# US 12,010,659 B2 · Techniques for a radio access network entity to adjust timing in wireless networks

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- Number: US 12,010,659 B2
- Document ID: US12010659B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/002,560
- Filed: 2020-08-25
- Published: 2021-03-04
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2019-08-30
- Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Applicants: QUALCOMM Incorporated
- Inventors: Navid Abedini; Luca Blessent; Muhammad Nazmul Islam; Jianghong Luo; Karl Georg Hampel; Tao Luo; Junyi Li
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010659B2

## CPC

- H04W 56/0015: {one node acting as a reference for the others}
- H04W 72/044: based on the type of the allocated resource
- H04W 56/001: {Synchronization between nodes}
- H04W 56/0035: {detecting errors in frequency or phase}
- H04W 56/0045: {compensating for timing error by altering transmission time}
- H04W 56/006: {using known positions of transmitter and receiver}
- H04W 56/0075: {based on arrival time vs. expected arrival time}
- H04W 56/009: {Closed loop measurements}
- H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

Aspects provide for autonomous adjustment of the uplink and downlink transmission timing in wireless communication networks. A radio access network (RAN) entity (e.g., a scheduling entity, such as a base station or parent integrated access backhaul (IAB) node, or a centralized network node, such as an IAB donor node central unit) may provide support to a scheduled entity (e.g., a user equipment (UE) or child IAB node) to operate in an autonomous time adjustment (ATA) mode to autonomously adjust its uplink transmission timing to compensate for the change in downlink reception timing. The RAN entity may generate ATA mode information related to the ATA mode for the scheduled entity and transit the ATA mode information to the scheduled entity.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of wireless communication at a radio access network (RAN) entity within a wireless communication network, comprising:
generating, by the RAN entity, autonomous time adjustment (ATA) mode information comprising one or more confidence parameters for determining whether a scheduled entity may enter an ATA mode within which the scheduled entity can autonomously adjust an uplink transmission timing of the scheduled entity based on a change in downlink reception timing of downlink signals received by the scheduled entity from a scheduling entity, the scheduled entity configured in a first IAB node and the scheduling entity configured in a second IAB node; and
transmitting the ATA mode information to the scheduled entity.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the ATA mode information further comprises:
generating the ATA mode information comprising an ATA mode indication instructing the scheduled entity to enter the ATA mode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the generating the ATA mode information comprising the ATA mode indication further comprises:
receiving a tracking indication from the scheduled entity indicating a period of time during which the scheduled entity tracked downlink transmission timing within the wireless communication network from the scheduling entity, wherein the generating the ATA mode information comprising the ATA mode indication further comprises:
determining that the scheduled entity should enter the ATA mode when the period of time is greater than or equal to a threshold; and
generating the ATA mode information comprising the ATA mode indication in response to the determining that the scheduled entity should enter the ATA mode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the generating the ATA mode information comprising the ATA mode indication further comprises:
determining that the scheduled entity should enter the ATA mode based upon one or more of:
a number of different synchronization sources utilized by the scheduled entity to synchronize timing with the wireless communication network,
a respective link quality between the scheduled entity and at least one synchronization source, or
a respective confidence metric indicating a respective timing confidence of each of the synchronization sources;
and
generating the ATA mode information comprising the ATA mode indication in response to the determining that the scheduled entity should enter the ATA mode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the ATA mode information further comprises:
configuring the one or more confidence parameters to be utilized by the scheduled entity to determine whether to operate in the ATA mode; and
including the one or more parameters in the ATA mode information.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the ATA mode information further comprises:
configuring the scheduled entity to transmit at least one unadjusted uplink signal with unadjusted uplink transmission timing to the scheduling entity when operating in the ATA mode; and
including a configuration of the scheduled entity to transmit the at least one unadjusted uplink signal in the ATA mode information.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the ATA mode information further comprising:
configuring the scheduled entity to transmit to the scheduling entity an estimation of a round-trip time (RTT) of communication between the scheduled entity and the scheduling entity when operating in the ATA mode; and
including a configuration of the scheduled entity to transmit the estimation of the RTT in the ATA mode information.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the RAN entity comprises the scheduling entity.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising:
receiving the estimation of the RTT from the scheduled entity.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the RAN entity comprises the scheduling entity and further comprising:
determining that the scheduled entity has entered the ATA mode; and
managing transmission of timing advance values to the scheduled entity based upon the determination.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the managing transmission of the timing advance values further comprises:
precluding transmission of the timing advance values to the scheduled entity when operating in the ATA mode.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the RAN entity comprises an integrated access backhaul (IAB)— central unit (CU), and further comprising:
transmitting the ATA mode information for the scheduled entity from the IAB-CU to the scheduling entity.

### Claim 13

A radio access network (RAN) entity within a wireless communication network, comprising:
a transceiver configured to communicate with a scheduled entity in the wireless communication network;
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the transceiver and the memory, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:
generate, by the RAN entity, autonomous time adjustment (ATA) mode information indicating comprising one or more confidence parameters for determining whether a scheduled entity may enter an ATA mode within which the scheduled entity can autonomously adjust an uplink transmission timing of the scheduled entity based on a change in downlink reception timing of downlink signals received by the scheduled entity from a scheduling entity, the scheduled entity configured in a first IAB node and the scheduling entity configured in a second IAB node; and
transmit the ATA mode information to the scheduled entity via the transceiver.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The RAN entity of claim 13, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:
generate the ATA mode information comprising an ATA mode indication instructing the scheduled entity to enter the ATA mode.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The RAN entity of claim 14, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:
receive a tracking indication from the scheduled entity indicating a period of time during which the scheduled entity tracked downlink transmission timing within the wireless communication network from the scheduling entity;
determine that the scheduled entity should enter the ATA mode when the period of time is greater than or equal to a threshold; and
generate the ATA mode information comprising the ATA mode indication in response to the determining that the scheduled entity should enter the ATA mode.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The RAN entity of claim 14, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:
determine that the scheduled entity should enter the ATA mode based upon one or more of:
a number of different synchronization sources utilized by the scheduled entity to synchronize timing with the wireless communication network,
a respective link quality between the scheduled entity and at least one synchronization source, or
a respective confidence metric indicating a respective timing confidence of each of the synchronization sources;
and
generate the ATA mode information comprising the ATA mode indication in response to the determining that the scheduled entity should enter the ATA mode.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The RAN entity of claim 13, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:
configure the one or more confidence parameters to be utilized by the scheduled entity to determine whether to operate in the ATA mode; and
include the one or more parameters in the ATA mode information.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The RAN entity of claim 13, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:
configure the scheduled entity to transmit at least one unadjusted uplink signal with unadjusted uplink transmission timing to the scheduling entity when operating in the ATA mode; and
include a configuration of the scheduled entity to transmit the at least one unadjusted uplink signal in the ATA mode information.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The RAN entity of claim 13, wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:
configure the scheduled entity to transmit to the scheduling entity an estimation of a round-trip time (RTT) of communication between the scheduled entity and the scheduling entity when operating in the ATA mode; and
include a configuration of the scheduled entity to transmit the estimation of the RTT in the ATA mode information.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The RAN entity of claim 19, wherein the RAN entity comprises the scheduling entity, and the processor and the memory are further configured to:
receive the estimation of the RTT from the scheduled entity.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The RAN entity of claim 13, wherein the RAN entity comprises the scheduling entity, and the processor and the memory are further configured to:
determine that the scheduled entity has entered the ATA mode; and
preclude transmission of the timing advance values to the scheduled entity when operating in the ATA mode.

### Claim 22

A RAN entity within a wireless communication network, comprising:
means for generating, by the RAN entity, autonomous time adjustment (ATA) mode information comprising one or more confidence parameters for determining whether a scheduled entity may enter an ATA mode within which the scheduled entity can autonomously adjust an uplink transmission timing of the scheduled entity based on a change in downlink reception timing of downlink signals received by the scheduled entity from a scheduling entity, the scheduled entity configured in a first IAB node and the scheduling entity configured in a second IAB node; and
means for transmitting the ATA mode information to the scheduled entity.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The RAN entity of claim 22, further comprising:
means for generating the ATA mode information comprising an ATA mode indication instructing the scheduled entity to enter the ATA mode in response to determining that the scheduled entity should enter the ATA mode.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The RAN entity of claim 22, further comprising:
means for configuring the one or more confidence parameters to be utilized by the scheduled entity to determine whether to operate in the ATA mode; and
means for including the one or more parameters in the ATA mode information.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The RAN entity of claim 22, further comprising:
means for configuring the scheduled entity to transmit at least one unadjusted uplink signal with unadjusted uplink transmission timing to the scheduling entity when operating in the ATA mode; and
means for including a configuration of the scheduled entity to transmit the at least one unadjusted uplink signal in the ATA mode information.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The RAN entity of claim 22, wherein the means for generating the ATA mode information further comprises:
means for configuring the scheduled entity to transmit to the scheduling entity an estimation of a round-trip time (RTT) of communication between the scheduled entity and the scheduling entity when operating in the ATA mode; and
means for including a configuration of the scheduled entity to transmit the estimation of the RTT in the ATA mode information.

### Claim 27 (depends on 22)

The RAN entity of claim 22, wherein the RAN entity comprises the scheduling entity and further comprising:
means for determining that the scheduled entity has entered the ATA mode; and
means for precluding transmission of the timing advance values to the scheduled entity when operating in the ATA mode.