IP Library Granted Patent US 9,344,998
Granted Patent B2
US 9,344,998 · App. 13/728,389 · Granted May 17, 2016

Multi-band channel aggregation

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,344,998
App. No.
13/728,389
Granted
May 17, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Multiple channels are aggregated. In an example embodiment, first data is transmitted on a first channel to a wireless device, and second data is simultaneously transmitted on a second channel to the wireless device. The first data and the second data are transmitted in a coordinated manner by aggregating the first channel and the second channel. Various example channel characteristics and combinations thereof are described. Different data allocation options for aggregated channels are described. Other alternative implementations are also presented herein.

Claims (96)

1. A method of operating a subscriber station, comprising:

receiving first information comprising a channel aggregation capability announcement;

transmitting second information comprising an indication that the subscriber station is capable of channel aggregation;

receiving channel aggregation information comprising an association of the subscriber station with a downlink aggregated channel, wherein the downlink aggregated channel comprises a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) channel using a first plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a second OFDM channel using a second plurality of subcarriers, and wherein the first OFDM channel is received from a first cell, and the second OFDM channel is received from a second cell, and the first plurality of subcarriers is different than the second plurality of subcarriers; and

receiving data via the downlink aggregated channel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are independently and properly formed.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first OFDM channel was formed via a first Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and the second OFDM channel was formed via a second FFT that is independent from the first FFT.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first OFDM channel is in a first frequency band and the second OFDM channel is in a second frequency band.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are in the same frequency band.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are adjacent.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are non-adjacent.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the downlink aggregated channel further comprises a first control channel and a second control channel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channel aggregation information further includes an association of the subscriber station with an uplink aggregated channel, wherein the uplink aggregated channel comprises a third channel using a third plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a fourth channel using a fourth plurality of subcarriers, the method further comprising:

transmitting uplink data via the uplink aggregated channel.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein first data is received via the first OFDM channel and second data is received via the second OFDM channel, and further wherein the first data is different than the second data.

11. A method of operating a base station, comprising:

transmitting first information comprising a channel aggregation capability announcement;

receiving second information comprising an indication of channel aggregation cap ability;

transmitting channel aggregation information comprising an association with a downlink aggregated channel, wherein the downlink aggregated channel comprises a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) channel using a first plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a second OFDM channel using a second plurality of subcarriers, wherein the first OFDM channel is transmitted by a first cell in a coordinated fashion with the second OFDM channel transmitted by a second cell, and the first plurality of subcarriers is different than the second plurality of subcarriers; and

transmitting data via the downlink aggregated channel.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein each of the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are independently and properly formed.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the first OFDM channel was formed via a first Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and the second OFDM channel was formed via a second FFT that is independent from the first FFT.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the first OFDM channel is in a first frequency band and the second OFDM channel is in a second frequency band.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are in the same frequency band.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are adjacent.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are non-adjacent.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the downlink aggregated channel further comprises a first control channel and a second control channel.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the channel aggregation information further includes an association with an uplink aggregated channel, wherein the uplink aggregated channel comprises a third channel using a third plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a fourth channel using a fourth plurality of subcarriers, the method further comprising:

receiving uplink data via the uplink aggregated channel.

20. A method of operating a wireless communication system, comprising:

enabling a base station to transmit first information comprising a channel aggregation capability announcement;

enabling a subscriber station to transmit second information comprising an indication that the subscriber station is capable of channel aggregation;

enabling the subscriber station to receive channel aggregation information comprising an association of the subscriber station with a downlink aggregated channel, wherein the downlink aggregated channel comprises a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) channel using a first plurality of subcarriers aggregated with a second OFDM channel using a second plurality of subcarriers, and the first plurality of subcarriers is different than the second plurality of subcarriers;

enabling the subscriber station to receive the first OFDM channel from a first cell and to receive the second OFDM channel from a second cell; and

enabling the base station to transmit data via the downlink aggregated channel.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein each of the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are independently and properly formed.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the first OFDM channel was formed via a separate Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) than the second OFDM channel .

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the first OFDM channel is in a first frequency band and the second OFDM channel is in a second frequency band.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are in the same frequency band.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are adjacent.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are non-adjacent.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein the downlink aggregated channel further comprises a first control channel and a second control channel.

28. The method of claim 20 , wherein the channel aggregation information further includes an association of the subscriber station with an uplink aggregated channel, wherein the uplink aggregated channel comprises a third channel using a third plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a fourth channel using a fourth plurality of subcarriers, the method further comprising:

enabling the subscriber station to transmit uplink data via the uplink aggregated channel.

29. A method of operating a subscriber station, comprising:

receiving first information comprising a channel aggregation capability announcement;

transmitting second information comprising an indication that the subscriber station is capable of channel aggregation;

receiving channel aggregation information comprising an association of the subscriber station with a downlink aggregated channel, wherein the downlink aggregated channel comprises a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) channel using a first plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a second OFDM channel using a second plurality of subcarriers, and wherein the first OFDM channel was formed via a first Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and the second OFDM channel was formed via a second FFT that is independent from the first FFT, and the first plurality of subcarriers is different than the second plurality of subcarriers; and

receiving data via the downlink aggregated channel.

30. A method of operating a base station, comprising:

transmitting first information comprising a channel aggregation capability announcement;

receiving second information comprising an indication of channel aggregation cap ability;

transmitting channel aggregation information comprising an association with a downlink aggregated channel, wherein the downlink aggregated channel comprises a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) channel using a first plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a second (OFDM) channel using a second plurality of subcarriers, and wherein the first (OFDM) channel was formed via a first Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and the second (OFDM) channel was formed via a second FFT that is independent from the first FFT, and the first plurality of subcarriers is different than the second plurality of subcarriers; and

transmitting data via the downlink aggregated channel.

31. A subscriber station comprising:

a receiver configured to receive first information comprising a channel aggregation capability announcement;

a transmitter configured to transmit second information comprising an indication that the subscriber station is capable of channel aggregation; and

the receiver is further configured to:

receive channel aggregation information comprising an association of the subscriber station with a downlink aggregated channel, wherein the downlink aggregated channel comprises a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) channel using a first plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a second (OFDM) channel using a second plurality of subcarriers, and wherein the first (OFDM) channel is received from a first cell, and the second (OFDM) channel is received from a second cell, and the first plurality of subcarriers is different than the second plurality of subcarriers; and

receive data via the downlink aggregated channel.

32. The subscriber station of claim 31 wherein each of the first (OFDM) channel and the second (OFDM) channel are independently and properly formed.

33. The subscriber station of claim 31 wherein the first (OFDM) channel was formed via a first Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and the second (OFDM) channel was formed via a second FFT that is independent from the first FFT.

34. The subscriber station of claim 31 wherein the first (OFDM) channel is in a first frequency band and the second (OFDM) channel is in a second frequency band.

35. The subscriber station of claim 31 wherein the first (OFDM) channel and the second (OFDM) channel are in the same frequency band.

36. The subscriber station of claim 35 wherein the first (OFDM) channel and the second (OFDM) channel are adjacent.

37. The subscriber station of claim 31 wherein the first (OFDM) channel and the second (OFDM) channel are non-adjacent.

38. The subscriber station of claim 31 wherein the downlink aggregated channel further comprises a first control channel and a second control channel.

39. The subscriber station of claim 31 , wherein the channel aggregation information further includes an association of the subscriber station with an uplink aggregated channel, wherein the uplink aggregated channel comprises a third channel using a third plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a fourth channel using a fourth plurality of subcarriers, and

wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit uplink data via the uplink aggregated channel.

40. A subscriber station comprising:

a receiver configured to receive first information comprising a channel aggregation capability announcement;

a transmitter configured to transmit second information comprising an indication that the subscriber station is capable of channel aggregation; and

the receiver is further configured to:

receive channel aggregation information comprising an association of the subscriber station with a downlink aggregated channel, wherein the downlink aggregated channel comprises a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) channel using a first plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a second (OFDM) channel using a second plurality of subcarriers, and wherein the first (OFDM) channel was formed via a first Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and the second (OFDM) channel was formed via a second FFT that is independent from the first FFT, and the first plurality of subcarriers is different than the second plurality of subcarriers; and

receive data via the downlink aggregated channel.

41. A base station comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit first information comprising a channel aggregation capability announcement;

a receiver configured to receive second information comprising an indication of channel aggregation capability; and

the transmitter is further configured to:

transmit channel aggregation information comprising an association with a downlink aggregated channel, wherein the downlink aggregated channel comprises a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) channel using a first plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a second OFDM channel using a second plurality of subcarriers, wherein the first OFDM channel is transmitted by a first cell in a coordinated fashion with the second OFDM channel transmitted by a second cell, and the first plurality of subcarriers is different than the second plurality of subcarriers; and

transmit data via the downlink aggregated channel.

42. The base station of claim 41 wherein each of the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are independently and properly formed.

43. The base station of claim 41 wherein the first OFDM channel was formed via a first Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and the second OFDM channel was formed via a second FFT that is independent from the first FFT.

44. The base station of claim 41 wherein the first OFDM channel is in a first frequency band and the second OFDM channel is in a second frequency band.

45. The base station of claim 41 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are in the same frequency band.

46. The base station of claim 45 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are adjacent.

47. The base station of claim 41 wherein the first OFDM channel and the second OFDM channel are non-adjacent.

48. The base station of claim 41 wherein the downlink aggregated channel further comprises a first control channel and a second control channel.

49. The base station of claim 41 , wherein the channel aggregation information further includes an association with an uplink aggregated channel, wherein the uplink aggregated channel comprises a third channel using a third plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a fourth channel using a fourth plurality of subcarriers, and

wherein the receiver is further configured to receive uplink data via the uplink aggregated channel.

50. A base station comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit first information comprising a channel aggregation capability announcement;

a receiver configured to receive second information comprising an indication of channel aggregation capability; and

the transmitter is further configured to:

transmit channel aggregation information comprising an association with a downlink aggregated channel, wherein the downlink aggregated channel comprises a first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) channel using a first plurality of subcarriers aggregated with at least a second OFDM channel using a second plurality of subcarriers, and wherein the first OFDM channel was formed via a first Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and the second OFDM channel was formed via a second FFT that is independent from the first FFT, and the first plurality of subcarriers is different than the second plurality of subcarriers; and

transmit data via the downlink aggregated channel.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2017
From: QUARTERHILL INC.
To: WI-LAN INC.
Reel/Frame 043168/0323 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 20, 2017
From: WI-LAN INC.; QUARTERHILL INC.
To: QUARTERHILL INC.
Reel/Frame 042914/0596 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2013
From: STANWOOD, KENNETH L.; KHALONA, RAMON; WANG, LEI; BOURLAS, YAIR; MARSH, GENE W.; GILMORE, ROBERT P.; PORAT, RON; PIGGIN, PAUL W.
To: NEXTWAVE BROADBAND INC.
Reel/Frame 031020/0203 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2013
From: NEXTWAVE BROADBAND INC.
To: WI-LAN INC.
Reel/Frame 031020/0730 →