REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF INTERFERENCE EXPERIENCED BY A COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20130315157A1
• Filed: 04/24/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Krishnamurthy, Sandeep H., Jung, Hyejung, Narasimha, Murali, Nory, Ravikiran
• Granted Patent: US 9,510,328 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 5/0048 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 5/0073 Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences for intercell interference mitigation or co-ordination in orthogonal multiplex systems H04J11/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0083 Determination of parameters used for hand-off, e.g. generation or modification of neighbour cell lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00837 Determination of triggering parameters for hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/06 using multi-step notification by changing the notification area
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/08 using multi-step notification by increasing the notification area
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management

Abstract

Disclosed are methods for allowing a wireless communication device (or “user equipment” or “UE”) to receive signaling information when there is a power imbalance between a primary cell (“Pcell”) and a New Carrier Type (“NCT”) secondary cell (“Scell”). In one aspect, the UE reduces its downlink bandwidth to cover only a carrier of the Pcell, receives control signaling information, if present, and then increases its bandwidth to cover carriers of both the Pcell and Scell.

Claims

1. A method for receiving control signaling from a first cell operating on a first carrier when configured with at least the first carrier and a second carrier, the method comprising:

operating on a first bandwidth that includes the first carrier and the second carrier;

reducing bandwidth, at each of a first sequence of time instants, to a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth including the first carrier, wherein the time instants of the first sequence have a fixed periodicity;

increasing bandwidth, at each of a second sequence of time instants, to the first bandwidth, wherein each time instant of the second sequence follows a corresponding time instant of the first sequence; and

receiving control signaling from the first cell in frames occurring between at least one time instant of the first sequence and a corresponding time instant of the second sequence.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving neither the signals on the first carrier nor the signals on the second carrier during a period immediately preceding each time instant of the first sequence; and

receiving neither the signals on the first carrier nor the signals on the second carrier during a period immediately following each time instant of the second sequence.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the control channel is selected from the group consisting of:

paging channel, SI-x, and PBCH.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a paging signal indicating a system change notification; and

de-activating the Scell in response to receiving the system change notification.

5. A method for receiving control signaling from a first cell operating on a first carrier when configured with at least the first carrier and a second carrier, the method comprising:

operating on a first bandwidth that includes the first carrier and the second carrier;

reducing bandwidth, at each of a first sequence of time instants, to a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth including the first carrier, wherein the time instants of the first sequence have a fixed periodicity;

increasing bandwidth, at each of a second sequence of time instants, to the first bandwidth, wherein each time instant of the second sequence follows a corresponding time instant of the first sequence; and

receiving control signaling from the first cell in frames occurring between at least one time instant of the first sequence and a corresponding time instant of the second sequence.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving neither the signals on the first carrier nor the signals on the second carrier during a period immediately preceding each time instant of the first sequence; and

receiving neither the signals on the first carrier nor the signals on the second carrier during a period immediately following each time instant of the second sequence.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the control channel is selected from the group consisting of:

paging channel, SI-x, and PBCH.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

receiving a paging signal indicating a system change notification; and

de-activating a Scell in response to receiving the system change notification.

9. A method in a UE, the method comprising:

receiving a DL signal that includes a first set of subframes and a second set of subframes, wherein;

(i) the transition from the first set of subframes to the second set of subframes occurs with a certain periodicity;

(ii) the first set of subframes are received over a first bandwidth to include both Pcell and Scell and the second set of subframes are received over a second bandwidth to include only the Pcell;

(iii) the UE re-tunes between the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth at the transitions between the first set of subframes and the second set of subframes wherein further, neither the first carrier nor the second carrier is received over a third set of subframes; and

(iv) the first set, the second set, and the third set of subframes comprise all of the subframes received in the DL signal;

estimating CQI/PMI/RI for the Pcell to generate a first CQI/PMI/RI metric, wherein the CQI/PMFRI is determined based on a first interference estimate obtained by processing the DL signal received only within the first set of subframes; and

estimating CQI/PMI/RI for the Pcell to generate a second CQI/PMI/RI metric, wherein the CQI/PMI/RI is determined based on a second interference estimate obtained by processing the DL signal received only within the second set of subframes.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the UE estimates the first CQI/PMI/RI metric and the second CQI/PMI/RI metric when the power difference between the Pcell and the Scell exceeds a threshold.

11. A method in a UE, the method comprising:

operating over a first bandwidth to receive a first Pcell carrier and a second Scell carrier in a first set of subframes;

operating over a second bandwidth to receive only the first Pcell carrier in a second set of subframes; and

performing a first set measurements only while operating over the second bandwidth in the second set of subframes.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the UE operates over the second bandwidth when the power difference between the first and the second carrier exceeds a threshold.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the first set of measurements comprise determining OOS/IS events towards radio link monitoring.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the first set of measurements comprise estimating at least one of a RSRP, RSSI and RSRQ.

15. A method in a UE, the method comprising:

receiving an indication signaling Scell DL RBs that have low power;

placing a LO frequency based on the received indication to ensure that an image of low-power RBs fall on a first set of RBs on a Pcell; and

processing a transmission on the first set of RBs on the Pcell.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the transmission on the first set of RBs on the Pcell is selected from the group consisting of:

a PBCH, PSS, SSS, Paging, SI-x, and PRS.

17. A method in a base station to enable a mobile station to receiving control signaling, the method comprising:

configuring the mobile station to operate on a first carrier and a second carrier;

indicating to the mobile station time periods during which it can receive control signaling from the first carrier; and

transmitting signals at a reduced power, on the second carrier, during the indicated time periods.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving measurement information, from the mobile station, indicating measurements of the first carrier and second carrier; and

transmitting signals at a reduced power on the second carrier, if the measurements indicate a substantial power imbalance between the first carrier and the second carrier.