Base station and wireless device radio resource control configuration

• US 8,462,688 B1
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ofinno Technologies, LLC (Ofinno, LLC)
• Inventors: Dinan, Esmael Hejazi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nooristany, Sulaiman
• Application Number:
  US13/748,585
• Time in Patent Office: 139 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/248 where transmission power control commands are generated based on a path parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal

Abstract

A base station transmits control message(s) to a wireless device configuring secondary cell(s). The control messages comprise common parameters and dedicated parameters. The common parameters comprise random access resource parameters and power control parameters for a secondary cell. The dedicated parameters comprise a cell group index for a secondary cell and a time alignment timer for a secondary cell group. The base station transmits a control command causing transmission of a random access preamble on the random access resources of the secondary cell. Transmission power of the random access preamble is calculated employing the power control parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) transmitting, by a base station configured to communicate employing a plurality of cells, at least one control message to a wireless device in a plurality of wireless devices, said at least one control message;

i) configured to cause in said wireless device configuration of at least one secondary cell in said plurality of cells; and

ii) comprising;

(1) a plurality of common parameters for a secondary cell in said at least one secondary cell, said plurality of common parameters;

(a) having the same value for wireless devices in said plurality of wireless devices; and

(b) comprising;

 

(i) a plurality of random access resource parameters identifying random access resources; and

 

(ii) a plurality of power control parameters; and

(2) a plurality of dedicated parameters;

(a) specific to said wireless device; and

(b) comprising;

 

(i) a cell group index for said secondary cell, said cell group index identifying one of a plurality of cell groups, said plurality of cell groups comprising a primary cell group and a secondary cell group; and

 

(ii) a time alignment timer parameter for each cell group in said plurality of cell groups;

b) transmitting, by said base station, a control command configured to cause transmission of a random access preamble on said random access resources of said secondary cell in said secondary cell group, transmission power of said random access preamble calculated employing at least one of said plurality of power control parameters; and

c) transmitting, a random access response on a primary cell in said primary cell group, said random access response comprising a timing advance command for said secondary cell group comprising said secondary cell; and

wherein;

i) said timing advance command comprises a time adjustment value;

ii) uplink signals transmitted by said wireless device in said secondary cell group employ a second synchronization signal as a second timing reference; and

iii) said timing advance command configured to cause substantial alignment of reception timing of said uplink signals in frames and subframes of said secondary cell group at said base station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by said base station, said random access preamble on said random access resources, transmission timing of said random access preamble determined, at least in part, employing said second synchronization signal transmitted on one of at least one activated cell in said secondary cell group.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to transmitting said at least one control message:

a) establishing a first signaling bearer between said base station and said wireless device, said establishing comprising said base station transmitting a control message to said wireless device on said primary cell; and

b) receiving, by said base station, a plurality of radio capability parameters from said wireless device on said first signaling bearer on said primary cell, said plurality of radio capability parameters indicating that said wireless device supports configuration of said plurality of cell groups.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein uplink signals transmitted by said wireless device in:

a) said primary cell group employ a first synchronization signal transmitted on said primary cell as a first timing reference; and

b) said secondary cell group employ said second synchronization signal transmitted on one of at least one activated cell in said secondary cell group as said second timing reference.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said control command further comprises an index identifying said secondary cell if said control command is transmitted on a cell different from said secondary cell.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one control message comprises a time alignment timer value for a time alignment timer of said secondary cell group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless device is assigned, by said configuration, a plurality of media access control dedicated parameters comprising a plurality of time alignment timer values, each time alignment timer value being associated with a unique cell group in said wireless device.

8. A base station, configured to communicate employing a plurality of cells, comprising:

a) one or more communication interfaces;

b) one or more processors; and

c) memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause said base station to;

i) transmit at least one control message to a wireless device in a plurality of wireless devices, said at least one control message;

(1) configured to cause in said wireless device configuration of at least one secondary cell in said plurality of cells; and

(2) comprising;

(a) a plurality of common parameters for a secondary cell in said at least one secondary cell, said plurality of common parameters;

 

(i) having the same value for wireless devices in said plurality of wireless devices; and

 

(ii) comprising;

 

1. a plurality of random access resource parameters identifying random access resources; and

 

2. a plurality of power control parameters; and

(b) a plurality of dedicated parameters;

 

(i) specific to said wireless device; and

 

(ii) comprising;

 

1. a cell group index for said secondary cell, said cell group index identifying one of a plurality of cell groups; and

 

2. a time alignment timer parameter for each cell group in said plurality of cell groups;

ii) transmit a control command configured to cause transmission of a random access preamble on said random access resources of said secondary cell, transmission power of said random access preamble calculated employing at least one of said plurality of power control parameters; and

iii) transmit a random access response on a primary cell in said plurality of cells, said random access response comprising a timing advance command for a secondary cell group comprising said secondary cell; and

wherein;

i) said timing advance command comprises a time adjustment value;

ii) uplink signals transmitted by said wireless device in said secondary cell group employ a second synchronization signal as a second timing reference; and

iii) said timing advance command configured to cause substantial alignment of reception timing of said uplink signals in frames and subframes of said secondary cell group at said base station.

9. The base station of claim 8, wherein said plurality of cell groups comprise:

a) a primary cell group comprising said primary cell; and

b) said secondary cell group.

10. The base station of claim 8, wherein said plurality of cell groups comprise:

a) a primary cell group comprising a first subset of said plurality of cells, said first subset comprising said primary cell; and

b) said secondary cell group comprising a second subset of said at least one secondary cell comprising said secondary cell.

11. The base station of claim 8, wherein said secondary cell is the second timing reference for uplink transmissions in said secondary cell group by said wireless device if the size of the second subset is one.

12. The base station of claim 8, wherein said plurality of wireless devices are compatible with LTE release 11 or above and support configuration of multiple cell groups.

13. The base station of claim 8, wherein said at least one control message is configured to further cause in said wireless device configuration of a time alignment timer for each of said plurality of cell groups, said time alignment timer starting or restarting in response to said wireless device receiving a second timing advance command to adjust uplink transmission timing of a commanded cell group in said plurality of cell groups.

14. A wireless device comprising:

a) one or more communication interfaces;

b) one or more processors; and

c) memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause said wireless device to;

i) receive at least one control message from a base station communicating with a plurality of wireless devices, said base station configured to communicate employing a plurality of cells, said at least one control message;

(1) causing in said wireless device configuration of at least one secondary cell in said plurality of cells; and

(2) comprising;

(a) a plurality of common parameters for a secondary cell in said at least one secondary cell, said plurality of common parameters;

 

(i) having the same value for wireless devices in said plurality of wireless devices; and

 

(ii) comprising;

 

1. a plurality of random access resource parameters identifying random access resources; and

 

2. a plurality of power control parameters; and

(b) a plurality of dedicated parameters;

 

(i) specific to said wireless device; and

 

(ii) comprising;

 

1. a cell group index for said secondary cell, said cell group index identifying one of a plurality of cell groups; and

 

2. a time alignment timer parameter for each cell group in said plurality of cell groups;

ii) receive a control command configured to cause transmission of a random access preamble on said random access resources of said secondary cell, transmission power of said random access preamble calculated employing at least one of said plurality of power control parameters; and

iii) receive a random access response, said random access response comprising a timing advance command for a secondary cell group comprising said secondary cell; and

wherein;

i) said timing advance command comprises a time adjustment value;

ii) uplink signals transmitted by said wireless device in said secondary cell group employ a second synchronization signal as a second timing reference; and

iii) said timing advance command configured to cause substantial alignment of reception timing of said uplink signals in frames and subframes of said secondary cell group at said base station.

15. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein said at least one control message is configured to further cause in said wireless device configuration of a time alignment timer for each of said plurality of cell groups, said time alignment timer starting or restarting in response to said wireless device receiving a second timing advance command to adjust uplink transmission timing of a commanded cell group in said plurality of cell groups.

16. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein said secondary cell is in said secondary cell group.

17. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein said at least one control message comprises a media access control dedicated information element comprising a sequence of at least one first information element, each of said at least one first information element comprising:

a first cell group index of a first secondary cell group and a first time alignment timer for said first secondary cell group.

18. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein said at least one control message sets up or modifies at least one radio bearer.

19. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein said plurality of power control parameters comprise:

a power ramping step; and

an initial preamble received target power.