Method and apparatus for decoupling uplink and downlink cell selection

1. A method comprising:

monitoring, by a user equipment, at least one control channel from a macro base station, wherein the at least one control channel provides information indicating to the user equipment and allowing the user equipment to communicate in uplink with a non-macro base station, said information including at least a carrier ID field value of the non-macro base station;

receiving the information at the user equipment in downlink from the macro base station, said information being contained within a downlink control signaling, said information further including transmit power control commands to be used by the user equipment;

sending a physical uplink control channel message to the macro base station based on the transmit power control commands;

receiving an adjusted/modified transmission power control command value from the macro base station for use in communicating with the non-macro base station; and

communicating by the user equipment in uplink with the non-macro base station based on the adjusted/modified transmission power control command value,

whereby the user equipment receives downlink transmissions from the macro base station and sends uplink transmissions to the non-macro base station to actively decouple uplink and downlink cell selection to permit separate optimizations for uplink and downlink communications.

2. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium bearing computer executable instructions for use with a computer which when run on the computer cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1 .

3. A method comprising:

transmitting information to a user equipment in downlink from a macro base station in at least one control channel to be monitored by the user equipment, the information indicating to the user equipment and allowing the user equipment to communicate in uplink with a non-macro base station, said information being contained within a downlink control signaling and including at least a carrier ID field value of the non-macro base station, said information further including transmit power control commands to be used by the user equipment;

receiving a physical uplink control channel message from the user equipment based on the transmit power control commands; and

sending an adjusted/modified transmission power control command value to the user equipment for use in communicating with the non-macro base station,

whereby the user equipment receives downlink transmissions from the macro base station and sends uplink transmissions to the non-macro base station to actively decouple uplink and downlink cell selection to permit separate optimizations for uplink and downlink communications.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the information allowing the user equipment to communicate with the non-macro base station in uplink is contained within a downlink control information message and further comprises at least one of:

a cell ID value; and

a transmission power setting.

5. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium bearing computer executable instructions for use with a computer which when run on the computer cause the computer to perform the method of claim 3 .

6. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

monitor at least one control channel from a macro base station, wherein the at least one control channel provides information indicating to the apparatus and allowing the apparatus to communicate in uplink with a non-macro base station, said information including at least a carrier ID field value of the non-macro base station;

receive the information in downlink from the macro base station, said information being contained within a downlink control signaling said information further including transmit power control commands to be used by the user equipment;

send a physical uplink control channel message to the macro base station based on the transmit power control commands;

receive an adjusted/modified transmission power control command value from the macro base station for use in communicating with the non-macro base station; and

communicate with the non-macro base station based on the adjusted/modified transmission power control command value,

whereby the apparatus receives downlink transmissions from the macro base station and sends uplink transmissions to the non-macro base station to actively decouple uplink and downlink cell selection to permit separate optimizations for uplink and downlink communications.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the information allowing the apparatus to communicate with the non-macro base station is contained within a downlink control information message and further comprises at least one of:

a cell ID value; and

a transmission power setting.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform:

associating each of the macro and non-macro base stations with one or more logical cell values, each logical cell being associated to a carrier resource and at least two logical cells associated to the same carrier resource.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the carrier resource comprises at least one of:

time period;

frequency;

code; and

spatial coding.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform:

associating the apparatus with a logical cell value, wherein the apparatus associated logical cell value is decoupled from the logical cell value associated with the macro or non-macro base station to which the apparatus is configured to transmit.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

transmit information to a user equipment in downlink in at least one control channel to be monitored by the user equipment, the apparatus being a macro base station, the information indicating to the user equipment and allowing the user equipment to communicate in uplink with a non-macro base station, said information being contained within a downlink control signaling and including at least a carrier ID field value of the non-macro base station, said information further including transmit power control commands to be used by the user equipment; and

receive a physical uplink control channel message from the user equipment based on the transmit power control commands; and

send an adjusted/modified transmission power control command value to the user equipment for use in communicating with the non-macro base station,

whereby the user equipment receives downlink transmissions from the macro base station and sends uplink transmissions to the non-macro base station to actively decouple uplink and downlink cell selection to permit separate optimizations for uplink and downlink communications.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the information allowing the user equipment to communicate with the non-macro base station in uplink is contained within a downlink control information message and further comprises at least one of:

a cell ID value; and

a transmission power setting.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform:

associating each of the macro and non-macro base stations with one or more logical cell values, each logical cell being associated to a carrier resource and at least two logical cells associated to the same carrier resource.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the carrier resource comprises at least one of:

time period;

frequency;

code; and

spatial coding.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform:

associating the user equipment with a logical cell value, wherein the user equipment associated logical cell value is decoupled from the logical cell value associated with the macro or non-macro base station to which the user equipment is configured to transmit.