Methods and apparatus for dual connectivity operation in a wireless communication network

• US 11,356,216 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2022
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Ekpenyong, Anthony E., Bendlin, Ralf M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ulysse, Jael M
• Application Number:
  US14/152,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20140192740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,070 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• 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 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated

Abstract

Dual-connectivity for the User Equipment (UE) in a cellular network is performed by monitoring a plurality of cells. During dual-connectivity, the UE may be simultaneously connected to one serving cell for the Control Plane (C-plane) and to another serving cell, controlled by a different eNodeB, for the User Plane (U-plane). In another embodiment, the dual-connected UE monitors a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) from the first eNB and monitors an EPDCCH from the second eNB.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

configuring a user equipment (UE) for reception of waveforms from more than one base station (eNB); and

communicating using the user equipment (UE) in a cellular network utilizing radio resources provided by two distinct schedulers located in two eNBs connected via non-ideal backhaul wherein the UE communicates with one eNB designated as a master eNB (MeNB) and one eNB designated as a secondary eNB (SeNB), wherein the UE is configured to receive a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) from both the MeNB and the SeNB;

configuring the UE with a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource associated with a primary serving cell (PCell), the PCell being associated with the MeNB;

configuring the UE with a second PUCCH resource associated with a secondary serving cell (SCell), the SCell associated with the SeNB;

configuring the UE to monitor an enhanced downlink physical control channel (EPDCCH) on the PCell during a first set of subframes;

configuring the UE to monitor an EPDCCH on the SCell during a second set of subframes, the second set of subframes being different than the first set of subframes; and

transmitting a scheduling request on the PCell or the SCell using one of the first and second PUCCH resources.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the UE designating one of the respective eNBs as a mobility anchor to a core network.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the UE designating one of the respective eNBs for transmission and/or reception of radio resource control (RRC) and non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the UE applying procedures for operating a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for both of the respective eNBs.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the UE applying procedures for receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for both of the respective eNBs.

6. A method of operating a UE, comprising:

configuring the user equipment (UE) for reception of waveforms from, or transmission of waveforms to, more than one base station (eNB);

communicating with serving cells in a master cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG) wherein the MCG contains the serving cells of the master eNB (MeNB) and the SCG contains the serving cells of the secondary eNB (SeNB), wherein the UE is configured to receive a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) from both the MeNB and the SeNB;

configuring the UE with a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource associated with a primary serving cell (PCell), the PCell being associated with the MeNB;

configuring the UE with a second PUCCH resource associated with a secondary serving cell (SCell), the SCell associated with the SeNB;

configuring the UE to monitor an enhanced downlink physical control channel (EPDCCH) on the PCell during a first set of subframes;

configuring the UE to monitor an EPDCCH on the SCell during a second set of subframes, the second set of subframes being different than the first set of subframes; and

transmitting a scheduling request on the PCell or the SCell using one of the first and second PUCCH resources.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising terminating an S1-U connection for MCG bearers to the serving gateway (S-GW) in the MeNB.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising terminating an S1-U connection for the split bearers to the serving gateway (S-GW) in the MeNB.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising transmitting and/or receiving radio resource control (RRC) and non-access stratum (NAS) signaling from the MeNB.

10. The method of claim 6 further comprising the UE applying procedures for operating a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for both the MCG and SCG.

11. The method of claim 6 further comprising the UE applying procedures for receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for both the MCG and SCG.

12. A user equipment (UE) apparatus, comprising circuitry configured to:

receive waveforms from, or transmit waveforms to, more than one base station (eNB); and

communicate in a cellular network utilizing radio resources provided by two distinct schedulers located in two eNBs connected via non-ideal backhaul wherein the UE communicates with one eNB designated as a master eNB (MeNB) and one eNB designated as a secondary eNB (SeNB), wherein the UE is configured to receive a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) from both the MeNB and the SeNB;

configure the UE with a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource associated with a primary serving cell (PCell), the PCell being associated with the MeNB;

configure the UE with a second PUCCH resource associated with a secondary serving cell (SCell), the SCell associated with the SeNB;

configure the UE to monitor an enhanced downlink physical control channel (EPDCCH) on the PCell during a first set of subframes;

configure the UE to monitor an EPDCCH on the SCell during a second set of subframes, the second set of subframes being different than the first set of subframes; and

transmit a scheduling request on the PCell or the SCell using one of the first and second PUCCH resources.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising the UE designating one of the respective eNBs as a mobility anchor to a core network.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising the UE designating one of the respective eNBs for transmission and/or reception of radio resource control (RRC) and non-access stratum (NAS) signaling.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising the UE applying procedures for operating a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for both of the respective eNBs.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising the UE applying procedures for receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for both of the respective eNBs.

17. A user equipment (UE) apparatus, comprising circuitry configured to:

receive waveforms from, or transmit waveforms to, more than one base station (eNB); and

communicate with serving cells in a master cell group (MCG) and a secondary cell group (SCG) wherein the MCG contains the serving cells of the master eNB (MeNB) and the SCG contains the serving cells of the secondary eNB (SeNB), wherein the UE is configured to receive a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) from both the MeNB and the SeNB;

configure the UE with a first physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource associated with a primary serving cell (PCell), the PCell being associated with the MeNB;

configure the UE with a second PUCCH resource associated with a secondary serving cell (SCell), the SCell associated with the SeNB;

configure the UE to monitor an enhanced downlink physical control channel (EPDCCH) on the PCell during a first set of subframes;

configure the UE to monitor an EPDCCH on the SCell during a second set of subframes, the second set of subframes being different than the first set of subframes; and

transmit a scheduling request on the PCell or the SCell using one of the first and second PUCCH resources.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising terminating an S1-U connection for MCG bearers to the serving gateway (S-GW) in the MeNB.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising terminating an S1-U connection for the split bearers to the serving gateway (S-GW) in the MeNB.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising transmitting and/or receiving radio resource control (RRC) and non-access stratum (NAS) signaling from the MeNB.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising the UE applying procedures for operating a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) for both the MCG and SCG.

22. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising the UE applying procedures for receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for both the MCG and SCG.