Apparatus and method for optionally using secondary frequency assignment in a wireless communication system using multiple band

1. A method for operating a wireless access node in a wireless communication system using a plurality of Frequency Assignments (FAs), the method comprising:

determining to stop using a first Secondary (S)-FA of one or more S-FAs while communicating with a correspondent node over a Primary (P)-FA and the one or more S-FAs;

sending a first message which requests to suspend the first S-FA, to the correspondent node;

communicating over at least one FA excluding the first S-FA; and

when resumption of the first S-FA is determined, sending a second message which requests to resume the first S-FA.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining to suspend the first S-FA when a remaining battery capacity of a mobile station using the first S-FA is less than a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining to suspend the first S-FA when a load of the first S-FA is greater than a threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining to suspend the first S-FA when a signal strength measurement value of the first S-FA is less than a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message comprises at least one of indication information and off duration of the first S-FA, and

the indication information comprises one of frequency information of the first S-FA, an index of the first S-FA, and an S-FA bitmap representing the first S-FA.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a base station, and

the first message comprises information requesting to use an FA other than the first S-FA, and indication information of the other FA.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station, and

the first message comprises part of a sleep request message which requests a sleep mode entrance of the mobile station.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a base station, and

the first message comprises part of a sleep response message which informs of approval or disapproval on a sleep mode entrance request of a mobile station.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a third message which comprises a response for the resumption request of the first S-FA.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station, and

the third message comprises at least one of information allowing the resumption of the first S-FA, information disallowing the resumption of the first S-FA, and information allowing use of an FA other than the first S-FA.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

when the third message comprises at least one of information allowing the resumption of the first S-FA and information allowing use of an FA other than the first S-FA, preparing to use at least one of the first S-FA and the other FA; and

when the preparation is completed, sending an S-FA readiness indicator.

12. A method for operating a wireless access node in a wireless communication system using a plurality of Frequency Assignments (FAs), the method comprising:

receiving a first message which requests to stop using a first Secondary S-FA, which comprises one of one or more S-FAs, from a correspondent node while communicating with the correspondent node over a Primary (P)-FA and the one or more S-FAs; communicating over at least one FA excluding the first S-FA;

receiving a second message which requests to resume the use of the first S-FA, from the correspondent node; and

communicating over at least one FA including the first S-FA.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first message comprises at least one of indication information and off duration of the first S-FA, and

the indication information comprises one of frequency information of the first S-FA, an index of the first S-FA, and an S-FA bitmap representing the first S-FA.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station, and

the first message comprises information requesting to use an FA other than the first S-FA, and indication information of the other FA.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a base station, and

the first message comprises part of a sleep request message which requests a sleep mode entrance of a mobile station.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station, and

the first message comprises part of a sleep response message which informs of approval or disapproval on a sleep mode entrance request of the mobile station.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

sending a third message which comprises a response for the use resumption request of the first S-FA.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a base station, and

the third message comprises at least one of information allowing the resumption of the first S-FA, information disallowing the resumption of the first S-FA, and information allowing use of an FA other than the first S-FA.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station, and further comprising:

after sending the third message, preparing to use the first S-FA; and

when the preparation is completed, sending an S-FA readiness indicator.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station, and further comprising:

before sending a third message, preparing to use the first S-FA; and

when the preparation is completed, sending the third message to response for the use resumption request of the first S-FA and to inform that the usage resumption of the first S-FA may begin.

21. An apparatus for operating a wireless access node in a wireless communication system using a plurality of Frequency Assignments (FAs), the apparatus comprising:

a controller for determining to stop using a first Secondary (S)-FA of one or more S-FAs while communicating with a correspondent node over a Primary (P)-FA and the one or more S-FAs; and

a transmitter for sending a first message which requests to suspend the first S-FA to the correspondent node,

wherein the controller controls to communicate over at least one FA excluding the first S-FA, and

when resumption of the first S-FA is determined, the transmitter sends a second message which requests to resume the first S-FA.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the first S-FA is suspended when a remaining battery capacity of a mobile station using the first S-FA is less than a threshold.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the first S-FA is suspended when a load of the first S-FA is greater than a threshold.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the first S-FA is suspended when a signal strength measurement value of the first S-FA is less than a threshold.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the first message comprises at least one of indication information and off duration of the first S-FA, and

the indication information comprises one of frequency information of the first S-FA, an index of the first S-FA, and an S-FA bitmap representing the first S-FA.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a base station, and

the first message comprises information requesting to use an FA other than the first S-FA, and indication information of the other FA.

27. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station, and

the first message comprises part of a sleep request message which requests a sleep mode entrance of the mobile station.

28. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a base station, and

the first message comprises part of a sleep response message which informs of approval or disapproval on a sleep mode entrance request of a mobile station.

29. The apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising:

a receiver for receiving a third message which comprises a response for the resumption request of the first S-FA.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station, and

the third message comprises at least one of information allowing the resumption of the first S-FA, information disallowing the resumption of the first S-FA, and information allowing use of an FA other than the first S-FA.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein, when the third message comprises at least one of information allowing the resumption of the first S-FA and information allowing use of an FA other than the first S-FA, the controller prepares to use at least one of the first S-FA and the other FA, and

when the preparation is completed, the transmitter sends an S-FA readiness indicator.

32. An apparatus for operating a wireless access node in a wireless communication system using a plurality of Frequency Assignments (FAs), the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving a first message which requests to stop using a first Secondary (S)-FA, which is one of one or more S-FAs, from a correspondent node while communicating with the correspondent node over a Primary (P)-FA and the one or more S-FAs; and

a controller for controlling to communicate over at least one FA excluding the S-FA,

wherein the receiver receives a second message which requests to resume the use of the first S-FA, from the correspondent node, and

the controller controls to communicate over at least one FA including the first S-FA.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the first message comprises at least one of indication information and off duration of the first S-FA, and

the indication information comprises one of frequency information of the first S-FA, an index of the first S-FA, and an S-FA bitmap representing the first S-FA.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station, and

the first message comprises information requesting to use an FA other than the first S-FA, and indication information of the other FA.

35. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a base station, and

the first message comprises part of a sleep request message which requests a sleep mode entrance of a mobile station.

36. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station, and

the first message comprises part of a sleep response message which informs of approval or disapproval on a sleep mode entrance request of the mobile station.

37. The apparatus of claim 32 , further comprising:

a transmitter for sending a third message which comprises a response for the resumption request of the first S-FA.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a base station, and

the third message comprises at least one of information allowing the resumption of the first S-FA, information disallowing the resumption of the first S-FA, and information allowing use of an FA other than the first S-FA.

39. The apparatus of claim 37 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station,

the controller prepares to use the first S-FA after the third message is transmitted, and

the transmitter sends an S-FA readiness indicator when the preparation is completed.

40. The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the wireless access node comprises a mobile station, and further comprising:

The controller prepares to use the first S-FA before sending a third message; and

The transmitter sends the third message to response for the use resumption request of the first S-FA and to inform that the usage resumption of the first S-FA may begin, when the preparation is completed.