# US 11,122,647 B2 · Enhanced node B, user equipment and methods for discontinuous reception in inter-eNB carrier aggregation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,122,647 B2 - Document ID: US11122647B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/519,699 - Filed: 2019-07-23 - Published: 2020-01-16 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2012-08-03 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Youn Hyoung Heo; Yujian Zhang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122647B2 ## CPC - H04W 76/28: Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX] - H04B 7/26: at least one of which is mobile - H04L 1/1812: Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ] - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - H04W 28/0278: {using buffer status reports (dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition H04W72/12)} - H04W 52/02: Power saving arrangements - H04W 52/0216: {using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame} - H04W 52/0229: {where the received signal is a wanted signal} - H04W 52/54: Signalisation aspects of the TPC commands, e.g. frame structure - H04W 72/04: Wireless resource allocation - H04W 72/1268: of uplink data flows - H04W 72/21: in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04W 72/27: between access points - H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections - H04L 5/0053: {Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals} - H04W 28/06: Optimizing {the usage of the radio link}, e.g. header compression, information sizing {, discarding information (system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365)} - H04W 28/18: Negotiating wireless communication parameters - H04W 36/00692: {using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] (allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035)} - H04W 52/146: {Uplink power control} - H04W 52/367: {Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range} - H04W 88/02: Terminal devices - H04W 88/08: Access point devices - H04W 92/20: between access points - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION - 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 Embodiments of user equipment (UE) and methods for enhanced discontinuous reception (DRX) operations for inter eNB carrier aggregation (CA) in an LTE network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a UE is configured to be served by multiple serving cells. The first set of the serving cells may be associated with a first eNB and a second set of serving cells may be associated with a second eNB. In these embodiments, DRX operations may be performed independently in multiple serving cells belonging to the different eNBs. Other embodiments for enhanced DRX operations are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus of an enhanced node B (eNB), the apparatus comprising: memory; and processing circuitry, configured to: decode X2 signalling received from a second eNB over an X2 interface; encode radio-resource control (RRC) signaling for transmission to an RRC connected user equipment (UE), the UE configured with a first cell group associated with the eNB, wherein the RRC signalling is encoded to configure the UE with a second cell group associated with the second eNB for dual connectivity operation in which the UE is scheduled toutilize radio resources of both the first and second cell groups, where the second cell group is indicated in by the X2 signalling; wherein the RRC signalling is further encoded to configure the UE with a first medium access control (MAC) configuration element, the first MAC configuration element to configure the UE for discontinuous reception (DRX) operations and buffer status report (BSR) operations for the first cell group, wherein the first MAC configuration element includes DRX configuration information and BSR configuration information for the first cell group, decode BSRs including scheduling requests received the UE on a physical uplink controlchannel (PUCCH) associated with the first cell group based on the BSR configuration information for the first cell group; encode a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) associated with the first cell groupfor transmission to the UE during active times based on the DRX configuration information, wherein the first MAC configuration element is to configure the UE for the DRX and BSR operations within the first cell group independent of DRX and BSR operations configuredwithin the second cell group for the dual connectivity operation of the UE, and maintain an independent retransmit BSR-Timer and an independent periodic BSR-Timer for the first cell group, the independent retransmit BSR-Timer and the independent periodic BSR-Timer for the first cell group being independent of a retransmit BSR-Timer and a periodic BSR-Timerfor the second cell group. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to initiate a secondary eNB addition procedure to establish context of the UE at the second eNB toprovide the radio resources of the second eNB to the UE via the RRC signalling. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the secondary eNB addition procedure isperformed with the second eNB over the X2 interface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to encode a second MAC configuration element for the second cell group for transmission to the second eNB over the X2 interface, the second MAC configuration element includes DRX configuration information to configure the UE for DRX operations for the second cell group, thesecond MAC configuration element includes BSR configuration information to configure the UE for BSR operations for the second cell group. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second cell group is located within ageographical area of the first cell group. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first cell group is configured for control signalling and the second cell group is configured for data communication. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the DRX configuration information for the first cell group indicates a first active time and the DRX configuration information for the secondcell group indicates a second active time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the processing circuitry is configured tosynchronize the first and second active times. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory is configured to store the DRXconfiguration information and BSR configuration information for the first cell group. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions forexecution by processing circuitry of an enhanced node B (eNB), the processing circuitry configured to: decode X2 signalling received from a second eNB over an X2 interface; encode radio-resource control (RRC) signaling for transmission to an RRC connected user equipment (UE), the UE configured with a first cell group associated with the eNB, wherein the RRC signalling is encoded to configure the UE with a second cell group associated with the second eNB for dual connectivity operation in which the UE is scheduled toutilize radio resources of both the first and second cell groups, where the second cell group is indicated in by the X2 signalling; wherein the RRC signalling is further encoded to configure the UE with a first medium access control (MAC) configuration element, the first MAC configuration element to configure the UE for discontinuous reception (DRX) operations and buffer status report (BSR) operations for the first cell group, wherein the first MAC configuration element includes DRX configuration information and BSR configuration information for the first cell group, decode BSRs including scheduling requests received the UE on a physical uplink controlchannel (PUCCH) associated with the first cell group based on the BSR configuration information for the first cell group; encode a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) associated with the first cell groupfor transmission to the UE during active times based on the DRX configuration information, wherein the first MAC configuration element is to configure the UE for the DRX and BSR operations within the first cell group independent of DRX and BSR operations configuredwithin the second cell group for the dual connectivity operation of the UE, and maintain an independent retransmit BSR-Timer and an independent periodic BSR-Timer for the first cell group, the independent retransmit BSR-Timer and the independent periodic BSR-Timer for the first cell group being independent of a retransmit BSR-Timer and a periodic BSR-Timer for the second cell group. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to initiate a secondary eNB addition procedure to establish context of the UE at the second eNB to provide the radio resources of the second eNB to the UE via the RRC signalling. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein thesecondary eNB addition procedure is performed with the second eNB over the X2 interface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to encode a second MAC configuration element for the second cell group for transmission to the second eNB over the X2 interface, the second MAC configuration element includes DRX configuration information to configure the UE for DRX operations for the second cell group, the second MAC configuration element includes BSR configuration information to configure the UE for BSR operations for the second cell group. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the second cell group is located within a geographical area of the first cell group. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein thefirst cell group is configured for control signalling and the second cell group is configured for data communication. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein theDRX configuration information for the first cell group indicates a first active time and the DRX configuration information for the second cell group indicates a second active time. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 wherein theprocessing circuitry is configured to synchronize the first and second active times. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 wherein memory is configured to store the DRX configuration information and BSR configuration information for the first cell group.