Measurement gap configuration in wireless communication systems with carrier aggregation

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a capability enquiry message from a serving base station by a user equipment (UE), wherein the UE comprises one or more radio frequency modules that support a list of frequency bands and a list of carrier aggregation (CA) band combinations;

transmitting UE capability information containing measurement parameters to the base station, wherein the measurement parameters comprise lists of need-for-gap parameters for each frequency band and each CA band combinations associated with a list of to-be-measured frequency bands of target cells, and

wherein each list of need-for-parameters comprises a list of variable sets for each frequency band, each variable set comprises a first and a second variable indicating whether measurement gap is needed for a specific frequency band associated with a specific to-be-measured frequency band under non-CA mode and CA mode respectively;

wherein the second variable indicates whether measurement gap is needed for the specific frequency band associated with the specific to-be-measured frequency band under intra-frequency CA mode, and wherein each variable set further comprises a third variable indicating whether measurement gap is needed for the specific frequency band associated with the specific to-be- measured frequency band under inter-frequency CA mode; and

receiving a measurement configuration message from the base station.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the list of to-be-measured frequency bands comprises an inter-frequency band list and an inter-RAT frequency band list.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE reports measurement parameters to the base station when carrier aggregation is configured or re-configured.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting an explicit triggering message to the base station such that the base station transmits the UE capability enquiry message.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting a measurement gap application message in response to the measurement configuration message, wherein the measurement gap application message indicates whether the UE applies a measurement gap for each configured component carrier (CC).

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the UE transmits the measurement gap application message when CC configuration is changed in the UE.

7. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

one or more radio frequency modules that support a list of frequency bands and a list of carrier aggregation (CA) band combinations; and

a measurement module that determines measurement parameters, wherein the measurement parameters comprise lists of need-for-gap parameters for each frequency band and each CA band combinations associated with a list of to-be-measured frequency bands, and

wherein each list of need-for-gap parameters comprises a list of variable sets for each frequency band, each variable set comprises a first and a second variable indicating whether measurement gap is need for a specific frequency band associated with a specific to-be-measured frequency band under non-CA mode and CA mode respectively;

wherein the second variable indicates whether measurement gap is needed for the specific frequency band associated with the specific to-be-measured frequency band under intra-frequency CA mode, and wherein each variable set further comprises a third variable indicating whether measurement gap is needed for the specific frequency band associated with the specific to-be-measured frequency band under inter-frequency CA mode; and

a transmitter that transmits UE capability information containing the measurement parameters to a base station in response to a UE capability enquiry message.

8. The user equipment of claim 7 , wherein the list of to-be-measured frequency bands comprises an inter-frequency band list and an inter-RAT frequency band list.

9. The user equipment of claim 7 , wherein the UE reports measurement parameters to the base station when carrier aggregation is configured or re-configured.

10. The user equipment of claim 7 , wherein the UE transmits an explicit triggering message to the base station such that the base station transmits the UE capability enquiry message.

11. The user equipment of claim 7 , wherein the UE transmits a measurement gap application message in response to a measurement configuration message, wherein the measurement gap application message indicates whether the UE applies a measurement gap for each configured component carrier.

12. The user equipment of claim 11 , wherein the UE transmits the measurement gap application message when CC configuration is changed in the UE.

13. A method, comprising:

transmitting a capability enquiry message to a user equipment (UE) by a base station, wherein the UE supports a list of frequency bands and a list of carrier aggregation (CA) band combinations;

receiving UE capability information containing measurement parameters from the UE, wherein the measurement parameters comprise need-for-gap parameters for each frequency band and each CA band combinations associated with a list of to-be-measured frequency bands;

transmitting a measurement configuration message to the UE in response to the measurement parameters,

wherein the UE comprises lists of need-for-gap parameters;

wherein each list of need-for-gap parameters comprises a list of variable sets for each frequency band, each variable set comprises a first and a second variable indicating whether measurement gap is need for a specific frequency band associated with a specific to-be-measured frequency band under non-CA mode and CA mode respectively; and

wherein the second variable indicates whether measurement gap is needed for the specific frequency band associated with the specific to-be-measured frequency band under intra-frequency CA mode, and wherein each variable set further comprises a third variable indicating whether measurement gap is needed for the specific frequency band associated with the specific to-be-measured frequency band under inter-frequency CA mode.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the configuration message contains a gap offset that determines a measurement gap reception period (MGRP) and a frame/subframe location for performing measurements.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the configuration message comprises the first and the second component carrier identities.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving a measurement gap application message from the UE, wherein the measurement gap application message indicates whether the UE applies a measurement gap for each configured component carrier.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the measurement gap application message is a bitmap, wherein each bit of the bitmap is associated with each configured component carrier.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

transmitting a confirmation message to the UE in response to the measurement gap application message.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the base station schedules normal data communication without interruption for a configured component carrier that does not apply a measurement gap.