Uplink transmit antenna selection in carrier aggregation

• US 9,537,555 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2012
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gaal, Peter, Chen, Wanshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis, Vinncelas
• Application Number:
  US13/401,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20120213154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 370328-329, 375/135, 375/295, 455/68
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/061 using feedback from receiving side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2027/0044 Control loops for carrier regulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties

Abstract

An uplink antenna selection method where a base station transmits first and second control information to a user equipment. The first control information includes instructions for configuring the user equipment with closed-loop transmit antenna selection on one of a plurality of component carriers, and the second control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with open-loop transmit antenna selection on at least one other of the plurality of the component carriers. Also, the UE may transmit an indication of its capability for transmission antenna switching per component carrier. Further, the UE may perform steps to resolve inconsistent antenna selection triggers received from the base station.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, by a base station, from a user equipment (UE), an indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE for a plurality of component carriers, wherein the indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE indicates whether the UE is capable of switching at least one antenna utilized to transmit on one or more components carriers of the plurality of component carriers without being required to switch an antenna for remaining component carriers of the plurality of the component carriers, wherein whether the UE is capable is determined based at least in part on whether the UE supports an inter-band carrier aggregation configuration;

determining, by the base station, a transmission antenna selection associated with the antenna switching capabilities based on the received indication;

transmitting, from the base station, first control information to the UE, wherein the first control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with closed-loop transmit antenna selection on one of the plurality of component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection; and

transmitting, from the base station, second control information to the UE wherein the second control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with open-loop transmit antenna selection on at least one other of the plurality of the component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of component carriers includes a primary component carrier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one other of the plurality of component carriers includes a secondary component carrier.

4. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving, by a base station, from a user equipment (UE), an indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE for a plurality of component carriers, wherein the indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE indicates whether the UE is capable of switching at least one antenna utilized to transmit on one or more components carriers of the plurality of component carriers without being required to switch an antenna for remaining component carriers of the plurality of the component carriers, wherein whether the UE is capable is determined based at least in part on whether the UE supports an inter-band carrier aggregation configuration;

means for determining, by the base station, a transmission antenna selection associated with the antenna switching capabilities based on the received indication;

means for transmitting, from the base station, first control information to the UE, wherein the first control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with closed-loop transmit antenna selection on one of the plurality of component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection; and

means for transmitting, from the base station, second control information to the UE wherein the second control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with open-loop transmit antenna selection on at least one other of the plurality of the component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one of the plurality of component carriers includes a primary component carrier.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one other of the plurality of component carriers includes a secondary component carrier.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon comprising:

program code to receive, by a base station, from a user equipment (UE), an indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE for a plurality of component carriers, wherein the indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE indicates whether the UE is capable of switching at least one antenna utilized to transmit on one or more components carriers of the plurality of component carriers without being required to switch an antenna for remaining component carriers of the plurality of the component carriers, wherein whether the UE is capable is determined based at least in part on whether the UE supports an inter-band carrier aggregation configuration;

program code to determine, by the base station, a transmission antenna selection associated with the antenna switching capabilities based on the received indication;

program code to transmit, from the base station, first control information to the UE, wherein the first control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with closed-loop transmit antenna selection on one of the plurality of component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection; and

program code to transmit, from the base station, second control information to the UE wherein the second control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with open-loop transmit antenna selection on at least one other of the plurality of the component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection.

8. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

receive, by a base station, from a user equipment (UE), an indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE for a plurality of component carriers, wherein the indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE indicates whether the UE is capable of switching at least one antenna utilized to transmit on one or more components carriers of the plurality of component carriers without being required to switch an antenna for remaining component carriers of the plurality of the component carriers, wherein whether the UE is capable is determined based at least in part on whether the UE supports an inter-band carrier aggregation configuration;

determine, by the base station, a transmission antenna selection associated with the antenna switching capabilities based on the received indication;

transmit, from the base station, first control information to the UE, wherein the first control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with closed-loop transmit antenna selection on one of the plurality of component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection; and

transmit, from the base station, second control information to the UE wherein the second control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with open-loop transmit antenna selection on at least one other of the plurality of the component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection.

9. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

sending, by a user equipment (UE), to a base station, an indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE for a plurality of component carriers, wherein the indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE indicates whether the UE is capable of switching at least one antenna utilized to transmit on one or more components carriers of the plurality of component carriers without being required to switch an antenna for remaining component carriers of the plurality of the component carriers, wherein whether the UE is capable is determined based at least in part on whether the UE supports an inter-band carrier aggregation configuration;

receiving, at the UE, first control information from the base station, wherein the first control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with closed-loop transmit antenna selection on one of a plurality of component carriers based on a transmission antenna selection from the base station in response to the indication of the antenna switching capabilities; and

receiving, at the UE, second control information wherein the second control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with open-loop transmit antenna selection on at least one other of the plurality of the component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one of the plurality of component carriers includes a primary component carrier.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one other of the plurality of component carriers includes a secondary component carrier.

12. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, comprising:

means for sending, by a user equipment (UE), to a base station, an indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE for a plurality of component carriers, wherein the indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE indicates whether the UE is capable of switching at least one antenna utilized to transmit on one or more components carriers of the plurality of component carriers without being required to switch an antenna for remaining component carriers of the plurality of the component carriers, wherein whether the UE is capable is determined based at least in part on whether the UE supports an inter-band carrier aggregation configuration;

means for receiving, at the UE, first control information from the base station, wherein the first control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with closed-loop transmit antenna selection on one of a plurality of component carriers based on a transmission antenna selection from the base station in response to the indication of the antenna switching capabilities; and

means for receiving, at the UE, second control information wherein the second control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with open-loop transmit antenna selection on at least one other of the plurality of the component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one of the plurality of component carriers includes a primary component carrier.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one other of the plurality of component carriers includes a secondary component carrier.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon comprising:

program code to send, by a user equipment (UE), to a base station, an indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE for a plurality of component carriers, wherein the indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE indicates whether the UE is capable of switching at least one antenna utilized to transmit on one or more components carriers of the plurality of component carriers without being required to switch an antenna for remaining component carriers of the plurality of the component carriers, wherein whether the UE is capable is determined based at least in part on whether the UE supports an inter-band carrier aggregation configuration;

program code to receive, at the UE, first control information from the base station, wherein the first control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with closed-loop transmit antenna selection on one of a plurality of component carriers based on a transmission antenna selection from the base station in response to the indication of the antenna switching capabilities; and

program code to receive, at the UE, second control information wherein the second control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with open-loop transmit antenna selection on at least one other of the plurality of the component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection.

16. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

send, by a user equipment (UE), to a base station, an indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE for a plurality of component carriers, wherein the indication of antenna switching capabilities of the UE indicates whether the UE is capable of switching at least one antenna utilized to transmit on one or more components carriers of the plurality of component carriers without being required to switch an antenna for remaining component carriers of the plurality of the component carriers, wherein whether the UE is capable is determined based at least in part on whether the UE supports an inter-band carrier aggregation configuration;

receive, at the UE, first control information from the base station, wherein the first control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with closed-loop transmit antenna selection on one of a plurality of component carriers based on a transmission antenna selection from the base station in response to the indication of the antenna switching capabilities; and

receive, at the UE, second control information wherein the second control information includes instructions for configuring the UE with open-loop transmit antenna selection on at least one other of the plurality of the component carriers based on the transmission antenna selection.