Harq process number management for downlink carrier aggregation

Abstract

A method for use with a mobile user agent, the method for managing Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) processes in a multi carrier communication system that uses HARQ process indicators (HPIs) to manage HARQ processes, the method comprising the steps of designating a first subset of the HPIs as shared HPIs wherein each shared HPI designates a HARQ process irrespective of which of a plurality of system carrier frequencies are used to transmit a traffic packet, designating a second subset of the HPIs as non-carrier-shared HPIs wherein each non-carrier-shared HPI, in conjunction with the carrier frequency used to transmit a traffic packet, designates a carrier frequency unique HARQ process, receiving an HPI at the mobile user agent, receiving a first traffic packet via a carrier frequency at the user agent that is associated with the HPI, where the HPI is a first subset HPI using the HPI to identify a HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet irrespective of the carrier frequency used to transmit the traffic packet and providing the traffic packet to the identified HARQ process and where the HPI is a second subset HPI using the HPI and the carrier frequency on which the first traffic packet was received to identify a carrier frequency specific HARQ process associated with the first traffic packet and providing the first traffic packet to the carrier frequency specific HARQ process.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method performed by a user agent supporting multiple carriers in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
 receiving one or more messages from a base station;   activating a first carrier and a second carrier in response to receiving the one or more messages,   monitoring one or more control channels;   starting a timer; and   inactivating at least one of the first carrier or the second carrier in response to expiration of the timer.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising restarting the timer in response to receiving a downlink control information (DCI) packet on at least one of the one or more control channels. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more messages comprise a DCI packet received on at least one of the one or more control channels, and the DCI packet indicates a downlink resource to be used by the user agent and a HARQ process. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein one of the multiple carriers other than the first and second carriers is an anchor carrier. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the anchor carrier is monitored after the expiration of the timer. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein three bits of the DCI packet indicate the HARQ process. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising the user agent supporting MIMO operations. 
     
     
         27 . A user agent for supporting multiple carriers in a wireless communication network, the user agent comprising:
 a processor; and   a transceiver,
 wherein the user agent is configured to:
 receive one or more messages from a base station; 
 activate a first carrier and a second carrier in response to receiving the one or more messages, 
 monitor one or more control channels; 
 start a timer; and 
 inactivate at least one of the first carrier or the second carrier in response to expiration of the timer 
 
   
     
     
         28 . The user agent of  claim 27 , wherein the user agent is configured to restart the timer in response to receiving a downlink control information (DCI) packet on at least one of the one or more control channels. 
     
     
         29 . The user agent of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more messages comprise a DCI packet received on at least one of the one or more control channels, and the DCI packet indicates a downlink resource to be used by the user agent and a HARQ process. 
     
     
         30 . The user agent of  claim 27 , wherein one of the multiple carriers other than the first and second carriers is an anchor carrier. 
     
     
         31 . The user agent of  claim 30 , wherein the anchor carrier is monitored after the expiration of the timer. 
     
     
         32 . The user agent of  claim 29 , wherein three bits of the DCI packet indicate the HARQ process. 
     
     
         33 . The user agent of  claim 27 , wherein the user agent includes multiple antennas and is configured to perform MIMO operations. 
     
     
         34 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor of a user agent, wherein the user agent is operable to support multiple carriers in a wireless communication network, the instructions for:
 receiving one or more messages from a base station;   activating a first carrier and a second carrier in response to receiving the one or more messages,   monitoring one or more control channels;   starting a timer; and   inactivating at least one of the first carrier or the second carrier in response to expiration of the timer.   
     
     
         35 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the instructions include instructions for restarting the timer in response to receiving a downlink control information (DCI) packet on at least one of the one or more control channels. 
     
     
         36 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the one or more messages comprise a DCI packet received on at least one of the one or more control channels, and the DCI packet indicates a downlink resource to be used by the user agent and a HARQ process. 
     
     
         37 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein one of the multiple carriers other than the first and second carriers is an anchor carrier. 
     
     
         38 . The computer readable medium of  claim 37 , wherein the instructions include instructions for monitoring the anchor carrier after the expiration of the timer. 
     
     
         39 . The computer readable medium of  claim 36 , wherein three bits of the DCI packet indicate the HARQ process. 
     
     
         40 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the instructions include instructions for performing MIMO operations.