US 10,951,385 B1 · Selective configuration of inter-band or intra-band carrier aggregation

Abstract

When a wireless communication system serves a UE over a connection according to a first radio access technology (RAT) and the connection encompasses a carrier in a first band (first-band carrier), the system decides of whether to configure for the UE's connection intra-band carrier aggregation by adding to the connection another first-band carrier or rather to configure for the UE's connection inter-band carrier aggregation by adding to the connection a second-band carrier, with the decision being based on a determination of whether (i) the other first-band carrier is usable in providing service under a second RAT different than the first RAT and (ii) the candidate second-band carrier is not usable in providing service under the second RAT. The system then configures carrier-aggregation in accordance with the decision.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for a wireless communication system to configure service of a user equipment device (UE), wherein the system supports a first radio access technology (RAT) and a second RAT and the system supports operation on carriers in a first band (first-band carriers) and at least one carrier in a second band (second-band carrier), the method comprising:

serving, by the system, the UE over a first-RAT connection encompassing at least one of the first-band carriers;
making a decision, by the system, of whether to configure for the UE intra-band carrier-aggregation service by adding to the first-RAT connection another one of the first-band carriers or rather to configure for the UE inter-band carrier-aggregation service by adding to the first-RAT connection the second-band carrier, wherein making the decision is based on determining of whether (i) the other one of the first-band carriers is usable in providing second-RAT service and (ii) the second-band carrier is not usable in providing second-RAT service;
and
configuring, by the system, carrier-aggregation service for the UE in accordance with the decision.

1 more element

serving, by the system, the UE over a first-RAT connection encompassing at least one of the first-band carriers;
making a decision, by the system, to configure inter-band carrier-aggregation service for the UE, the deciding being based on information that (i) the first band-carriers are usable in providing second-RAT service but (ii) the second-band carrier is not usable in providing second-RAT service;
and
configuring, by the system, carrier-aggregation service for the UE in accordance with the decision, wherein configuring the carrier-aggregation service in accordance with the decision comprises adding to the first-RAT connection the second-band carrier rather than another one of the first-band carriers.

1 more element

A base station system configured to control service of a user equipment device (UE), the base station system comprising:

a wireless communication interface through which the base station system is configured to provide air-interface service;
a network communication interface though which the base station system is configured to communicate on a core network;
and
a controller for controlling the service of the UE, wherein the controller is configured to cause the base station system to carry out operations comprising:
while the base station is serving the UE over a connection according to a first radio access technology (RAT) and the connection encompasses at least one carrier in a first band, making a decision of whether to configure for the UE intra-band carrier-aggregation service by adding to the connection another carrier in the first band or rather to configure for the UE inter-band carrier-aggregation service by adding to the connection a carrier in a second band, wherein making the decision is based on determining of whether (i) the other carrier in the first band is usable in providing service according to a second RAT and (ii) the carrier in the second band is not usable in providing service according to the second RAT;
and
configuring carrier-aggregation service for the UE in accordance with the decision.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Selective configuration of inter-band or intra-band carrier aggregation

Life of this patent

Selective configuration of inter-band or intra-band carrier aggregation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20