Handover signaling in a wireless network

• US 9,220,104 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Dinan, Esmael Hejazi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mui, Gary
• Application Number:
  US14/042,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20140029577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• 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 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A serving base station transmits to a target base station a first message comprising a parameter indicating whether a wireless device supports an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH). The serving base station receives from the target base station a second message comprising parameters indicating: a configuration of a subset of subframes in which first radio resources of a first ePDCCH are configured; and a starting OFDM symbol of the first ePDCCH in the subset of subframes. The serving base station transmits a third message to the wireless device comprising the configuration information of the first ePDCCH.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a first base station, to a second base station and in response to the first base station making a handover decision for a wireless device, a first message comprising a parameter indicating whether the wireless device supports an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH);

receiving, from the second base station, a second message comprising configuration parameters of one or more carriers for the wireless device, the configuration parameters comprising one or more parameters indicating;

a configuration of a subset of subframes in which first radio resources of a first ePDCCH are configured; and

a starting orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol of the first ePDCCH in the subset of subframes; and

transmitting a third message to the wireless device, the third message comprising the one or more parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters further indicate second radio resources of a first data channel to start from the starting OFDM symbol in the subset of subframes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters further indicate a frequency allocation for the first ePDCCH in terms of resource blocks in the subset of subframes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the third message is an encrypted message and the third message comprises an integrity header.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the third message:

further comprises configuration information for physical channels for the wireless device; and

is configured to cause the wireless device to set up or modify at least one radio bearer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the third message is configured to cause the wireless device to configure one or more of a physical layer parameter, a media access control (MAC) layer parameter or a radio link control (RLC) layer parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the third message comprises radio link configuration information comprising uplink channel configuration parameters and handover parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the third message comprises at least one radio resource configuration parameter comprising at least one physical channel configuration parameter.

9. A first base station comprising:

one or more communication interfaces;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the first base station to;

transmit, to a second base station and in response to the first base station making a handover decision for a wireless device, a first message comprising a parameter indicating whether the wireless device supports an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH);

receive, from the second base station, a second message comprising configuration parameters of one or more carriers for the wireless device, the second message comprising one or more parameters indicating;

a configuration of a subset of subframes in which first radio resources of a first ePDCCH are configured; and

a starting orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol of the first ePDCCH in the subset of subframes; and

iii) transmit a third message to the wireless device, the third message comprising the one or more parameters.

10. The first base station of claim 9, wherein the third message comprises radio resource configuration parameters comprising one or more physical channel configuration parameters.

11. The first base station of claim 9, wherein the one or more parameters further indicate second radio resources of a first data channel to start from the starting OFDM symbol in the subset of subframes.

12. The first base station of claim 9, wherein the third message causes the wireless device to configure at least one of a physical layer parameter, a media access control (MAC) layer parameter and a radio link control (RLC) layer parameter.

13. The first base station of claim 9, wherein the third message comprises radio link configuration information comprising uplink channel configuration parameters and handover parameters.

14. The first base station of claim 9, wherein the third message comprises radio resource configuration parameters comprising one or more physical channel configuration parameters.

15. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a first base station to a second base station and in response to serving first base station making a handover decision for a wireless device, a first message comprising a parameter indicating whether the wireless device supports an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH);

transmitting, by the second base station to the first base station, a second message comprising configuration parameters of one or more carriers for the wireless device, the second message comprising one or more parameters indicating;

a configuration of a subset of subframes in which first radio resources of a first ePDCCH are configured; and

a starting orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol of the first ePDCCH in the subset of subframes; and

transmitting, by the first base station, a third message to the wireless device, the third message comprising the one or more parameters.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the third message comprises radio resource configuration parameters comprising one or more physical channel configuration parameters.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more parameters further indicate second radio resources of a first data channel to start from the starting OFDM symbol in the subset of subframes.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting, by the second base station, on the first ePDCCH, scheduling information for a packet transmitted on the first data channel.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting, by the second base station, second scheduling information on the first ePDCCH, the second scheduling information being for one or more second packets transmitted on an uplink data channel.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more parameters further indicate a frequency allocation for the first ePDCCH in terms of resource blocks in the subset of subframes.