System and method for multi-carrier network operation

• US 9,002,015 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fong, Mo-Han, Burbidge, Richard Charles, Cai, Zhijun, Suzuki, Takashi, Earnshaw, Andrew Mark, Heo, Youn Hyoung, Xu, Hua, Li, Jun, McBeath, Sean Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Zecher, Dede
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAKHIA, VIRAL S
• Application Number:
  US13/430,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20130010964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 370203-210, 370/277, 370/216, 370295-395, 455/450, 455/425, 380/277
• US Class Current: 380/277
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A system and method for configuring a component carrier is presented. A component carrier assignment message is received. The component carrier assignment message may be configured to identify the component carrier and include at least one of, at least one of a downlink carrier frequency, a carrier frequency of a paired uplink carrier, a bandwidth of the component carrier, and a bandwidth of the paired uplink carrier, an indication of whether the component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier configured to signal data channel assignment information for the component carrier, and a logical index of the component carrier. The component carrier assignment message may then be used to configure the component carrier on a user equipment (UE).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a component carrier assignment message via a first component carrier different from a second component carrier and a third component carrier, the first component carrier a control channel monitoring component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifying the second component carrier and the third component carrier and including;

a physical cell identity (PCI) of the second component carrier;

a PCI of the third component carrier;

an indication that the second component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier configured to signal data channel assignment information associated with the second component carrier;

an indication that the third component carrier is a not control channel monitoring component carrier and an indication that a control channel of the first component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the third component carrier;

an antenna configuration for the second component carrier;

an antenna configuration for the third component carrier; and

using the component carrier assignment message to configure the second component carrier and the third component carrier on a user equipment (UE).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel is a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first component carrier comprises a cell.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the component carrier assignment message is received using dedicated signaling.

5. A method, comprising:

receiving a component carrier assignment message via a first component carrier different from a second component carrier and a third component carrier, the first component carrier a control channel monitoring component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifying the second component carrier and the third component carrier and including a physical cell identity (PCI) of the second component carrier, a PCI of the third component carrier, an indication that the second component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier configured to signal data channel assignment information for the second component carrier, and an indication that the third component carrier is a not control channel monitoring component carrier and an indication that a control channel of the first component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the third component carrier; and

using the component carrier assignment message to configure the second component carrier and the third component carrier on a user equipment (UE).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the component carrier assignment message includes:

system information block type 1 data including at least one of a physical cell identity (PCI), cell global identity (CGI), and closed subscriber group (CSG) information,

system information block type 2 data identifying a radio resource configuration,

at least one of a physical component carrier index and a mapped logical component carrier index of the component carrier, and

an antenna configuration for the component carrier.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the component carrier assignment message is received using dedicated signaling.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first component carrier comprises a cell.

9. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a first component carrier different from a second component carrier and a third component carrier, a component carrier assignment message, the component carrier assignment message identifying the second component carrier and including a physical cell identity (PCI) of the second component carrier, a PCI of the third component carrier, an indication that the second component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier configured to signal data channel assignment information for the second component carrier, and an indication that the third component carrier is a not control channel monitoring component carrier and an indication that a control channel of the first component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the third component carrier; and

communicating with user equipment using the second component carrier and the third component carrier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the component carrier assignment message includes:

system information block type 1 data including at least one of a physical cell identity (PCI), cell global identity (CGI), and closed subscriber group (CSG) information,

system information block type 2 data identifying a radio resource configuration,

an indication of whether the component carrier is a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring component carrier,

at least one of a physical component carrier index and a mapped logical component carrier index of the first component carrier, and

an antenna configuration for the first component carrier.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the component carrier assignment message is transmitted using dedicated signaling.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the component carrier comprises a cell.

13. A user equipment, comprising:

a processor, the processor being configured to;

receive a component carrier assignment message from a first component carrier different from a second component carrier, the component carrier assignment message identifying the second component carrier and a third component carrier and including a physical cell identity (PCI) of the second component carrier, a PCI of the third component carrier, an indication that the second component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier configured to signal data channel assignment information for the second component carrier, and an indication that the third component carrier is a not control channel monitoring component carrier and an indication that a control channel of the first component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the third component carrier; and

use the component carrier assignment message to configure the second component carrier and the third component carrier on a user equipment (UE).

14. The user equipment of claim 13, wherein the component carrier assignment message includes:

system information block type 1 data including at least one of a physical cell identity (PCI), cell global identity (CGI), and closed subscriber group (CSG) information,

system information block type 2 data identifying a radio resource configuration,

at least one of a physical component carrier index and a mapped logical component carrier index of the first component carrier, and

an antenna configuration for the first component carrier.

15. A base station, comprising:

one or more processors configured to;

transmit, by a first component carrier different from a second component carrier and a third component carrier, a component carrier assignment message, the component carrier assignment message identifying the second component carrier and including a physical cell identity (PCI) of the second component carrier, a PCI of the third component carrier, an indication that the second component carrier is a control channel monitoring component carrier configured to signal data channel assignment information for the second component carrier, and an indication that the third component carrier is a not control channel monitoring component carrier and an indication that a control channel of the first component carrier is configured to signal data channel assignment information for the third component carrier; and

communicate with user equipment using the second component carrier and the third component carrier.

16. The base station of claim 15, wherein the component carrier assignment message includes:

system information block type 1 data including at least one of a physical cell identity (PCI), cell global identity (CGI), and closed subscriber group (CSG) information,

system information block type 2 data identifying a radio resource configuration,

an indication of whether the component carrier is a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring component carrier,

at least one of a physical component carrier index and a mapped logical component carrier index of the first component carrier, and

an antenna configuration for the first component carrier.

17. The base station of claim 15, wherein the component carrier assignment message is transmitted using dedicated signaling.

18. The base station of claim 15, wherein the component carrier comprises a cell.