Method and apparatus for deactivating secondary carriers in mobile communication system using carrier aggregation

• US 8,917,664 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jang, Jaehyuk, Kim, Soenghun
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUDA, ADAM K
• Application Number:
  US13/400,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20120213207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/328
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1835 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1851 using multiple timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1874 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1883 using multiple timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2662 Symbol synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0078 Timing of allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0082 at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1469 using time-sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/04 Error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 : Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/228 : using past power values or information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/286 : during data packet transmission, e.g. high speed packet access [HSPA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/346 : distributing total power among users or channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/365 : Power headroom reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 : Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 : at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/545 : modifying TPC bits in special situations
• 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 56/0015 : one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 : compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/005 : compensating for timing error by adjustment in the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 : Local resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 : Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• 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 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/543 : based on requested quality, e.g. QoS
• 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 74/085 : collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0858 : collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0891 : for synchronized access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 : Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 : triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 : Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 : adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for deactivating secondary carriers in a mobile communication system using carrier aggregation are provided. A communication method, for a User Equipment (UE), includes activating a secondary carrier, starting a first timer upon activation of the secondary carrier, starting a second timer when the first timer expires, and deactivating the activated secondary carrier when the second timer expires.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a secondary cell (SCell) by a terminal in a mobile communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, by the terminal, first information for activating an SCell from a base station;

activating, by the terminal, the SCell;

starting, by the terminal, a timer associated with the SCell;

restarting, by the terminal, if second information for the activated SCell is received from the base station, the timer associated with the SCell; and

if the timer expires, deactivating, by the terminal, the SCell and applying one or more corresponding actions no later than in a predefined subframe.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the predefined subframe is subframe n+8 if the time expires in subframe n.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second information comprises at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the activated SCell indicating an uplink grant, a PDCCH on the activated SCell indicating downlink assignment, and an SCell control message for activating the SCell.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a time duration of the timer is a value in a number of radio frames configured by a radio resource control (RRC).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the

one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from transmitting a sounding reference signal (SRS) on the SCell.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the

one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the SCell.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first information comprises

an SCell control message including a bitmap indicator corresponding to at least one SCell, and

wherein activating the SCell comprises activating the SCell based on the bitmap indicator.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from reporting at least one of channel guality indicator (CQI), precoding matrix index (PMI), rank indicator (RI), and precoder type indication (PTI) for the SCell.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise ignoring, by the terminal, an allocation of downlink or uplink resources to the activated SCell after the timer expires.

10. A terminal for controlling a secondary cell (SCell), the terminal comprising:

a transceiver unit for sending and for receiving a signal;

a control unit configured to receive first information for activating an SCell from a base station, to activate the SCell, to start a timer associated with the SCell, to restart the timer associated with the SCell if second information for the activated SCell is received from the base station, and, if the timer expires, to deactivate the SCell and to apply one or more corresponding actions no later than in a predefined subframe.

11. The User Equipment of claim 10, wherein the predefined subframe is subframe n+8 if the timer expires in subframe n.

12. The User Equipment of claim 11, wherein the second information comprises at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the activated SCell indicating an uplink grant, a PDCCH on the activated SCell indicating downlink assignment, and an SCell control message for activating the SCell.

13. The User Equipment of claim 10, wherein a time duration of the timer is a value in a number of radio frames configured by a radio resource control (RRC).

14. The User Equipment of claim 10, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from transmitting a sounding reference signal (SRS) on the SCell.

15. The User Equipment of claim 10, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from monitoring a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the SCell.

16. The User Equipment of claim 10, wherein the first information comprises an SCell control message including a bitmap indicator corresponding to at least one SCell and the control unit is further configured to activate the SCell based on the bitmap indicator.

17. The User Equipment of claim 10, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from reporting at least one of channel quality indicator (CQI), precoding matrix index (PMI), rank indicator (RI), and precoder type indication (PTI) for the SCell.

18. The terminal of claim 10, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise ignoring, by the terminal, an allocation of downlink or uplink resources to the activated SCell after the timer expires.

19. A method for controlling a secondary cell (SCell) of a base station in a mobile communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the base station, first information for activating an SCell to a terminal; and

transmitting, by the base station, second information for the activated SCell to the terminal,

wherein a timer associated with the SCell is started by the terminal in response to the first information,

wherein the timer associated with the SCell is restarted by the terminal if the second information for the activated SCell is received from the base station, and

wherein, if the timer expires, the SCell is deactivated and one or more corresponding actions are applied no later than in a predefined subframe by the terminal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the predefined subframe is subframe n+8 if the timer expires in subframe n.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the second information comprises at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the activated SCell indicating an uplink grant, a PDCCH on the activated SCell indicating downlink assignment, and an SCell control message for activating the SCell.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein a time duration of the timer is a value in a number of radio frames configured by a radio resource control (RRC).

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from transmitting, by the terminal, a sounding reference signal (SRS) on the SCell.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from transmitting, by the terminal, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the SCell.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the first information comprises an SCell control message including a bitmap indicator corresponding to at least one SCell, and

wherein the SCell is activated, based on the bitmap indicator, by the terminal

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from reporting, by the terminal, at least one of channel quality indicator (CQI), precoding matrix index (PMI), rank indicator (RI), and precoder type indication (PTI) for the SCell.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise ignoring, by the terminal, an allocation of downlink or uplink resources to the activated SCell after the timer expires.

28. A base station for controlling a secondary cell (SCell), the base station comprising:

a transceiver unit for sending and for receiving a signal;

a control unit configured to transmit first information for activating an SCell to a terminal and to transmit secondary information for the activated SCell to the terminal,

wherein a timer associated with the SCell is started by the terminal, in response to the first information,

wherein the timer associated with the SCell is restarted by the terminal if the second information for the activated SCell is received from the base station, and

wherein, if the timer expires, the SCell is deactivated and one or more corresponding actions are applied no later than in a predefined subframe by the terminal.

29. The base station of claim 28, wherein the predefined subframe is subframe n+8 if the timer expires in subframe n.

30. The base station of claim 28, wherein the second information comprises at least one of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the activated SCell indicating an uplink grant, a PDCCH on the activated SCell indicating downlink assignment, and an SCell control message for activating the SCell.

31. The base station of claim 28, wherein a time duration of the timer is a value in a number of radio frames configured by a radio resource control (RRC).

32. The base station of claim 28, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from transmitting, by the terminal, a sounding reference signal (SRS) on the SCell.

33. The base station of claim 28, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from transmitting, by the terminal, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) on the SCell.

34. The base station of claim 28, wherein the first information comprises an SCell control message including a bitmap indicator corresponding to at least one SCell, and

wherein the SCell is activated based on the bitmap indicator, by the terminal.

35. The base station of claim 28, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise preventing from reporting, by the terminal, at least one of channel quality indicator (CQI), precoding matrix index (PMI), rank indicator (RI), and precoder type indication (PTI) for the SCell.

36. The base station of claim 28, wherein the one or more corresponding actions comprise ignoring, by the terminal, an allocation of downlink or uplink resources to the activated SCell after the timer expires.