Monitoring pattern separation between component carriers based on user equipment RF layout

• US 8,780,729 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Dalsgaard, Lars
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ANDREW CHUNG CHEUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/068,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20110267955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/280, 370/329, 370/335, 370/338, 370/342, 370/437, 370/476, 455/68, 455/452.1, 714/749, 714/776
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters

Abstract

A network learns capability information indicating whether a user equipment (UE) is capable of simultaneous and independent operation in multiple component carriers (CCs). The network configures a monitoring pattern for each of multiple CCs that are configured for the UE in dependence on the received capability information. The capability information derives from the UE'"'"'s RF layout; if the UE is capable of such simultaneous and independent operation the network can assign for the CCs different monitoring patterns that are independent of one another and the UE will have no gaps where it cannot take or send a measurement. This knowledge is particularly useful if the CCs are frequency non-contiguous with one another. If the UE is not so capable, the network must assign monitoring patterns to that UE for all its configured CCs that are not independent of one another.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer program code;

in which the at least one processor is configured with the memory and computer program code to cause the apparatus to at least;

receive capability information of a user equipment indicating that a radio frequency layout of the user equipment is capable of at least one of simultaneous radio frequency chain operations across multiple component carriers, and independent radio frequency chain operation for each of individual ones of multiple component carriers, in which the capability information comprises an indication of the radio frequency layout of the user equipment; and

based on the received capability information, configure at least a discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for each of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which the apparatus comprises a first network access node and the capability information of the user equipment is received from the user equipment or from a second network access node from which the user equipment is handed over to the first network access node.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which, for the case the received capability information indicates that the radio frequency layout of the user equipment is capable of simultaneous radio frequency chain operations across multiple component carriers but not independent radio frequency chain operation for each of individual ones of multiple component carriers, the at least one processor is configured with the memory and computer program code to cause the apparatus to configure the discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for each of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment by:

assigning to the user equipment one discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for use across every one of the multiple component carriers configured for the user equipment.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which, for the case the received capability information indicates that the user equipment is capable of simultaneous radio frequency chain operations across multiple component carriers and independent radio frequency chain operation for each of individual ones of multiple component carriers, the at least one processor is configured with the memory and computer program code to cause the apparatus to configure the discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for each of the multiple component carriers configured for the user equipment by:

assigning to the user equipment a first discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for use in a first component carrier of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment; and

assigning to the user equipment a second discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for use in a second component carrier of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment,

in which the first and second discontinuous reception monitoring patterns are independent of one another.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, in which the first and second component carriers are frequency non-contiguous with one another.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, in which the first and second component carriers are frequency contiguous with one another and the configuring comprises configuring, based on the received capability information, at least one of monitoring patterns for measuring the respective component carriers and patterns for monitoring the respective component carriers for a resource allocation schedule.

7. A method comprising:

receiving capability information of a user equipment indicating that a radio frequency layout of the user equipment is capable of at least one of simultaneous radio frequency chain operations across multiple component carriers and independent radio frequency chain operation for each of individual ones of multiple component carriers, in which the capability information comprises an indication of the radio frequency layout of the user equipment; and

based on the received capability information, configuring at least a discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for each of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment.

8. The method according to claim 7, in which the method is executed by a first network access node and the capability information of the user equipment is received from the user equipment or from a second network access node from which the user equipment is handed over to the first network access node.

9. The method according to claim 7, in which, for the case the received capability information indicates that the user equipment is capable of simultaneous radio frequency chain operations across multiple component carriers but not independent radio frequency chain operation for each of individual ones of multiple component carriers, configuring the discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for each of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment comprises:

assigning to the user equipment one discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for use across every one of the multiple component carriers configured for the user equipment.

10. The method according to claim 7, in which, for the case the received capability information indicates that the user equipment is capable of simultaneous radio frequency chain operations across multiple component carriers and independent radio frequency chain operation for each of individual ones of multiple component carriers, configuring the discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for each of the multiple component carriers configured for the user equipment comprises:

assigning to the user equipment a first discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for use in a first component carrier of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment; and

assigning to the user equipment a second discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for use in a second component carrier of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment,

in which the first and second discontinuous reception monitoring patterns are independent of one another.

11. The method according to claim 10, in which the first and second component carriers are frequency non-contiguous with one another.

12. The method according to claim 10, in which the first and second component carriers are frequency contiguous with one another and the configuring comprises configuring, based on the received capability information, at least one of patterns for measuring the respective component carriers and patterns for monitoring the respective component carriers for a resource allocation schedule.

13. A non-transitory memory storing computer program instructions which when executed by a processor result in operations comprising:

receiving capability information of a user equipment indicating that a radio frequency layout of the user equipment is capable of at least one of simultaneous radio frequency chain operations across multiple component carriers and independent radio frequency chain operation for each of individual ones of multiple component carriers, in which the capability information comprises an indication of the radio frequency layout of the user equipment; and

based on the received capability information, configuring at least a discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for each of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment.

14. The memory according to claim 13, in which the operations are performed by a first network access node and the capability information of the user equipment is received from the user equipment or from a second network access node from which the user equipment is handed over to the first network access node.

15. The memory according to claim 13, in which, for the case the received capability information indicates that the user equipment is capable of simultaneous radio frequency chain operations across multiple component carriers but not independent radio frequency chain operation for each of individual ones of multiple component carriers, the operations of configuring the discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for each of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment comprises:

assigning to the user equipment one discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for use across every one of the multiple component carriers configured for the user equipment.

16. The memory according to claim 13, in which, for the case the received capability information indicates that the user equipment is capable of simultaneous radio frequency chain operations across multiple component carriers and independent radio frequency chain operation for each of individual ones of multiple component carriers, the operations of configuring the discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for each of the multiple component carriers configured for the user equipment comprises:

assigning to the user equipment a first discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for use in a first component carrier of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment; and

assigning to the user equipment a second discontinuous reception monitoring pattern for use in a second component carrier of the multiple component carriers that are configured for the user equipment,

in which the first and second discontinuous reception monitoring patterns are independent of one another.

17. The memory according to claim 13, in which the configuring comprises configuring, based on the received capability information, one of:

patterns for measuring the respective component carriers; and

patterns for monitoring the respective component carriers for a resource allocation schedule.