum to the group of mobile terminals, and

wherein each of the mobile terminals comprises a radio interface configured to receive the group message and a terminal based aggregation controller configured to control operation of the respective mobile terminal with respect to at least one component carrier of the second spectrum in response to the received group message.

23. The mobile communication system according to claim 22,

wherein said group message controls the mobile terminals of the group to deactivate usage of the at least one component carrier from the second spectrum, and

wherein the terminal based aggregation controller is configured to deactivate usage of the at least one component carrier from the second spectrum responsive to the group message.