Uplink based selection of downlink connectivity configuration

1. A method of controlling connectivity of a device to a cellular network comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of devices, the method comprising:

determining, by at least one of the plurality of nodes, a characteristic of at least one uplink channel between the device and the cellular network;

selecting a configuration for a downlink connection for the device based on the determined characteristic of the at least one uplink channel, wherein the configuration is selected for at least one of a dual connectivity configuration or carrier aggregation configuration between the device and the cellular network, wherein selecting the configuration for the downlink connection comprises selecting between a first downlink connectivity configuration, in which the downlink connection of the device comprises a first downlink channel based on a first set of downlink radio resources, and a second downlink connectivity configuration, in which the downlink connection additionally comprises a second downlink channel based on a second set of downlink radio resources; and

indicating the selected configuration to the device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first downlink channel and the second downlink channel are provided on different carriers.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first downlink channel and the second downlink channel are served by different base stations of the cellular network.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the node corresponds to either a base station serving the first downlink channel or a base station serving the second downlink channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one uplink channel is utilized for transmission of feedback with respect to transmissions of the second downlink channel.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

selecting, by the at least one of the plurality of nodes, a configuration of an uplink connection for the device based on the determined characteristic of the at least one uplink channel; and

indicating, by the at least one of the plurality of nodes, the selected configuration to the device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selecting of the configuration for the uplink connection comprises selecting between a first uplink connectivity configuration, in which the uplink connection of the device comprises a first uplink channel based on a first set of uplink radio resources, and a second uplink connectivity configuration in which the uplink connection additionally comprises a second uplink channel based on a second set of uplink radio resources.

8. The method claim 1 , wherein the at least one uplink channel comprises an uplink control channel and/or an uplink data channel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel comprises a path loss.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel comprises a signal to interference plus noise ratio.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel comprises an estimate of a transmit power required by the device to perform transmissions on the uplink channel.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel comprises an amount of resources of the at least one uplink channel required by the device.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving at least one measurement report by one of the plurality of nodes from at least one of the plurality of the devices; and

determining the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel between the at least one of the plurality of devices and the cellular network based on the at least one measurement report.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing, by at least one of the plurality of nodes, a measurement on a signal transmitted by the device; and

determining, by at least one of the plurality of nodes, the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel based on the measurement.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting of the configuration is further based on a power limit of the device for uplink transmissions.

16. A node for a cellular network, the node comprising:

at least one interface with respect to at least one of a plurality of devices with connectivity to the cellular network;

at least one processing circuit; and

memory contain instruction executable by the processing circuit whereby the node is configured to:

determine a characteristic of at least one uplink channel between the device and the cellular network;

select a configuration of a downlink connection for the device based on the determined characteristic of the at least one uplink channel, wherein the configuration is selected for at least one of a dual connectivity configuration or carrier aggregation configuration between the device and the cellular network, wherein the configuration of the downlink connection is selected by selecting between a first downlink connectivity configuration, in which the downlink connection of the device comprises a first downlink channel based on a first set of downlink radio resources, and a second downlink connectivity configuration in which the downlink connection additionally comprises a second downlink channel based on a second set of downlink radio resources; and

indicate the selected configuration to the device.

17. The node of claim 16 , wherein the first downlink channel and the second downlink channel are provided on different carriers.

18. The node of claim 16 , wherein the first downlink channel and the second downlink channel are served by different base stations of the cellular network.

19. The node of claim 16 , wherein the node corresponds to either a base station serving the first downlink channel or a base station serving the second downlink channel.

20. The node of claim 16 , wherein the at least one uplink channel is utilized for transmission of feedback with respect to transmissions of the second downlink channel.

21. The node of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are such that the node is configured to:

select a configuration of an uplink connection for the device based on the determined characteristic of the at least one uplink channel; and

indicate the selected configuration to the device.

22. The node of claim 21 , wherein the selecting of the configuration for the uplink connection comprises selecting between a first uplink connectivity configuration, in which the uplink connection of the device comprises a first uplink channel based on a first set of uplink radio resources, and a second uplink connectivity configuration in which the uplink connection additionally comprises a second uplink channel based on a second set of uplink radio resources.

23. The node of claim 16 , wherein the at least one uplink channel comprises an uplink control channel and/or an uplink data channel.

24. The node of claim 16 , wherein the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel comprises a path loss.

25. The node of claim 16 , wherein the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel comprises a signal to interference plus noise ratio.

26. The node of claim 16 , wherein the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel comprises an estimate of a transmit power required by the device to perform transmissions on the uplink channel.

27. The node of claim 16 , wherein the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel comprises an amount of resources of the at least one uplink channel required by the device.

28. The node of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are such that the node is configured to:

receive at least one measurement report from at least one of the plurality of devices; and

determine the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel between the at least one of the plurality of devices and the cellular network based on at least one measurement report.

29. The node of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are such that the node is configured to:

perform a measurement on a signal transmitted by the device; and

determine the characteristic of the at least one uplink channel based on the measurement.

30. The node of claim 16 , wherein the selecting of the configuration is further based on a power limit of the device for uplink transmissions.

31. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium for controlling connectivity of a device to a cellular network, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on one or more processing circuits of a node of the cellular network, causes the node to:

determine a characteristic of at least one uplink channel between the device and the cellular network;

select a configuration for a downlink connection for the device based on the determined characteristic of the at least one uplink channel, wherein the configuration is selected for at least one of a dual connectivity configuration or carrier aggregation configuration between the device and the cellular network, wherein the configuration of the downlink connection is selected by selecting between a first downlink connectivity configuration, in which the downlink connection of the device comprises a first downlink channel based on a first set of downlink radio resources, and a second downlink connectivity configuration, in which the downlink connection additionally comprises a second downlink channel based on a second set of downlink radio resources; and

indicate the selected configuration to the device.