Time alignment in multicarrier OFDM network

• US 8,395,985 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ofinno Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Dinan, Esmael Hejazi
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US13/556,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20130028239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 232 Days
• Field of Search: 370/206, 370/252, 370/329, 370/350, 375/260, 375/356, 455/450, 455/502
• US Class Current: 370/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2613 Structure of the reference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2657 Carrier synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2666 Acquisition of further OFDM parameters, e.g. bandwidth, subcarrier spacing, or guard interval length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2692 with preamble design, i.e. with negotiation of the synchronisation sequence with transmitter or sequence linked to the algorithm used at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0085 when channel conditions change
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0005 synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• 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 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/008 with additional processing of random access related information at receiving side
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access

Abstract

A base station receives uplink signals from a wireless device and transmits at least one time alignment command computed based, at least in part, on timing of the received uplink signals. The time alignment command comprises a time adjustment value and an index identifying a carrier group.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

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

i) causing configuration of a plurality of carriers comprising a first carrier and at least one second carrier; and

ii) comprising;

(1) a carrier group index for a second carrier in said at least one second carrier, said carrier group index identifying a second carrier group, said second carrier group being one of a plurality of carrier groups, said second carrier group comprising a second subset of said at least one second carrier;

(2) a plurality of second uplink carrier parameters for a second uplink carrier of said second carrier; and

(3) a plurality of random access resource parameters identifying random access resources for said second carrier;

b) receiving, by said wireless device from said base station, a control command causing said wireless device to transmit a random access preamble on said second uplink carrier, said control command comprising a preamble index corresponding to said random access preamble;

c) transmitting, by said wireless device, said random access preamble on said random access resources on said second uplink carrier, transmission timing of said random access preamble being determined, at least in part, by employing a synchronization signal transmitted on one of at least one downlink carrier in said second carrier group, uplink transmissions in said second carrier group employing said synchronization signal as timing reference;

d) receiving, by said wireless device, a long time alignment command on said first carrier in response to said random access preamble transmission, said long time alignment command comprising said preamble index and a long time adjustment value;

e) receiving, by said wireless device, at least one short time alignment command from said base station, said short time alignment command comprising;

i) a short time adjustment value, said short time adjustment value range is substantially smaller than said long time adjustment value range; and

ii) an index identifying said second carrier group; and

f) applying, by said wireless device, said short time adjustment value to uplink signals transmitted on all activated uplink carriers in said second carrier group such that said base station receives substantially aligned uplink signals in frames and subframes of said second carrier group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a) said long time alignment command;

i) does not comprise an index identifying said second carrier group; and

ii) comprises a preamble index; and

b) said short time alignment command;

i) does not comprise a preamble index; and

ii) comprises an index identifying said second carrier group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of carrier groups further comprising a first carrier group comprising a first subset of said plurality of carriers, said first subset comprising said first carrier with a first downlink carrier and a first uplink carrier, uplink transmissions by said wireless device in said first carrier group employing a first synchronization signal transmitted on said first downlink carrier as timing reference, said first synchronization signal being different than said synchronization signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmission of said control command is initiated by a media access control sub-layer in said base station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of random access resource parameters configured to be employed in the generation of said random access preamble by said wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of random access resource parameters configured to be employed in the determination of transmission time of said random access preamble.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said long time alignment command is received in a random access response message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a) said long time adjustment value is encoded employing 11 bits; and

b) said short time alignment value is encoded employing 6 bits.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an activation command from said base station prior to receiving said control command, said activation command causing activation of said second carrier in said wireless device, said activation causing said wireless device to process downlink received signals on said second carrier.

10. A method comprising:

a) transmitting, by a base station, a first synchronization signal on a first downlink carrier of a first carrier in a plurality of carriers;

b) receiving, by said base station from a wireless device, a random access preamble on a first uplink carrier of said first carrier, transmission timing of said random access preamble determined based, at least in part, on said first synchronization signal;

c) transmitting, by said base station, at least one radio resource control message, said at least one radio resource control message;

(i) causing configuration of at least one additional carrier in said wireless device;

(ii) comprising a carrier group index for an additional carrier in said at least one additional carrier, said carrier group index identifying a second carrier group, said second carrier group being one of a plurality of carrier groups, said second carrier group comprising a subset of said at least one additional carrier;

d) transmitting, by said base station to said wireless device, signals on said first carrier and said at least one additional carrier, wherein downlink frames and subframes transmission timing for said first carrier and said at least one additional carrier are substantially time aligned with each other;

e) receiving, by said base station, uplink signals from said wireless device on said additional carrier; and

f) transmitting, by said base station to said wireless device, at least one time alignment command computed based, at least in part, on timing of said received uplink signals, said time alignment command comprising;

i) a time adjustment value; and

ii) an index identifying said second carrier group; and

wherein said at least one time alignment command causes substantial alignment of reception timing of uplink signals in frames and subframes of said second carrier group; and

wherein uplink transmission timing of frames and subframes of said first carrier and said additional carrier employ different synchronization signals as timing reference and are adjusted in response to different time alignment commands.

11. The method for claim 10, wherein said first synchronization signal comprises a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal, said first synchronization signal configured to:

a) indicate a physical carrier ID for said first carrier;

b) provide transmission timing information for said first downlink carrier, transmission time divided into a plurality of frames, each frame in said plurality of frames further divided into a plurality of subframes; and

c) be transmitted employing a first plurality of subcarriers substantially in a center of a frequency band of said first downlink carrier on a first and sixth subframe of each frame in said plurality of frames.

12. The method for claim 11, further comprising generating said primary synchronization signal employing a frequency-domain Zadoff-Chu sequence.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating said secondary synchronization signal employing an interleaved concatenation of two 31 bit length binary sequences.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising scrambling a concatenated sequence with a scrambling sequence given by said primary synchronization signal.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said timing information comprises subframe timing and frame timing.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said configuration of said at least one additional carrier comprises configuring at least one of a physical layer parameter, a media access control layer parameter and a radio link control layer parameter.

17. A method comprising:

a) transmitting, by said base station, at least one radio resource control message, said at least one radio resource control message;

(i) causing configuration of a plurality of carriers comprising a first carrier and at least one additional carrier in said wireless device;

(ii) comprising a carrier group index for a carrier in said plurality of carriers, said carrier group index identifying a carrier group, said carrier group being one of a plurality of carrier groups, said plurality of carrier groups comprising;

(1) a first carrier group comprising a first subset of said plurality of carriers, said first subset comprising said first carrier; and

(2) a second carrier group comprising a subset of said at least one additional carrier;

b) transmitting, by said base station to said wireless device, signals on said plurality of carriers, wherein downlink frames and subframes transmission timing for said first carrier and said at least one additional carrier are substantially time aligned with each other;

c) receiving, by said base station, uplink signals from said wireless device on said plurality of carriers; and

d) transmitting, by said base station to said wireless device, at least one time alignment command, said time alignment command comprising;

i) a time adjustment value; and

ii) an index identifying one carrier group; and

wherein uplink transmission timing of frames and subframes in said first carrier group and said second carrier group employ different synchronization signals on different carriers as timing reference and are adjusted in response to different time alignment commands.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

a) receiving, by said base station, a plurality of radio capability parameters from said wireless device on said first carrier, said plurality of radio capability parameters comprising at least one parameter indicating whether said wireless device supports configuration of a plurality of carrier groups; and

b) if said plurality of radio capability parameters indicates that said wireless device supports configuration of a plurality of carrier groups, said base station, selectively based on at least one criterion, transmitting said at least one RRC control message to cause configuration of said plurality of carrier groups in said wireless device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein:

a) uplink transmissions by said wireless device in said first carrier group employs a first synchronization signal transmitted on a first downlink carrier of said first carrier as a timing reference; and

b) uplink transmissions by said wireless device in said second carrier group employs a second synchronization signal transmitted on one of at least one downlink carrier in said second carrier group.