IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,956,764
Granted Patent B2
US 11,956,764 · App. 17/504,666 · Granted Apr 9, 2024

Carrier aggregation configuration in 5G wireless networks

Inventors: Hiromasa Umeda (Kanagawa, JP); Petri J. Vasenkari (Turku, FI); Amaanat Ali (Espoo, FI)
Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
H04W72/0453H04L5/0053H04L5/0092H04W72/51
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,956,764
App. No.
17/504,666
Granted
Apr 9, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A radio access network element includes at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network element to: generate a carrier aggregation configuration for a user equipment based on capability information from the user equipment, the capability information including at least supported maximum channel bandwidth information and supported minimum channel bandwidth information for each band within a band combination; and send the carrier aggregation configuration to the user equipment to configure the user equipment for communication with the radio access network element.

Claims (50)

1. A radio access network element comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network element to

generate a carrier aggregation configuration for a user equipment based on capability information from the user equipment, the capability information including at least supported maximum channel bandwidth information and supported minimum channel bandwidth information for each band within a band combination; and

send the carrier aggregation configuration to the user equipment to configure the user equipment for communication with the radio access network element.

2. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network element to generate the carrier aggregation configuration without storing definitions of each bandwidth combination set supported by the user equipment.

3. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein the supported maximum channel bandwidth information includes a supported maximum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for each band within the band combination.

4. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein the supported minimum channel bandwidth information includes a supported minimum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for each band within the band combination.

5. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein

the user equipment supports a subset of all specified channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for each band as a single band operation, and

the capability information includes an indication of channel bandwidths in the subset of all specified channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for each band as the single band operation.

6. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network element to send a capability inquiry requesting the capability information from the user equipment.

7. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein the capability information includes an indication that the capability information includes information to identify supported channel bandwidths for each band within the band combination.

8. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network element to send the carrier aggregation configuration to the user equipment as a Radio Resource Control message.

9. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein

the band combination includes at least a first New Radio band and a second New Radio band,

the supported maximum channel bandwidth information includes (i) a first supported maximum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for the first New Radio band and (ii) a second supported maximum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for the second New Radio band,

the supported minimum channel bandwidth information includes (i) a first supported minimum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for the first New Radio band and (ii) a second supported minimum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for the second New Radio band, and

the carrier aggregation configuration includes combinations of first supported channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for the first New Radio band and second supported channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for the second New Radio band.

10. The radio access network element of claim 9 , wherein the capability information includes (i) an indication of first supported channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for the first New Radio band as a single band operation, and (ii) an indication of second supported channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for the second New Radio band as a single band operation.

11. A method comprising:

generating a carrier aggregation configuration for a user equipment based on capability information from the user equipment, the capability information including at least supported maximum channel bandwidth information and supported minimum channel bandwidth information per sub-carrier spacing for each band within a band combination; and

sending the carrier aggregation configuration to the user equipment to configure the user equipment for communication with a radio access network element.

12. The radio access network element of claim 1 , wherein the supported minimum channel bandwidth information includes a supported minimum channel bandwidth per component carrier for each band within the band combination.

13. A user equipment comprising:

at least one processor; and

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

generate capability information including at least supported maximum channel bandwidth information and supported minimum channel bandwidth information per sub-carrier spacing for each band within a band combination,

send the capability information to a radio access network element, and

receive a carrier aggregation configuration from the radio access network element, the carrier aggregation configuration based on the capability information, and the carrier aggregation configuration configuring the user equipment for communication with the radio access network element.

14. The user equipment of claim 13 , wherein the capability information causes the radio access network element to generate the carrier aggregation configuration for the user equipment based on the capability information.

15. The user equipment of claim 13 , wherein the supported maximum channel bandwidth information includes a supported maximum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for each band within the band combination.

16. The user equipment of claim 13 , wherein the supported minimum channel bandwidth information includes a supported minimum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for each band within the band combination.

17. The user equipment of claim 13 , wherein

the user equipment supports a subset of all specified channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for each band as a single band operation, and

the capability information includes an indication of channel bandwidths in the subset of all specified channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for each band as the single band operation.

18. The user equipment of claim 13 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to generate the capability information in response to a capability inquiry from the radio access network element.

19. The user equipment of claim 13 , wherein the capability information includes an indication that the capability information includes information for the radio access network element to identify supported channel bandwidths for each band within the band combination.

20. The user equipment of claim 13 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to send the capability information to the radio access network element via Radio Resource Control signaling.

21. The user equipment of claim 13 , wherein

the band combination includes at least a first New Radio band and a second New Radio band,

the supported maximum channel bandwidth information includes (i) a first supported maximum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for the first New Radio band and (ii) a second supported maximum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for the second New Radio band,

the supported minimum channel bandwidth information includes (i) a first supported minimum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for the first New Radio band and (ii) a second supported minimum channel bandwidth per sub-carrier spacing for the second New Radio band, and

the carrier aggregation configuration includes combinations of first supported channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for the first New Radio band and second supported channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for the second New Radio band.

22. The user equipment of claim 21 , wherein the capability information includes (i) an indication of first supported channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for the first New Radio band as a single band operation, and (ii) an indication of second supported channel bandwidths per sub-carrier spacing for the second New Radio band as a single band operation.

23. The user equipment of claim 13 , wherein the supported minimum channel bandwidth information includes a supported minimum channel bandwidth per component carrier for each band within the band combination.

24. A method comprising:

generating capability information including at least supported maximum channel bandwidth information and supported minimum channel bandwidth information for each band within a band combination;

sending the capability information to a radio access network element; and

receiving a carrier aggregation configuration from the radio access network element, the carrier aggregation configuration based on the capability information, and the carrier aggregation configuration configuring a user equipment for communication with the radio access network element.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2023
From: UMEDA, HIROMASA
To: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS JAPAN G.K.
Reel/Frame 065919/0095 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2023
From: J VASENKARI, PETRI; ALI, AMAANAT
To: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
Reel/Frame 065919/0118 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2023
From: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS JAPAN G.K.
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 065919/0131 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2023
From: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 065919/0169 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63104066 · Oct 22, 2020
Related Publication 20220132503A1 · Apr 28, 2022