COEXISTENCE BETWEEN LEGACY CARRIER TYPES AND NEW CARRIER TYPES

• US 20130301566A1
• Filed: 05/08/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wei, Yongbin, Xu, Hao, Malladi, Durga Prasad, Ji, Tingfang, Chen, Wanshi, Luo, Tao, Gaal, Peter, Damnjanovic, Jelena M., Damnjanovic, Aleksandar, Bhushan, Naga
• Granted Patent: US 9,629,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/00 Arrangements affording multiple use of the transmission path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0091 Signaling for the administration of the divided path
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/16 Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer

Abstract

A method of wireless communication occurs in a frequency band having a first set of resources associated with a first carrier type and a second set of resources associated with a second carrier type. In one configuration, the first carrier type is a new carrier type and the second carrier type is a legacy carrier type. Legacy UEs may only receive signals from the second carrier type. However, new UEs may receive signals from both the first carrier type and the second carrier type. Therefore, to provide backward compatibility while supporting new UEs, an eNodeB may signal support of the first carrier type to a new UE while maintaining signaling with legacy UEs. Additionally, the eNodeB may restrict operations of a UE to the first set of resources or second set of resources.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

transmitting resources on a carrier, the resources including a first set of resources associated with a first carrier type and a second set of resources associated with a second carrier type;

indicating that the carrier is either the first carrier type or the second carrier type; and

restricting operations of a user equipment (UE) to the first set of resources or the second set of resources.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the first carrier type comprises a legacy carrier type and the second carrier type comprises a new carrier type.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the carrier is a frequency band for communications.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising advertising a bandwidth that is different than an actual bandwidth being used.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the operations comprise paging occasions, and the first set of resources are orthogonal from the second set of resources.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising defining paging occasions based at least in part on network loading.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising defining at least one first subframe for monitoring paging occasions for a first carrier type UE and at least one second subframe for monitoring paging occasions for a second carrier type UE.

8. The method of claim 7, in which the second carrier type UE uses additional subframes for paging monitoring in comparison to the first carrier type UE.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising defining a new hashing function to map to a new paging location.

10. The method of claim 1, in which the indicating comprises transmitting a reserved bit in a master information block (MIB) or a system information block (SIB) to indicate the carrier as the second carrier type.

11. The method of claim 1, in which the operations comprise monitoring the first set of resources or the second set of resources.

12. The method of claim 1, in which the resources comprise subframes or sub-bands.

13. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

receiving resources on a carrier, the resources including a first set of resources associated with a first carrier type and a second set of resources associated with a second carrier type;

determining whether the carrier is the first carrier type or the second carrier type; and

receiving a restriction of operations to the first set of resources or the second set of resources.

14. The method of claim 13, in which the first carrier type comprises a legacy carrier type and the second carrier type comprises a new carrier type.

15. The method of claim 13, in which the carrier is a frequency band for communications.

16. The method of claim 13, in which the operations comprise paging occasions, and the first set of resources are orthogonal from the second set of resources.

17. The method of claim 13, in which the determining is based at least in part on a reserved bit in a master information block (MIB) or a system information block (SIB) to indicate the carrier is the second carrier type.

18. The method of claim 13, in which the operations comprise monitoring the first set of resources or the second set of resources.

19. The method of claim 13, in which the resources comprise subframes or sub-bands.

20. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured;

to transmit resources on a carrier, the resources including a first set of resources associated with a first carrier type and a second set of resources associated with a second carrier type;

to indicate that the carrier is either the first carrier type or the second carrier type; and

to restrict operations of a user equipment (UE) to the first set of resources or the second set of resources.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the first carrier type comprises a legacy carrier type and the second carrier type comprises a new carrier type.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the carrier is a frequency band for communications.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the at least one processor is further configured to advertise a bandwidth that is different than an actual bandwidth being used.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the operations comprise paging occasions, and the first set of resources are orthogonal from the second set of resources.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, in which the at least one processor is further configured to define paging occasions based at least in part on network loading.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, in which the at least one processor is further configured to define at least one first subframe for monitoring paging occasions for a first carrier type UE and at least one second subframe for monitoring paging occasions for a second carrier type UE.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, in which the second carrier type UE uses additional subframes for paging monitoring in comparison to the first carrier type UE.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, in which the at least one processor is further configured to define a new hashing function to map to a new paging location.

29. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the at least one processor is further configured to indicate by transmitting a reserved bit in a master information block (MIB) or a system information block (SIB) to indicate the carrier as the second carrier type.

30. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the operations comprise monitoring the first set of resources or the second set of resources.

31. The apparatus of claim 20, in which the resources comprise subframes or sub-bands.

32. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, the at least one processor being configured;

to receive resources on a carrier, the resources including a first set of resources associated with a first carrier type and a second set of resources associated with a second carrier type;

to determine whether the carrier is the first carrier type or the second carrier type; and

to receive a restriction of operations to the first set of resources or the second set of resources.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, in which the first carrier type comprises a legacy carrier type and the second carrier type comprises a new carrier type.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, in which the carrier is a frequency band for communications.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, in which the operations comprise paging occasions, and the first set of resources are orthogonal from the second set of resources.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, in which the at least one processor is configured to determine based at least in part on a reserved bit in a master information block (MIB) or a system information block (SIB) to indicate the carrier is the second carrier type.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, in which the operations comprise monitoring the first set of resources or the second set of resources.

38. The apparatus of claim 32, in which the resources comprise subframes or sub-bands.

39. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for transmitting resources on a carrier, the resources including a first set of resources associated with a first carrier type and a second set of resources associated with a second carrier type;

means for indicating that the carrier is either the first carrier type or the second carrier type; and

means for restricting operations of a user equipment (UE) to the first set of resources or the second set of resources.

40. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for receiving resources on a carrier, the resources including a first set of resources associated with a first carrier type and a second set of resources associated with a second carrier type;

means for determining whether the carrier is the first carrier type or the second carrier type; and

means for receiving a restriction of operations to the first set of resources or the second set of resources.

41. A computer program product for wireless communications, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising;

program code to transmit resources on a carrier, the resources including a first set of resources associated with a first carrier type and a second set of resources associated with a second carrier type;

program code to indicate that the carrier is either the first carrier type or the second carrier type; and

program code to restrict operations of a user equipment (UE) to the first set of resources or the second set of resources.

42. A computer program product for wireless communications, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising;

program code to receive resources on a carrier, the resources including a first set of resources associated with a first carrier type and a second set of resources associated with a second carrier type;

program code to determine whether the carrier is the first carrier type or the second carrier type; and

program code to receive a restriction of operations to the first set of resources or the second set of resources.