Using a cell as a pathloss or timing reference

• US 9,131,434 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Cai, Zhijun, Purnadi, Rene Waraputra
• Primary Examiner(s): Javaid, Jamal
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUTT, WALLI Z
• Application Number:
  US13/655,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20140112243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 370/329, 370/221, 370/336, 370/337, 370/312, 370/331, 370/236, 370/242, 370/252, 370/280, 370/311, 370/350, 370/503, 370/450, 370/509, 455/509, 455/450
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/005 of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• 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 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]

Abstract

Information is communicated indicating whether a cell on a first carrier of a first type is to be used as a reference cell, wherein the reference cell is at least one selected from among a pathloss reference cell and a timing reference cell, and wherein the first carrier of the first type is part of a carrier aggregation that further includes at least a second carrier of a second, different type.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, by a network node to a mobile device, information indicating whether a cell on a first carrier of a first type is to be used as a reference cell, wherein the reference cell is at least one selected from among a pathloss reference cell and a timing reference cell, and wherein the first carrier of the first type is part of a carrier aggregation that further includes at least a second carrier of a second, different type;

sending, by the network node to the mobile device, configuration information regarding whether the mobile device is to monitor an enhanced control channel;

determining, by the network node, a delay value associated with modification of the carrier aggregation, the delay value representing a time delay during which the mobile device is unable to receive signaling from the network node responsive to the modification of the carrier aggregation; and

determining whether the cell on the first carrier of the first type is to be used as the reference cell based on determining whether a density of a synchronization signal exceeds a density threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal is at least one of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the cell on the first carrier of the first type is to be used as the reference cell based on determining that the cell on the first carrier of the first type is not co-located with a cell on the second carrier of the second type, provided that the density of the synchronization signal in the cell on the first carrier exceeds the density threshold, wherein the cell on the first carrier of the first type is co-located with the cell on the second carrier of the second type if an antenna assembly for the cell on the first carrier of the first type is generally at a same location as an antenna assembly for the cell on the second carrier of the second type.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the cell on the first carrier of the first type is not to be used as the pathloss reference cell based on determining that the first carrier is at a frequency greater than a predetermined frequency.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the cell on the first carrier of the first type is not to be used as the timing reference cell based on determining that the first carrier of the first type is synchronized with the second carrier of the second type.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the information indicating whether the cell on the first carrier of the first type is to be used as the reference cell comprises sending system information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the information indicating whether the cell on the first carrier of the first type is to be used as the reference cell comprises sending the information in a dedicated Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced control channel includes an enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (EPDCCH).

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending of the configuration information causes the mobile device to decode the enhanced control channel in addition to decoding a legacy control channel, wherein the legacy control channel is defined by an earlier release of a wireless access protocol, and the enhanced control channel is defined by a later release of the wireless access protocol.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the network node to the mobile device, the delay value, wherein the modification of the carrier aggregation comprises one or more of;

adding a cell to the carrier aggregation, releasing a cell from the carrier aggregation, activating a cell in the carrier aggregation, or deactivating a cell in the carrier aggregation.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the network node to the mobile device, information relating to a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) configuration that is to be used by the mobile device in a cell on the first carrier of the first type, and that is not to be used by the mobile device in a cell on the second carrier of the second type.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the network node, a value of a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) timer at the mobile device, the determining of the value of the DRX timer based on whether a cell of the carrier aggregation uses the enhanced control channel and a special subframe that includes a downlink portion of insufficient length to carry the enhanced control channel.

8. A mobile device comprising:

at least one processor to;

receive, from a network node, information indicating whether a cell on a first carrier of a first type is to be used as a reference cell, wherein the reference cell is at least one selected from among a pathloss reference cell and a timing reference cell, and wherein the first carrier of the first type is part of a carrier aggregation that further includes at least a second carrier of a second, different type;

determine, based on the information, whether the mobile device is able to use the cell on the first carrier as the reference cell;

receive, from the network node, configuration information regarding whether the mobile device is to monitor an enhanced control channel;

decode the enhanced control channel in response to the configuration information specifying that the mobile device is to monitor the enhanced control channel; and

determine a delay value associated with modification of the carrier aggregation, the delay value representing a time delay during which the mobile device is unable to receive signaling from the network node responsive to the modification of the carrier aggregation.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the information indicating whether the cell on the first carrier of the first type is to be used as the reference cell comprises one of system information, and a dedicated Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

17. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the enhanced control channel includes an enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (EPDCCH).

18. The mobile device of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is to further decode a legacy Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

23. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the determining of the delay value comprises one of:

receiving the delay value from the network node, and calculating the delay value by the mobile device.

24. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the mobile device is to perform radio frequency (RF) retuning to operate with a modified carrier resulting from the modification of the carrier aggregation, and wherein during the RF retuning the mobile device is unable to receive the signaling from the network node.

25. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is to receive, from the network node, information relating to a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) configuration that is to be used by the mobile device in a cell on the first carrier of the first type, and that is not to be used by the mobile device in a cell on the second carrier of the second type.

26. The mobile device of claim 8, further comprising:

a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) timer, the DRX timer to advance in response to receiving a downlink subframe from the network node by the mobile device, and the DRX timer to not advance in response to receiving a special subframe comprising a downlink portion from the network node by the mobile device.

27. The mobile device of claim 8, further comprising:

a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) timer,

wherein the at least one processor is to calculate a value of the DRX timer, the calculating based on a number of at least one special subframe and a number of at least one downlink subframe in each frame, and wherein each of the at least one special subframe comprises a downlink pilot time slot (DwPTS).

10. A network node comprising:

at least one processor to;

send, to a mobile device, information indicating whether a cell on a first carrier of a first type is to be used as a reference cell, wherein the reference cell is at least one selected from among a pathloss reference cell and a timing reference cell, and wherein the first carrier of the first type is part of a carrier aggregation that further includes at least a second carrier of a second, different type;

send, to the mobile device, configuration information regarding whether the mobile device is to monitor an enhanced control channel;

determine a delay value associated with modification of the carrier aggregation, the delay value representing a time delay during which the mobile device is unable to receive signaling from the network node responsive to the modification of the carrier aggregation; and

determine whether the cell on the first carrier of the first type is to be used as the reference cell based on determining whether a density of a synchronization signal exceeds a density threshold.

11. The network node of claim 10, wherein the synchronization signal comprises at least one of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS).

12. The network node of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor to further:

determine that the cell on the first carrier of the first type is to be used as the reference cell based on determining that the cell on the first carrier of the first type is not co-located with a cell on the second carrier of the second type, provided that the density of the synchronization signal in the cell on the first carrier exceeds the density threshold, wherein the cell on the first carrier of the first type is co-located with the cell on the second carrier of the second type if an antenna assembly for the cell on the first carrier of the first type is generally at a same location as an antenna assembly for the cell on the second carrier of the second type.

13. The network node of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor to further:

determine that the cell on the first carrier of the first type is not to be used as the pathloss reference cell based on determining that the first carrier is at a frequency greater than a predetermined frequency.

14. The network node of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor to further:

determine that the cell on the first carrier of the first type is not to be used as the timing reference cell based on determining that the first carrier of the first type is synchronized with the second carrier of the second type.

19. The network node of claim 10, wherein the enhanced control channel includes an enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (EPDCCH), and wherein the sending of the configuration information causes the mobile device to decode the EPDCCH in addition to decoding a legacy Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).