Multicarrier communications employing time alignment timers

• US 9,848,445 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2015
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2012
• 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): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US14/960,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20160088622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 744 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2011/0096 Network synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2692 with preamble design, i.e. with negotiation of the synchronisation sequence with transmitter or sequence linked to the algorithm used at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/32 Carrier systems characterised by combinations of two or more of the types covered by groups H04L27/02, H04L27/10, H04L27/18 or H04L27/26
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/00 Network traffic management; Network resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/00 Access restriction access security to prevent unauthorised access H04W12/08; Network selection; Access point selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/14 Separate analysis of uplink or downlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/18 TPC being performed according to specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/248 where transmission power control commands are generated based on a path parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/50 at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0005 synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 : Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 : compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 : Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 : in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 : Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 : Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 : Management of setup rejection or failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 : Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

A wireless device is configured with a primary cell group and a secondary cell group. When a first time alignment timer of the primary cell group expires, for a cell in the wireless device, the wireless device stops uplink transmission of HARQ feedback, uplink transport blocks, and channel state information while allowing uplink transmission of random access preamble(s). When a second time alignment timer of the secondary cell group expires and the first time alignment timer is running, for an activated cell in the secondary cell group, the wireless device stops transmission of uplink transport blocks, and continues downlink transmission of HARQ feedback and channel state information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a wireless device, at least one control message comprising;

configuration parameters associated with a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell group and a secondary cell group;

a first parameter for a first time alignment timer (TAT) associated with the primary cell group; and

a second parameter for a second TAT associated with the secondary cell group;

in response to the first TAT expiring, for a cell of the plurality of cells;

stopping uplink transmissions of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stopping re-transmissions of uplink transport blocks in response to downlink HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stopping transmissions of new uplink transport blocks and channel state information; and

allowing uplink transmission of at least one random access preamble; and

in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, for an activated cell of the secondary cell group;

stopping re-transmissions of uplink transport blocks in response to downlink HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stopping transmissions of new uplink transport blocks;

continuing transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements for transport blocks received via a downlink carrier associated with the activated cell; and

continuing transmissions of channel state information for the downlink carrier associated with the activated cell.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, the continuing transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements use at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell; and

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, the continuing transmissions of channel state information use at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell; and

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the at least one random access preamble via a primary cell.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for the cell of the plurality of cells, notifying a radio resource control protocol layer to release a sounding reference signal in response to the first TAT expiring.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, notifying a radio resource control to release a sounding reference signal in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing uplink transmission of at least one second random access preamble via the secondary cell group in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one control message comprises a plurality of media access control dedicated parameters comprising a plurality of TAT values, and wherein one of the plurality of TAT values is associated with one of a plurality of cell groups comprising the primary cell group and the secondary cell group.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

uplink transmission timing associated with the primary cell group is based on a first cell of the primary cell group; and

uplink transmission timing associated with the secondary cell group is based on a second cell of the secondary cell group.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the wireless device, a timing advance command comprising:

a time adjustment value; and

an index indicating the secondary cell group; and

wherein the timing advance command is configured to cause substantial alignment of reception timing of uplink signals in frames and subframes of the secondary cell group at a base station.

11. A wireless device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to;

receive at least one control message comprising;

configuration parameters associated with a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell group and a secondary cell group;

a first parameter for a first time alignment timer (TAT) associated with the primary cell group; and

a second parameter for a second TAT associated with the secondary cell group;

in response to the first TAT expiring, for a cell of the plurality of cells;

stop uplink transmissions of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stop re-transmissions of uplink transport blocks in response to downlink HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stop transmissions of new uplink transport blocks and channel state information; and

allow uplink transmission of at least one random access preamble; and

in response to both the second TAT and the first TAT running, for an activated cell of the secondary cell group;

stop re-transmissions of uplink transport blocks in response to downlink HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stop transmissions of new uplink transport blocks;

continue transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements for transport blocks received via a downlink carrier associated with the activated cell; and

continue transmissions of channel state information for the downlink carrier associated with the activated cell.

12. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein, in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, continuing transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements use at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell; and

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

13. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein, in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT is running, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, continuing transmissions of channel state information use at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell; and

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

14. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to transmit the at least one random access preamble via a primary cell.

15. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device, for the cell of the plurality of cells, to notify a radio resource control protocol layer to release a sounding reference signal in response to the first TAT expiring.

16. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, to notify a radio resource control to release a sounding reference signal in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running.

17. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to allow uplink transmission of at least one second random access preamble via the secondary cell group in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running.

18. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the at least one control message comprises a plurality of media access control dedicated parameters comprising a plurality of TAT values, and wherein one of the plurality of TAT values is associated with one of a plurality of cell groups comprising the primary cell group and the secondary cell group.

19. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein:

uplink transmission timing associated with the primary cell group is based on a first cell of the primary cell group; and

uplink transmission timing associated with the secondary cell group is based on a second cell of the secondary cell group.

20. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device to receive a timing advance command comprising:

a time adjustment value; and

an index indicating the secondary cell group; and

wherein the timing advance command is configured to cause substantial alignment of reception timing of uplink signals in frames and subframes of the secondary cell group at a base station.

21. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a base station and to a wireless device, at least one control message comprising;

configuration parameters associated with a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell group and a secondary cell group;

a first parameter for a first time alignment timer (TAT) associated with the primary cell group; and

a second parameter for a second TAT associated with the secondary cell group;

in response to the first TAT expiring, for a cell of the plurality of cells, performing, by the wireless device;

stopping uplink transmissions of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stopping re-transmissions of uplink transport blocks in response to downlink HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stopping transmissions of new uplink transport blocks and channel state information; and

allowing uplink transmission of at least one random access preamble; and

in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, for an activated cell of the secondary cell group, performing, by the wireless device;

stopping re-transmissions of uplink transport blocks in response to downlink HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stopping transmissions of new uplink transport blocks;

continuing transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements for transport blocks received via a downlink carrier associated with the activated cell; and

continuing transmissions of channel state information for the downlink carrier associated with the activated cell.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, the continuing transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements use at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell; and

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein, in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, the continuing transmissions of channel state information use at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell; and

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting, by the wireless device and via a primary cell, the at least one random access preamble.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising, for the cell of the plurality of cells, notifying a radio resource control protocol layer to release a sounding reference signal in response to the first TAT expiring.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, notifying a radio resource control to release a sounding reference signal in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising allowing uplink transmission of at least one second random access preamble via the secondary cell group in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one control message comprises a plurality of media access control dedicated parameters comprising a plurality of TAT values, and wherein one of the plurality of TAT values is associated with one of a plurality of cell groups comprising the primary cell group and the secondary cell group.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein:

uplink transmission timing associated with the primary cell group is based on a first cell of the primary cell group; and

uplink transmission timing associated with the secondary cell group is based on a second cell of the secondary cell group.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting, by the base station, a timing advance command comprising:

a time adjustment value; and

an index indicating the secondary cell group; and

wherein the timing advance command is configured to cause substantial alignment of reception timing of uplink signals in frames and subframes of the secondary cell group at a base station.

31. A system comprising:

a base station comprising;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the base station, cause the base station to;

transmit at least one control message comprising;

configuration parameters associated with a plurality of cells comprising a primary cell group and a secondary cell group;

a first parameter for a first time alignment timer (TAT) associated with the primary cell group; and

a second parameter for a second TAT associated with the secondary cell group; and

a wireless device comprising;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, cause the wireless device to;

in response to the first TAT expiring, for a cell of the plurality of cells;

stop uplink transmissions of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stop re-transmissions of uplink transport blocks in response to downlink HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stop transmissions of new uplink transport blocks and channel state information; and

allow uplink transmission of at least one random access preamble; and

in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, for an activated cell of the secondary cell group;

stop re-transmissions of uplink transport blocks in response to downlink HARQ negative acknowledgements;

stop transmissions of new uplink transport blocks;

continue transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements for transport blocks received via a downlink carrier associated with the activated cell; and

continue transmissions of channel state information for the downlink carrier associated with the activated cell.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein, in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, continuing transmissions of HARQ positive acknowledgements and HARQ negative acknowledgements use at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell; and

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein, in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, continuing transmissions of channel state information use at least one of:

a physical uplink control channel on a primary cell; and

uplink control information feedback in a transport block transmitted via a shared data channel of an uplink carrier.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the wireless device, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, further cause the wireless device to transmit the at least one random access preamble via a primary cell.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the wireless device, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the wireless device, for the cell of the plurality of cells, to notify a radio resource control protocol layer to release a sounding reference signal in response to the first TAT expiring.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the wireless device, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, further cause the wireless device, for the activated cell of the secondary cell group, to notify a radio resource control to release a sounding reference signal in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the wireless device, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, further cause the wireless device to allow uplink transmission of at least one second random access preamble via the secondary cell group in response to both the second TAT expiring and the first TAT running.

38. The system of claim 31, wherein the at least one control message comprises a plurality of media access control dedicated parameters comprising a plurality of TAT values, and wherein one of the plurality of TAT values is associated with one of a plurality of cell groups comprising the primary cell group and the secondary cell group.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein:

uplink transmission timing associated with the primary cell group is based on a first cell of the primary cell group; and

uplink transmission timing associated with the secondary cell group is based on a second cell of the secondary cell group.

40. The system of claim 31, wherein the instructions stored in the memory of the wireless device, when executed by the one or more processors of the wireless device, further cause the base station to transmit a timing advance command comprising:

a time adjustment value; and

an index indicating the secondary cell group; and

wherein the timing advance command is configured to cause substantial alignment of reception timing of uplink signals in frames and subframes of the secondary cell group at the base station.