Techniques for timers associated with powering receiver circuitry at a wireless device

• US 8,923,323 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Heo, Youn Hyoung, He, Hong, Fwu, Jong-Kae
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Fan
• Application Number:
  US13/629,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20130242818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 370464-540
• US Class Current: 370/464
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0073 Acquisition of primary synchronisation channel, e.g. detection of cell-ID within cell-ID group
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0033 arrangements specific to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0077 Cooperative coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1635 Cumulative acknowledgement, i.e. the acknowledgement message applying to all previous messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1819 with retransmission of additional or different redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1825 Adaptation of specific ARQ protocol parameters according to transmission conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1854 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1864 ARQ related signaling H04L1/1607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1877 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications like streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream control arrangements H04N21/44004
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1887 Scheduling and prioritising arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/189 Transmission or retransmission of more than one copy of a message
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1896 ARQ related signaling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/6275 based on priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 : the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 : Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• 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 5/0073 : Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences for intercell interference mitigation or co-ordination in orthogonal multiplex systems H04J11/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 : Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1438 : Negotiation of transmission parameters prior to communication modified according to link quality H04L1/0001
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1446 : of transmission speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1469 : using time-sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 : Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 : adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 : adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 : involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 : Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 : Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/04 : Traffic adaptive resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 : radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 : using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0278 : using buffer status reports dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 : Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 : Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 : in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 : in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 : where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 : where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/143 : Downlink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 : taking into account interferences
• 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 72/12 : Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 : of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1273 : of downlink data flows
• 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 72/27 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 : based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 : of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/085 : collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 : Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Examples are disclosed for timers associated with powering receiver circuitry at a wireless device or user equipment. The examples include separately defining one or more timers based on different time division duplex (TDD) configurations. The different TDD configurations may be used for communications between user equipment and serving cells supported by one or more base stations such as evolved node Bs (eNBs) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless network. The defined timers may be used by the user equipment to selectively power receiver circuitry. Other examples are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

establishing, at an evolved node B (eNB) configured to support a serving cell for user equipment and arranged to operate in compliance with one or more 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards to include LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), a first time division duplex (TDD) configuration associated with communications to the user equipment;

receiving TDD configuration information for one or more other serving cells indicating at least one of the one or more other serving cells has established a second TDD configuration associated with communications to the user equipment that is different from the first TDD configuration;

defining one or more discontinuous reception (DRX) timers associated with temporarily powering on or off receiver circuitry at the user equipment based on the first and second TDD configurations, the one or more DRX timers comprising a drx-InactivityTimer; and

defining a first definition for the drx-InactivityTimer based on the first TDD configuration and a second definition for the drx-InactivityTimer based on the second TDD configuration.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the one or more DRX timers comprising an onDurationTimer and a drx-RetransmissionTimer.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, comprising defining a first definition for the drx-RetransmissionTimer based on the first TDD configuration and defining a second definition for the drx-RetransmissionTimer based on the second TDD configuration.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, the onDurationTimer having the same definition for both the first and the second TDD configurations.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising defining the one or more DRX timers such that at least some of the one or more DRX timers are counted at the wireless device based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) subframe received by the user equipment.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, comprising:

configuring the serving cell supported by the eNB to function as a primary cell serving the user equipment; and

defining the onDurationTimer such that the onDurationTimer is counted based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) subframe for the primary cell.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, comprising defining the drx-RetransmissionTimer such that the drx-RetransmissionTimer is counted responsive to receiving a PDCCH subframe at the user equipment from a scheduling serving cell, the scheduling serving cell from among the one or more other serving cells or the scheduling serving cell to be the primary cell.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, defining the one or more DRX timers based on the first and second TDD configurations comprising:

defining a first set of DRX timers based on the first TDD configuration, the first set of DRX timers common to serving cells associated with a first timing advanced group (TAG) communicating with the user equipment via a first frequency band; and

defining a second set of DRX timers based on the second TDD configuration, the second set of DRX timers common to serving cells associated with a second TAG communicating with the user equipment via a second frequency band.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising defining the one or more DRX timers based on the user equipment being configured to operate in a half-duplex mode.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, the user equipment configured so that downlink operations are allowed where downlink/uplink subframes are different between the first and second TDD configurations, the one more DRX timers defined such that the one or more DRX timers may be started based both on downlink subframes matching between the first and second TDD configurations and on downlink/uplink subframes that are different between the first and second TDD configurations for a given subframe.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, the user equipment configured so that uplink operations are allowed where downlink/uplink subframes are different between the first and second TDD configurations, the one or more DRX timers defined such that the one or more DRX timers may be started based on downlink subframes matching between the first and second TDD configurations for a given subframe.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, the user equipment configured so that an uplink or a downlink operation is dynamically allowed where downlink/uplink subframes are different between the first and second TDD configurations, the one or more DRX timers defined such that the one or more DRX timers may be started based on downlink subframes that match between the first and second TDD configurations for a given subframe.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising defining the one or more DRX timers such that the one or more DRX timers may be started based both on downlink subframes matching between the first and second TDD configurations and on downlink/uplink subframes being different between the first and second TDD configurations for a given subframe.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising defining the one or more DRX timers such that the one or more DRX timers may be started based on downlink subframes that are the same between the first and second TDD configurations for a given subframe.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor circuit for a an evolved node B (eNB) arranged to support a first serving cell for user equipment and arranged to operate in compliance with one or more 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards to include LTE-Advanced (LTE-A);

a configuration component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to establish a first time division duplex (TDD) configuration for communicatively coupling to the user equipment via the first serving cell;

a receive component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to receive TDD configuration information for a second serving cell that indicates the second serving cell has established a second TDD configuration for communicatively coupling to the user equipment that is different than the first TDD configuration; and

a timer component arranged for execution by the processor circuit to define one or more discontinuous reception (DRX) timers associated with temporarily powering on or off receiver circuitry at the user equipment based on the first and second TDD configurations, the timer component arranged to define separate sets of DRX timers to include a first set of DRX timers based on the first TDD configuration and a second set of DRX timers based on the second TDD configuration.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising a radio interface communicatively coupled to the processor circuit to communicate information to the user equipment, the information to indicate the definitions for the one or more DRX timers.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, the timer component arranged to define the DRX timers such that the DRX timers are counted at the user equipment based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) subframe received by the user equipment.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, the timer component arranged to define the DRX timers to be counted based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) subframe for the first serving cell, the first serving cell arranged to function as a primary serving cell for the user equipment.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, the timer component arranged to define the DRX timers such that at least some of the DRX timers are counted responsive to receipt of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) subframe from either the first or second serving cells.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, comprising a digital display coupled to the processor circuit to present a user interface view.

17. The apparatus of 15, the first set of DRX timers and the second set of DRX timers to separately include an onDurationTimer, a drx-RetransmissionTimer and a drx-InactivityTimer, definitions for the DRX timers defined by the timer component for the first set of DRX timers being different than definitions for the DRX timers defined by the timer component for the second set of DRX timers.

22. At least one machine readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed on a system for user equipment configured to operate in compliance with one or more or more 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standards to include LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) causes the system to:

receive a first set of discontinuous reception (DRX) timers associated with powering receiver circuitry arranged to receive data from a first serving cell using a first time division duplex (TDD) configuration;

receive a second set of DRX timers associated with powering receiver circuitry arranged to receive data from a second serving cell using a second TDD configuration;

responsive to receiving data from the first serving cell, selectively powering on or off the receiver circuitry based on the first set of DRX timers; and

responsive to receiving data from the second serving cell, selectively powering on or off the receiver circuitry based on the second set of DRX timers.

23. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 22, comprising the first serving cell using the first TDD configuration communicatively coupled to the user equipment via a first frequency band and the second serving cell using the second TDD configuration communicatively coupled to the user equipment via a second frequency band.

24. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 22, the first and second sets of DRX timers comprises an onDurationTimer, a drx-RetransmissionTimer and a drx-InactivityTimer, the first and second sets of DRX timers to be defined such that the DRX timers are counted based on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) subframe received from the first or second serving cells.

25. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 24, comprising the onDurationTimer included in both the first and second sets of DRX timers is defined to be counted based on a PDCCH subframe for a serving cell from among the first and second serving cells arranged to function as a primary serving cell for the user equipment.

26. The at least one machine readable medium of claim 24, comprising the drx-InactivityTimer included in both the first and second sets of DRX timers is defined to be counted based on a PDCCH subframe received from either the first serving cell or the second serving cell.