Timing in a multicarrier wireless device

• US 8,553,655 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2013
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• 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): GREY, CHRISTOPHER P
• Application Number:
  US13/918,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20130272279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 116 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/336, 370/345, 370/350, 370/507
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2011/0096 Network synchronisation
• 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 27/32 Carrier systems characterised by combinations of two or more of the types covered by groups H04L27/02, H04L27/10, H04L27/18 or H04L27/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/00 Access restriction access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08; Network selection; Access point selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/14 Separate analysis of uplink or downlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• 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 52/34 TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0005 synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 : Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 : compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 : Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 : in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 : Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 : Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 : Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

A base station configures a primary cell group and at least one secondary cell group in a wireless device. The wireless device transmits first uplink signals in the secondary cell group employing a reference secondary cell in the secondary cell group as a timing reference. The wireless device autonomously selects a new activated secondary cell in the secondary cell group as the timing reference. The new activated secondary cell is different from the reference secondary cell. The wireless device transmits second uplink signals in the secondary cell group employing the new activated secondary cell as the timing reference.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

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

i) configuration of a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell and a plurality of secondary cells;

ii) configuration of a deactivation timer for a secondary cell in said plurality of secondary cells, said deactivation timer corresponding to a secondary cell restarting in response to a packet transmission on said secondary cell, said corresponding secondary cell deactivated in said wireless device in response to said deactivation timer expiring; and

iii) assignment of each of said plurality of secondary cells to a cell group in a plurality of cell groups, said plurality of cell groups comprising;

(1) a primary cell group comprising a first subset of said plurality of cells, said first subset comprising said primary cell, uplink transmissions by said wireless device in said primary cell group employing a first synchronization signal transmitted on said primary cell as a primary timing reference; and

(2) a secondary cell group comprising a second subset of said plurality of secondary cells;

b) receiving, by said wireless device, a control command configured to cause transmission of a random access preamble on random access resources of a reference secondary cell in said secondary cell group; and

c) receiving, by said wireless device, a random access response on said primary cell in said primary cell group, said random access response comprising a timing advance command for said secondary cell group;

d) transmitting first uplink signals in said secondary cell group, by said wireless device, employing a second synchronization signal on said reference secondary cell in said secondary cell group as a secondary timing reference, said reference secondary cell being an activated cell in said secondary cell group;

e) selecting, autonomously by said wireless device, a new activated secondary cell in said secondary cell group as said secondary timing reference if all of the following conditions are satisfied;

i) said reference secondary cell is deactivated or released in said wireless device; and

ii) at least one secondary cell in said secondary cell group is active in said wireless device; and

f) transmitting second uplink signals in said secondary cell group, by said wireless device, employing a third synchronization signal on said new activated secondary cell as said secondary timing reference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said selection is performed autonomously by said wireless device without said wireless device informing said base station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said deactivation timer corresponding to said secondary cell restarts in response to receiving an activation command for said secondary cell.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one control message comprises a plurality of media access control dedicated parameters comprising a deactivation timer value, said deactivation timer value employed for each of said deactivation timers for said plurality of secondary cells.

5. 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 being determined, at least in part, employing said second synchronization signal transmitted on said reference secondary cell.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one control message causes configuration of said random access resources.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by said base station, at least one timing advance command to said wireless device, said timing advance command comprising:

a) a time adjustment value; and

b) an index identifying said secondary cell group; and

wherein said at least one timing advance command is 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.

8. 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 of said plurality of time alignment timer values being associated with a unique cell group in said wireless device.

9. A method comprising:

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

i) configuration of a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell and a plurality of secondary cells; and

ii) assignment of each of said plurality of secondary cells to a cell group in a plurality of cell groups, said plurality of cell groups comprising a primary cell group and a secondary cell group comprising a subset of said plurality of secondary cells;

b) receiving, by said wireless device, a control command configured to cause transmission of a random access preamble on random access resources of a reference secondary cell in said secondary cell group; and

c) receiving, by said wireless device, a random access response on said primary cell in said primary cell group, said random access response comprising a timing advance command for said secondary cell group;

d) transmitting first uplink signals in said secondary cell group, by said wireless device, employing a first synchronization signal on said reference secondary cell in said secondary cell group as a timing reference, said reference secondary cell being an activated cell in said secondary cell group;

e) selecting, autonomously by said wireless device, a new activated secondary cell in said secondary cell group as said timing reference if all of the following conditions are satisfied;

i) said reference secondary cell is deactivated or released in said wireless device; and

ii) at least one secondary cell in said secondary cell group is active in said wireless device; and

f) transmitting second uplink signals in said secondary cell group, by said wireless device, employing a second synchronization signal on said new activated secondary cell as said timing reference.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said wireless device does not monitor said reference secondary cell when said reference secondary cell is deactivated.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said selection is performed autonomously by said wireless device without said wireless device informing said base station.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one control message comprises at least one cell add-modify information element, each of said at least one cell add-modify information element comprising a first plurality of dedicated parameters in a plurality of dedicated parameters, said first plurality of dedicated parameters comprising a first cell index for a first secondary cell in said at least one secondary cell.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving an activation command causing activation of said new activated secondary cell in said wireless device.

14. The method of claim 9, 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 timing advance command to adjust uplink transmission timing of a commanded cell group in said plurality of cell groups.

15. 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, said at least one control message causing in said wireless device;

(1) configuration of a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell and a plurality of secondary cells; and

(2) assignment of each of said plurality of secondary cells to a cell group in a plurality of cell groups, said plurality of cell groups comprising;

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

(b) a secondary cell group comprising a second subset of said plurality of secondary cells;

ii) receive a control command configured to cause transmission of a random access preamble on random access resources of a reference secondary cell in said secondary cell group; and

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

iv) transmit first uplink signals in said secondary cell group employing a first synchronization signal on said reference secondary cell in said secondary cell group as a secondary timing reference, said reference secondary cell being an activated cell in said secondary cell group;

v) autonomously select, when a predefined condition is met and without said wireless device informing said base station, a new activated secondary cell in said secondary cell group as said secondary timing reference, said new activated secondary cell being different from said reference secondary cell; and

vi) transmit second uplink signals in said secondary cell group, by said wireless device, employing a second synchronization signal on said new activated secondary cell as said secondary timing reference.

16. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein a deactivation timer corresponding to said secondary cell restarts in response to receiving an activation command for said secondary cell.

17. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein said at least one control message comprises a plurality of media access control dedicated parameters comprising a deactivation timer value, said deactivation timer value employed for each of said deactivation timers for said plurality of secondary cells.

18. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein said at least one control message causes configuration of said random access resources.

19. The wireless device of claim 15, wherein said at least one control message is further configured to modify a radio bearer.