Uplink Inter-Site Carrier Aggregation Based on UE Transmission Power and Secondary Cell Load

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016205685-A1
Application number	US-201314917079-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 13, 2013
Priority date	Sep 13, 2013
Publication date	Jul 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for use in a user equipment, including transferring data to the base station of a first cell (A 1 ); sending an uplink scheduling request to the base station of a second cell (A 3 ) in dependence on the condition that the user equipment has sufficient transmission power for performing inter-site carrier aggregation (A 2 ); receiving an uplink resource allocation message from the base station of the second cell (A 5 ) if the load of the second cell satisfies predetermined conditions (A 4 ); transferring data to the base stations of the first and second cells via carrier aggregation (A 6 ).

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
causing a request for allocation of resources to be sent from a user equipment to a second cell, said user equipment being in communication with at least one first cell such that carrier aggregation is provided when said user equipment is in communication with said second cell and said at least one first cell, said request being sent in dependence on at least one condition.

2 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one condition comprises one or more of:
power information associated with transmission by said user equipment; load information associated with said second cell; interference in said second cell; and an amount of data said user equipment is to transmit.

3 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said request to said second cell is sent only if said amount of data said user equipment is to transmit is above an amount.

4 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said request for allocation of resources comprises a request for allocation of resources for uplink transmission.

5 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said request comprises a scheduling request.

6 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising causing said request for allocation of resources to be sent in dependence on power transmission levels associated with said user equipment and receiving a response from said first cell indicating if said request is granted.

7 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , where said request is sent in response to control information received from at least one of said first and second cells.

8 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising determining said power transmission levels in said user equipment.

9 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , comprising determining in said user equipment load information associated with said second cell prior to causing said request to be sent.

10 . A method comprising:
receiving a request for allocation of resources from a user equipment at a second cell, said user equipment being in communication with at least one first cell such that carrier aggregation is provided when said user equipment is in communication with said first cell and said second cell; and causing a response to be sent, wherein said user equipment is in communication with said first cell in dependence on at least one condition.

11 . A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said at least one condition comprises one or more of:
power information associated with transmission by said user equipment; load information associated with said second cell; interference in said second cell; and an amount of data said user equipment is to transmit.

12 . A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said response comprises information about loading in said second cell.

13 . A method as claimed in claim 10 , comprising determining information about said loading in said second cell.

14 . A method as claimed in claim 10 , comprising providing information to said first cell about loading in said second cell.

15 . A method as claims in claim 14 , wherein said information provided to said first cell comprises at least one of physical resource block utilization and number of active user equipment.

16 . (canceled)

17 . A computer program comprising computer executable instructions which when run cause the method of claim 1 to be performed.

18 . An apparatus for use in a user equipment, said apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to: cause a request for allocation of resources to be sent to a second cell, said user equipment being in communication with at least one first cell such that carrier aggregation is provided when said user equipment is in communication with said second cell and said at least one first cell, said request being sent in dependence on at least one condition.

19 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the at least one condition comprises one or more of:
power information associated with transmission by said user equipment; load information associated with said second cell; interference in said second cell; and an amount of data said user equipment is to transmit.

20 . An apparatus as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the request to said second cell is sent only if said amount of data said user equipment is to transmit is above an amount.

21 - 23 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Nokia Solutions & Networks Oy

Inventors

• Wang Hua
• Rosa Claudio
• Pedersen Klaus Ingemann

Classifications

• H04W72/541

  using the level of interference · CPC title

• H04W72/21

  in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network · CPC title

• H04W72/52

  based on load · CPC title

• H04L5/0035

  Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment · CPC title

• H04L5/0044

  Allocation of payload; Allocation of data channels, e.g. PDSCH or PUSCH · CPC title