Handover signaling in wireless networks

• US 9,220,105 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2014
• 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): Chou, Albert T
• Application Number:
  US14/194,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20140177598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 660 Days
• Field of Search: 370/254, 370/252, 370/331, 370/332
• 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 first base station transmits at least one message to configure at least one backward compatible carrier and at least one non-backward compatible carrier in a wireless device. The first base station transmits, in response to the first base station making a handover decision, a second message to a second base station. The second message comprises parameters indicating whether the wireless device supports configuration of non-backward compatible carriers, configuration information of at least one backward compatible carrier and/or configuration information of at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

Claims

1. A base station comprising:

one or more processors; and

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

receive, from a wireless device via a primary carrier of at least one backward compatible carrier, a first message comprising one or more parameters indicating whether the wireless device supports at least one non-backward compatible carrier;

transmit, if the one or more parameters indicate support of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier, at least one second message comprising configuration parameters comprising an identifier for each carrier in a plurality of carriers, the plurality of carriers comprising;

one or more of the at least one backward compatible carrier; and

one or more of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier;

receive at least one measurement report from the wireless device;

make a handover decision for the wireless device; and

transmit to a second base station, in response to the handover decision, a third message comprising at least one of;

the one or more parameters indicating whether the wireless device supports configuration of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

configuration information of the one or more of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

2. The base station of claim 1, wherein the at least one second message is an encrypted message and the at least one second message comprises an integrity header.

3. The base station of claim 1, wherein the at least one second message further comprises:

configuration information for physical channels for the wireless device; and

configuration information for setting up or modifying at least one radio bearer.

4. The base station of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one second message comprises at least one of a physical layer parameter, a media access control (MAC) layer parameter, and a radio link control (RLC) layer parameter.

5. The base station of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one second message comprises radio link configuration information comprising uplink channel configuration parameters and handover parameters.

6. The base station of claim 1, wherein one of the at least one second message comprises radio resource configuration parameters comprising physical channel configuration parameters.

7. The base station of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the base station to transmit a channel state information reference signal via:

the at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

the at least one backward compatible carrier.

8. The base station of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the base station to transmit a demodulation reference signal via:

the at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

the at least one backward compatible carrier.

9. A method for use in a base station, the method comprising:

receiving, from a wireless device via a primary carrier of at least one backward compatible carrier, a first message comprising one or more parameters indicating whether the wireless device supports at least one non-backward compatible carrier;

transmitting, if the one or more parameters indicate support of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier, at least one second message comprising configuration parameters comprising an identifier for each carrier in a plurality of carriers, the plurality of carriers comprising;

one or more of the at least one backward compatible carrier; and

one or more of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier;

receiving at least one measurement report from the wireless device;

making a handover decision for the wireless device; and

transmitting to a second base station, in response to the handover decision, a third message comprising at least one of;

the one or more parameters indicating whether the wireless device supports configuration of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

configuration information of the one or more of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one second message is an encrypted message and the second message comprises an integrity header.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one second message further comprises:

configuration information for physical channels for the wireless device; and

configuration information for setting up or modifying at least one radio bearer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the at least one second message comprises 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 method of claim 9, wherein one of the at least one second message comprises radio link configuration information comprising uplink channel configuration parameters and handover parameters.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the at least one second message comprises radio resource configuration parameters comprising physical channel configuration parameters.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting a channel state information reference signal via:

the at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

the at least one backward compatible carrier.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting a demodulation reference signal via:

the at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

the at least one backward compatible carrier.

17. A method for use in a network comprising a first base station and a second base station, the method comprising:

receiving by the first base station from a wireless device via a primary carrier of at least one backward compatible carrier, a first message comprising one or more parameters indicating whether the wireless device supports at least one non-backward compatible carrier;

transmitting by the first base station to the wireless device, if the one or more parameters indicate support of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier, at least one second message comprising configuration parameters comprising an identifier for each carrier in a plurality of carriers, the plurality of carriers comprising;

one or more of the at least one backward compatible carrier; and

one or more of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier;

receive, by the first base station, at least one measurement report from the wireless device;

making, by the first base station, a handover decision for the wireless device; and

transmitting, by the first base station to the second base station, in response to the handover decision, a third message comprising at least one of;

the one or more parameters indicating whether the wireless device supports configuration of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

configuration information of the one or more of the at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting by the first base station a channel state information reference signal via:

the at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

the at least one backward compatible carrier.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting by the first base station a demodulation reference signal via:

the at least one non-backward compatible carrier; and

the at least one backward compatible carrier.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein one of the at least one second message comprises radio link configuration information comprising uplink channel configuration parameters and handover parameters.