Apparatus and method for performing uplink synchronization wireless communication system

• US 10,609,662 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2019
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kwon, Ki Bum, Jung, Myung Cheul, Ahn, Jae Hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bokhari, Syed M
• Application Number:
  US16/395,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20190253992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 370350
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• 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 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0045 compensating for timing error by altering transmission time
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• 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 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

This specification relates to an apparatus and method for performing random access in a wireless communication system. This specification discloses a mobile station, including a reception unit for receiving TAG configuration information on which at least one serving cell configured in the mobile station is classified as a Timing Alignment Group (TAG) from a base station and a transmission unit for transmitting a random access preamble to the base station on one representative serving cell within the TAG. In accordance with this specification, a procedure of obtaining a TAV for a serving cell in order to secure and maintain uplink timing synchronization becomes clear, the time taken to obtain uplink synchronization for a serving cell may be reduced, and overhead due to excessive random access attempts may be reduced by obtaining a TAV for a plurality of serving cells through one random access procedure.

Claims

1. A base station configured for providing uplink synchronization on a first secondary serving cell of one or more secondary serving cells in a wireless communication system, comprising:

wireless communication circuitry; and

a processor coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, wherein the processor is configured to;

transmit resource control (RRC) configuration for carrier aggregation of a primary serving cell and the first secondary serving cell of the one or more secondary serving cells to a user equipment (UE);

transmit resource control (RRC) configuration for an extended physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH) for the first secondary serving cell to the UE, wherein the RRC configuration configures the UE;

for EPDCCH reception on a particular serving cell, wherein whether to receive EPDCCH is configured for each serving cell, wherein the base station does not transmit a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in a UE-specific manner on the PDCCH on a specific serving cell when the UE is configured for EPDCCH reception on the specific serving cell; and

with a configured UE search space for EPDCCH reception, wherein a PDCCH search space is mapped to a control region at the start of a subframe and an EPDCCH search space is mapped to a data region in the subframe following the control region, wherein the configured UE search space for EPDCCH reception is indicated in the RRC configuration; and

transmit, in a first secondary serving cell, when the UE is configured for EPDCCH reception in the first secondary serving cell, downlink control information (DCI) mapped to an EPDCCH intended for the UE in the configured UE search space for EPDCCH, wherein the DCI mapped to the EPDCCH includes an initiation indicator of a non-contention random access procedure to obtain uplink timing on the first secondary serving cell, wherein the base station transmits the initiation indicator through only the EPDCCH in the first secondary serving cell when the UE is configured for EPDCCH reception in the first secondary serving cell.

2. The base station of claim 1, wherein the EPDCCH consists of a resource block pair.

3. The base station of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a random access preamble on an uplink component carrier for the secondary serving cell in response to the initiation indicator.

4. The base station of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit a timing advance command for the first secondary serving cell.

5. The base station of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit a timing advance command for a timing advance group (TAG) to which the first secondary serving cell belongs to cause uplink timing adjustment for at least the first secondary serving cell in the TAG.

6. The base station of claim 5, wherein transmitting said timing advance command further causes an uplink timing adjustment for a second secondary serving cell in the TAG.

7. The base station of claim 1, wherein the uplink timing on the first secondary serving cell is different than the primary serving cell.

8. A method for providing uplink synchronization on a first secondary serving cell of one or more secondary serving cells in a wireless communication system, comprising:

by base station;

transmitting resource control (RRC) configuration for carrier aggregation of a primary serving cell and the first secondary serving cell of the one or more secondary serving cells to a user equipment (UE);

transmitting resource control (RRC) configuration for an extended physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH) for the first secondary serving cell to the UE, wherein the RRC configuration configures the UE;

for EPDCCH reception on a particular serving cell, wherein whether to receive EPDCCH is configured for each serving cell, wherein the base station does not transmit a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in a UE-specific manner on the PDCCH on a specific serving cell when configuring the UE for EPDCCH reception on the specific serving cell; and

with a configured UE search space for EPDCCH reception, wherein a PDCCH search space is mapped to a control region at the start of a subframe and an EPDCCH search space is mapped to a data region in the subframe following the control region, wherein the configured UE search space for EPDCCH reception is indicated in the RRC configuration; and

transmitting, in a first secondary serving cell, when the UE is configured for EPDCCH reception in the first secondary serving cell, downlink control information (DCI) mapped to an EPDCCH intended for the UE in the configured UE search space for EPDCCH, wherein the DCI mapped to the EPDCCH includes an initiation indicator of a non-contention random access procedure to obtain uplink timing on the first secondary serving cell, wherein the base station transmits the initiation indicator through only the EPDCCH in the first secondary serving cell when the UE is configured for EPDCCH reception in the first secondary serving cell.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the EPDCCH consists of a resource block pair.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a random access preamble on an uplink component carrier for the secondary serving cell in response to the initiation indicator.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting a timing advance command for the first secondary serving cell.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting a timing advance command for a timing advance group (TAG) to which the first secondary serving cell belongs to cause uplink timing adjustment for at least the first secondary serving cell in the TAG.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting said timing advance command further causes an uplink timing adjustment for a second secondary serving cell in the TAG.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the uplink timing on the first secondary serving cell is different than the primary serving cell.

15. An apparatus configured for incorporation in a base station, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors, configured to;

transmit resource control (RRC) configuration for carrier aggregation of a primary serving cell and a first secondary serving cell of one or more secondary serving cells to a user equipment (UE);

transmit resource control (RRC) configuration for an extended physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH) for the first secondary serving cell to the UE, wherein the RRC configuration configures the UE;

for EPDCCH reception on a particular serving cell, wherein whether to receive EPDCCH is configured for each serving cell, wherein the base station does not transmit a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in a UE-specific manner on the PDCCH on a specific serving cell when configuring the UE for EPDCCH reception on the specific serving cell; and

with a configured UE search space for EPDCCH reception, wherein a PDCCH search space is mapped to a control region at the start of a subframe and an EPDCCH search space is mapped to a data region in the subframe following the control region, wherein the configured UE search space for EPDCCH reception is indicated in the RRC configuration; and

transmit, in a first secondary serving cell, when the UE is configured for EPDCCH reception in the first secondary serving cell, downlink control information (DCI) mapped to an EPDCCH intended for the UE in the configured UE search space for EPDCCH, wherein the DCI mapped to the EPDCCH includes an initiation indicator of a non-contention random access procedure to obtain uplink timing on the first secondary serving cell, wherein the base station transmits the initiation indicator through only the EPDCCH in the first secondary serving cell when the UE is configured for EPDCCH reception in the first secondary serving cell.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the EPDCCH consists of a resource block pair.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive a random access preamble on an uplink component carrier for the secondary serving cell in response to the initiation indicator.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

transmit a timing advance command for the first secondary serving cell.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

transmit a timing advance command for a timing advance group (TAG) to which the first secondary serving cell belongs to cause uplink timing adjustment for at least the first secondary serving cell in the TAG.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the uplink timing on the first secondary serving cell is different than the primary serving cell.