User terminal, radio base station, radio communication system and radio communication method

• US 9,674,838 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Satoshi, Takeda, Kazuaki, Kishiyama, Yoshihisa, Ishii, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ANDREW CHUNG CHEUNG
• Application Number:
  US14/434,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20150282174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/1469 using time-sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1268 of uplink data flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

The present invention is designed to enable 1-CC transmission when carrier aggregation is carried out by aggregating a first component carrier, which is used in a macro cell, and a second component carrier, which is used in a small cell. A user terminal according to the present invention receives duration configuration information, which indicates a first duration to communicate with a macro base station by using the first component carrier, and a second duration to communicate with a small base station by using the second component carrier, configures the first duration and the second duration based on the duration configuration information, transmits uplink signals for the macro base station by using the first component carrier in the first duration, and transmits uplink signals for the small base station by using the second component carrier in the second duration.

Claims

1. A user terminal in a radio communication system where carrier aggregation is carried out by aggregating a first component carrier, which is used in a macro cell, and a second component carrier, which is used in a small cell, the user terminal comprising:

a receiver that receives duration configuration information, which indicates a first duration to communicate with a macro base station forming the macro cell by using the first component carrier, and a second duration to communicate with a small base station forming the small cell by using the second component carrier;

a processor that configures the first duration and the second duration based on the duration configuration information; and

a transmitter that, in the first duration, transmits an uplink signal for the macro base station by using the first component carrier, and that, in the second duration, transmits an uplink signal for the small base station by using the second component carrier,

wherein at least in uplink transmission, the transmitter transmits the uplink signal by using either of the first component carrier and the second component carrier switchingly based on the first duration and the second duration configured.

2. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein the receiver receives, in the first duration, a downlink signal from the macro base station by using the first component carrier, and receives, in the second duration, a downlink signal from the small base station by using the second component carrier.

3. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

the receiver receives duration change information for changing lengths of the first duration and the second duration; and

the processor changes the lengths of the first duration and the second duration based on the duration change information.

4. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when one of the first component carrier and the second component carrier employs a time division duplexing (TDD) scheme and the other of the first component carrier and the second component carrier employs a frequency division duplexing (FDD) scheme, the transmitter transmits uplink signals by using the component carrier where the FDD scheme is employed, in a downlink subframe of the component carrier where the TDD scheme is employed.

5. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when the first component carrier and the second component carrier both employ a time division duplexing (TDD) scheme:

the receiver receives shift information for shifting uplink subframes of the first component carrier and/or the second component carrier; and

the transmitter transmits uplink signals in the uplink subframe that are configured based on the shift information.

6. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when carrier aggregation is carried out by aggregating three or more component carriers including the first component carrier and the second component carrier, the processor configures separate durations on a per component carrier basis.

7. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein, when carrier aggregation is carried out by aggregating three or more component carriers including the first component carrier and the second component carrier, the processor configures a common duration that is shared between a plurality of component carriers.

8. The user terminal according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter switches a carrier to transmit the uplink signal, between the first component carrier and the second component carrier, in a given switching time.

9. A radio base station that forms a macro cell in a radio communication system where carrier aggregation is carried out by aggregating a first component carrier, which is used in the macro cell, and a second component carrier, which is used in a small cell, the radio base station comprising:

a transmitter that transmits duration configuration information to a user terminal, the duration configuration information indicating a first duration to communicate with the radio base station by using the first component carrier, and a second duration to communicate with the small base station forming the small cell by using the second component carrier; and

a receiver that receives from the user terminal by using the first component carrier in the first duration,

wherein at least in uplink transmission, the user terminal transmits uplink signal by using either of the first component carrier and the second component carrier switchingly based on the first duration and the second duration configured.

10. A radio communication system where carrier aggregation is carried out by aggregating a first component carrier, which is used in a macro cell, and a second component carrier, which is used in a small cell, comprising:

a macro base station forming the macro cell that comprises a transmitter that transmits duration configuration information to a user terminal, the duration configuration information indicating a first duration to communicate with the macro base station by using the first component carrier, and a second duration to communicate with a small base station forming the small cell by using the second component carrier; and

the user terminal comprises;

a processor that configures the first duration and the second duration based on the duration configuration information; and

a transmitter that, in the first duration, transmits an uplink signal for the macro base station by using the first component carrier, and that, in the second duration, transmits an uplink signal for the small base station by using the second component carrier,

wherein at least in uplink transmission, the transmitter transmits the uplink signal by using either of the first component carrier and the second component carrier switchingly based on the first duration and the second duration configured.

11. A radio communication method comprising:

performing carrier aggregation by aggregating a first component carrier, which is used in a macro cell, and a second component carrier, which is used in a small cell;

transmitting, by a macro base station forming the macro cell, duration configuration information to a user terminal, the duration configuration information indicating a first duration to communicate with the macro base station by using the first component carrier, and a second duration to communicate with a small base station forming the small cell by using the second component carrier; and

at the user terminal;

configuring the first duration and the second duration based on the duration configuration information; and

in the first duration, transmitting an uplink signal for the macro base station by using the first component carrier, and, in the second duration, transmitting an uplink signal for the small base station by using the second component carrier,

wherein at least in uplink transmission, the user terminal transmits the uplink signal by using either of the first component carrier and the second component carrier switchingly based on the first duration and the second duration configured.