Method and apparatus for performing discontinuous reception and/or discontinuous transmission for a multi-carrier/multi-cell operation

• US 8,854,976 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Xi, Fengjun, Pani, Diana, Cave, Christopher R., Pelletier, Benoit, Cai, Lujing
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, Un C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Deng, Fangyan
• Application Number:
  US12/987,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20110170420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 370240-340, 370/216, 455/68, 455/450
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0087 when data requirements change
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0096 Indication of changes in allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Method and apparatus for multi-carrier/multi-cell discontinuous reception (DRX)/discontinuous transmission (DTX) operations, autonomous deactivation of the secondary carrier(s)/cell(s), and explicit activation/deactivation of DRX/DTX and secondary carriers/cells are disclosed. A user equipment (UE) may configure at least one state variable for controlling DRX and/or DTX on a plurality of cells and perform an DRX and/or DTX operation on a subset of cells based on a state variable associated with the subset of cells on a cell group basis. The UE may activate or deactivate DRX and/or DTX based on an order from a network for all cells, a group of cells, or an individual cell. The UE may deactivate the secondary cells autonomously based on activity on the cell(s).

Claims

1. A method of performing discontinuous reception (DRX) or discontinuous transmission (DTX) for a multi-cell operation, the method comprising:

a user equipment (UE) configuring at least one state variable for controlling DRX or DTX on a plurality of cells;

the UE performing an DRX or DTX operation on a subset of cells based on a state variable associated with the subset of cells on a cell group basis;

the UE receiving an order for DRX or DTX activation/deactivation; and

the UE activating or deactivating DRX or DTX based on the order, wherein the order is applied to a group of cells.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a group-specific state variable is configured for each subset of cells, and DRX or DTX operation for each subset of cells is performed based an associated group-specific state variable on a cell group basis.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a single state variable is configured for all cells, and DRX or DTX operation for each subset of cells is performed based on the single state variable on a cell group basis.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the UE applies either common DRX monitoring to all cells, group-specific DRX monitoring to each group of cells, or cell-specific DRX monitoring to each cell.

5. A user equipment (UE) for performing discontinuous reception (DRX) or discontinuous transmission (DTX) for a multi-cell operation, the UE comprising:

a processor configured to maintain at least one state variable for controlling DRX or DTX on a plurality of cells

the processor configured to perform an DRX or DTX operation on a subset of cells based on a state variable associated with the subset of cells on a cell group basis;

the processor configured to receive an order for DRX or DTX activation/deactivation; and

the processor configured to activate or deactivate DRX or DTX based on the order, wherein the order is applied to a group of cells.

6. The UE of claim 5 wherein the processor is configured to maintain a group-specific state variable for each subset of cells, and perform DRX or DTX operation for each subset of cells based an associated group-specific state variable on a cell group basis.

7. The UE of claim 5 wherein the processor is configured to maintain a single state variable for all cells and activate and deactivate DRX or DTX for each subset of cells based on the single state variable on a cell group basis.

8. The UE of claim 5 wherein the processor is configured to apply either common DRX monitoring to all cells, group-specific DRX monitoring to each group of cells, or cell-specific DRX monitoring to each cell.