System and Method for Multi-Cell Access

• US 20140328277A1
• Filed: 07/15/2014
• Published: 11/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Xiao, Weimin, Liu, Deping, Yang, Yunsong
• Granted Patent: US 11,290,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0061 of neighbour cell information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control

Abstract

A system and method for multi-cell access are provided. A method includes transmitting at least one control channel to a communications device. The at least one control channel includes control information, and the transmitting is performed by at least one cell in a subset of a cooperating set. The method also includes transmitting to the communications device based on control information transmitted to the communications device, or receiving from the communications device based on control information transmitted to the communications device. The transmitting is performed by at least one other cell in the cooperating set, or the receiving is performed by the at least one other cell in the cooperating set.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment (UE) from a serving cell, configuration information for a cooperating set, wherein the serving cell is one of a plurality of cells in the cooperating set;

determining, by the UE in accordance with the configuration information, two or more cells in the cooperating set to monitor for control information; and

monitoring, by the UE, a downlink control channel from each of the two or more cells in the cooperating set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the serving cell is an only serving cell for the cooperating set, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the UE from the serving cell, one or more of a radio resource control (RRC) connection, mobility control, an encryption key, and a radio link failure service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the UE, scheduling information from one of the two or more cells for a transmission from a different cell in the cooperating set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE has a single UE identifier across the plurality of cells in the cooperating set.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE monitors the downlink control channel from each of the two or more cells at a same time or subframe.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the UE, data from the plurality of cells in the cooperating set.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the UE receives the data from the plurality of cells at a same time or subframe.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the UE receives the data from the plurality of cells at a different time or subframe.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE monitors the downlink control channel from each of the two or more cells for uplink transmission timing and/or uplink power control information.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting, by the UE, uplink data to the two or more cells in accordance with the uplink transmission timing and/or uplink power control information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by the UE, an uplink control channel to the two or more cells in the cooperating set.

12. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from a serving cell, configuration information for a cooperating set, wherein the serving cell is one of a plurality of cells in the cooperating set; and

a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to

determine, in accordance with the configuration information, two or more cells in the cooperating set to monitor for control information; and

monitor a downlink control channel from each of the two or more cells in the cooperating set.

13. The UE of claim 12, wherein the serving cell is an only serving cell for the cooperating set, and wherein the receiver is further configured to receive from the serving cell, one or more of a radio resource control (RRC) connection, mobility control, an encryption key, and a radio link failure service.

14. The UE of claim 12, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive scheduling information from one of the two or more cells for a transmission from a different cell in the cooperating set.

15. The UE of claim 12, wherein the UE has a single UE identifier across the plurality of cells in the cooperating set.

16. The UE of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to monitor the downlink control channel from each of the two or more cells at a same time or subframe.

17. The UE of claim 12, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive data from the plurality of cells in the cooperating set.

18. The UE of claim 17, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive the data from the plurality of cells at a same time or subframe.

19. The UE of claim 17, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive the data from the plurality of cells at a different time or subframe.

20. The UE of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to monitor the downlink control channel from each of the two or more cells for uplink transmission timing and/or uplink power control information.

21. The UE of claim 20, further comprising a transmitter couple to the processor and configured to transmit uplink data to the two or more cells in accordance with the uplink transmission timing and/or uplink power control information.

22. The UE of claim 12, wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit an uplink control channel to the two or more cells in the cooperating set.