# US 10,484,978 B2 · Method and apparatus of operating multiple time alignment timers in mobile communication system supporting carrier aggregation

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- Number: US 10,484,978 B2
- Document ID: US10484978B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/440,216
- Filed: 2012-04-05
- Published: 2012-10-11
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2011-04-05
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Jaehyuk Jang; Kyeong In Jeong
- Inventors: Jaehyuk Jang; Kyeong In Jeong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484978B2

## CPC

- H04W 72/042
- H04L 1/1835: {Buffer management}
- H04L 1/1851: {using multiple timers}
- H04L 1/1854: {Scheduling and prioritising arrangements}
- H04L 1/1874: {Buffer management}
- H04L 1/1883: {using multiple timers}
- H04L 5/001: {the frequencies being arranged in component carriers}
- H04L 5/0048: {Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091)}
- H04L 5/0098: {Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands}
- H04W 28/04: Error control
- H04W 52/0216: {using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame}
- H04W 52/0219: {where the power saving management affects multiple terminals}
- H04W 52/367: {Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range}
- H04W 52/50: at the moment of starting communication in a multiple access environment
- H04W 56/001: {Synchronization between nodes}
- H04W 56/0005: {synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks}
- H04W 56/005: {compensating for timing error by adjustment in the receiver}
- H04W 56/0015: {one node acting as a reference for the others}
- H04W 56/0045: {compensating for timing error by altering transmission time}
- H04W 72/0413
- H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
- H04W 74/006: {in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal}
- H04W 74/085: {collision avoidance}
- H04W 74/0833: Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
- H04W 74/0858: {collision detection}
- H04W 74/0891: {for synchronized access}
- H04W 76/19: Connection re-establishment
- H04L 27/2662: {Symbol synchronisation}
- H04W 24/04: Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
- H04W 48/08: Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery (signalling during connection H04W76/00)
- H04W 72/00: Local resource management
- H04W 72/04: Wireless resource allocation
- H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
- H04W 76/38: triggered by timers
- H04W 84/042: {Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems}
- H04W 88/08: Access point devices
- Y02D 70/1242
- Y02D 70/1262
- Y02D 70/1264
- Y02D 70/14
- Y02D 70/23
- Y02D 70/24
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

A method of operating multiple time alignment timers (TimeAlignmentTimer) is provided for facilitating communication between and evolved Node B (eNB) and a User Equipment (UE) in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system supporting multiple carriers. The method includes starting a first TAT of a first group including the primary cell, starting a second TAT when Timing Advance (TA) information on a second group not including the primary cell is received; and determining transmission of at least one of a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement/Negative-acknowledgement (HARQ ACK/NACK), a physical uplink control channel, and a sounding reference signal according to a start and an expiration of at least one of the first and second TATs.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for operating time alignment timers (TATs) of a user equipment (UE) transmitting/receiving data to/from an evolved node B (eNB) on a primary cell (PCell) and at least one secondary cell (SCell), the method comprising:
receiving, from the eNB, first timing advance (TA) information associated with a primary timing advance group (PTAG) which is a group of serving cells having a same uplink timing and includes the PCell;
starting or restarting a first TAT associated with the PTAG based on the first TA information;
receiving, from the eNB, second TA information associated with a secondary timing advance group (STAG) which is a group of serving cells having a same uplink timing and does not include the PCell;
starting or restarting a second TAT associated with the STAG based on the second TA information;
receiving downlink data on at least one serving cell in the STAG;
identifying whether the first TAT associated with the PTAG is running and whether the second TAT associated with the STAG is running;
delivering hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) positive or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) information corresponding to the downlink data received on the at least one serving cell in the STAG to a physical (PHY) layer of the UE, in case that the second TAT associated with the STAG expires and the first TAT associated with the PTAG is running; and
flushing all HARQ buffers for all serving cells in the PTAG and the STAG, in case that the first TAT associated with the PTAG expires and the second TAT associated with the STAG is running or expires.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first TA information and the second TA information is received in a timing advance command media access control (MAC) control element or in a random access response message.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the random access response message is transmitted from the eNB, in response to a transmission of random access preamble by the UE according to a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) order from the eNB.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
notifying a radio resource control (RRC) to release a sounding reference signal (SRS) for serving cells belonging to the STAG, in case that the second TAT associated with the STAG expires and the first TAT associated with the PTAG is running.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
suspending delivery of HARQ ACK/NACK information to the PHY layer, in case that the first TAT associated with the PTAG expires.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
suspending delivery of HARQ ACK/NACK information to the PHY layer, in case that the first TAT associated with the PTAG expires and the second TAT associated with the STAG expires.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the notifying of the RRC to release the SRS comprises delivering an identifier (ID) of the STAG.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
transmitting a HARQ ACK/NACK, corresponding to data received on the at least one serving cell in the STAG, to the eNB through the PCell, in case that the second TAT associated with the STAG expires and the first TAT associated with the PTAG is running.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
suspending uplink data transmission, in case that the first TAT associated with the PTAG expires.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
notifying a radio resource control (RRC) to release a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)/a sounding reference signal (SRS) for all serving cells, in case that the first TAT associated with the PTAG expires.

### Claim 11

A user equipment (UE) operating time alignment timers (TATs), the UE comprising:
a transceiver; and
a controller configured to:
control the transceiver to receive, from an evolved node B (eNB), first timing advance (TA) information associated with a primary timing advance group (PTAG) which is a group of serving cells having a same uplink timing and includes a primary cell (PCell),
start or restart a first TAT associated with the PTAG based on the first TA information,
control the transceiver to receive, from the eNB, second TA information associated with a secondary timing advance group (STAG) which is a group of serving cells having a same uplink timing and does not include the PCell,
start or restart a second TAT associated with the STAG based on the second TA information,
control the transceiver to receive downlink data on at least one serving cell in the STAG,
identify whether the first TAT associated with the PTAG is running and whether the second TAT associated with the STAG is running,
deliver hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) positive or negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) information corresponding to the downlink data received on the at least one serving cell in the STAG to a physical (PHY) layer of the UE, in case that the second TAT associated with the STAG expires and the first TAT associated with the PTAG is running, and
flush all HARQ buffers for all serving cells, in case that the first TAT associated with the PTAG expires and the second TAT associated with the STAG is running or expires.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The UE of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to control the transceiver to receive the first TA information and the second TA information in a timing advance command media access control (MAC) control element or in a random access response message.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The UE of claim 12, wherein the random access response message is transmitted from the eNB, in response to a transmission of a random access preamble by the UE according to a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) order from the eNB.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The UE of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to notify a radio resource control (RRC) to release a sounding reference signal (SRS) for serving cells belonging to the STAG, in case that the second TAT associated with the STAG expires and the first TAT associated with the PTAG is running.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The UE of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to suspend delivery of HARQ ACK/NACK information to the PHY layer, in case that the first TAT associated with the PTAG expires.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The UE of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to suspend delivery of HARQ ACK/NACK information to the PHY layer, in case that the first TAT associated with the PTAG expires and the second TAT associated with the STAG expires.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The UE of claim 14, wherein the notifying of the RRC to release the SRS comprises delivering an identifier (ID) of the STAG.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The UE of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to control the transceiver to transmit a HARQ ACK/NACK, corresponding to data received on the at least one serving cell in the STAG, to the eNB through the PCell, in case that the second TAT associated with the STAG expires and the first TAT associated with the PTAG is running.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The UE of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to suspend uplink data transmission, in case that the first TAT associated with the PTAG expires.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The UE of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to notify a radio resource control (RRC) to release a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)/a sounding reference signal (SRS) for all serving cells, in case that the first TAT associated with the PTAG expires.