Method of Managing Timing Alignment Functionality for Multiple Component Carriers and Related Communication Device

• US 20100238908A1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Chih-Hsiang
• Granted Patent: US 9,137,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0005 synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states

Abstract

A method of managing timing alignment (TA) functionality in multiple component carriers for a communication device of a wireless communication system, which includes separately managing TA functionality of a plurality of component carriers or jointly managing TA functionality of component carriers belonging to the same cell.

Claims

1. A method of managing timing alignment (TA) functionality in multiple component carriers for a communication device of a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

separately managing TA functionality of a plurality of component carriers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein separately managing the TA functionality of the plurality of component carriers comprises:

applying the TA functionality for one of the plurality of component carriers when a timing advance command is received in the component carrier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein separately managing the TA functionality of the plurality of component carriers comprises:

receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message for indicating one of the plurality of component carriers; and

applying the TA functionality for the indicated component carrier when a timing advance command is received in the indicated component carrier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein separately managing the TA functionality of the plurality of component carriers comprises:

receiving a RRC message for indicating at least some component carriers of the plurality of component carriers; and

applying the TA functionality for the indicated component carriers one indicated component carrier by one indicated component carrier when a timing advance command is received in one of the indicated component carriers.

5. A method of managing timing alignment (TA) functionality in multiple component carriers for a communication device of a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

jointly managing TA functionality of a plurality of component carriers belonging to a cell.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein jointly managing the TA functionality of the plurality of component carriers belonging to the cell comprises applying the TA functionality for at least a component carrier belonging to the cell when a timing advance command is received in one of the component carriers belonging to the cell.

7. A communication device of managing timing alignment (TA) functionality in multiple component carriers for a wireless communication system, the communication device comprising:

a plurality of TA executing units for executing TA functionality of a plurality of component carriers; and

a management unit for separately managing the TA functionality of the plurality of component carriers.

8. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the management unit comprises:

a reception unit for receiving a timing advance command; and

a configuration applying unit coupled to the reception unit, for applying the TA functionality for one of the plurality of component carriers when the timing advance command is received in the component carrier corresponding to a first TA executing unit.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the configuration applying unit starts or restarts a time alignment timer for the component carrier according to the timing advance command.

10. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the first TA executing unit releases resources of Channel Quality Indication (CQI) report configuration, sounding Reference Signal (RS) configuration, Scheduling Request (SR) configuration, and Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) configuration for the component carrier when the time alignment timer expires.

11. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the management unit comprises:

a reception unit for receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message for indicating one of the plurality of component carriers, and a timing advance command; and

a configuration applying unit coupled to the reception unit, for applying the TA functionality for the indicated component carrier when the timing advance command is received in the indicated component carrier.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the configuration applying unit starts or restarts a time alignment timer for the indicated component carrier according to the timing advance command.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the TA executing unit corresponding to the indicated component carrier releases resources of Channel Quality Indication (CQI) report configuration, sounding Reference Signal (RS) configuration, Scheduling Request (SR) configuration, and Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) configuration for the indicated component carrier when the time alignment timer expires.

14. The communication device of claim 7, wherein the management unit comprises:

a reception unit for receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message for indicating at least some component carriers of the plurality of component carriers, and a timing advance command; and

a configuration applying unit coupled to the reception unit, for applying the TA functionality for the indicated component carriers one indicated component carrier by one indicated component carrier when the timing advance command is received in one of the indicated component carriers.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the configuration applying unit starts or restarts a time alignment timer for all of the indicated component carriers according to the timing advance command.

16. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the TA executing units corresponding to the indicated component carriers release resources of Channel Quality Indication (CQI) report configuration, sounding Reference Signal (RS) configuration, Scheduling Request (SR) configuration, and Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) configuration for all of the indicated component carriers when the time alignment timer expires.

17. A communication device of managing timing alignment (TA) functionality in multiple component carriers for a wireless communication system, the communication device comprising:

a plurality of TA executing unit for executing TA functionality of a plurality of component carriers belonging to a cell; and

a management unit for jointly managing the TA functionality of the plurality of component carriers belonging to the cell.

18. The communication device of claim 17, wherein the management unit comprises:

a reception unit for receiving a timing advance command; and

a configuration applying unit for applying the TA functionality for at least a component carrier belonging to the cell when the timing advance command is received in one of the component carriers belonging to the cell.

19. The communication device of claim 18, wherein the configuration applying unit starts or restarts a time alignment timer for the component carriers according to the timing advance command.

20. The communication device of claim 19, wherein the TA executing unit releases resources of Channel Quality Indication (CQI) report configuration, sounding Reference Signal (RS) configuration, Scheduling Request (SR) configuration, and Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) configuration for the component carriers when the time alignment timer expires.