Base Station, User Equipment and Methods Therein for Control Timing Configuration Assignment in a Multiple Cell Communications Network

Abstract

Example embodiments presented herein are directed towards a base station and method therein, for configuring control timing to and from a user equipment in a multiple component cell communications network. Example embodiments presented herein are also directed towards a user equipment and method therein, for configuration of control timing for a user equipment in a multiple component cell communications network.

1 . A method, in a base station, for determining at least one control timing configuration number, the at least one control timing configuration number indicating a subframe timing setting for configuring control timing to and/or from a user equipment in a multiple cell communications network, the method comprising:
 determining the at least one control timing configuration number for a plurality of aggregated cells associated with the user equipment, each aggregated cell being associated with one of a plurality of uplink-downlink configuration numbers, wherein at least two uplink-downlink configuration numbers of the plurality of aggregated cells are not equal, and wherein each of the at least one control timing configuration number is one of the plurality of uplink-downlink configuration numbers; and   assigning the at least one timing configuration number to the user equipment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the uplink-downlink configuration numbers defines a particular correlation of one or more timing offsets with one or more subframes, the timing offsets for transmission timing associated with a cell, and uplink-downlink configuration numbers that are not equal define different correlations. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining the at least one control timing configuration number comprises determining the at least one control timing configuration number at the base station based on rules for controlling Hybrid-Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) control timing among aggregated cells. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one control timing configuration number is equal to one of the uplink-downlink configuration numbers of the plurality of aggregated cells. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one control timing configuration number is not equal to any of the uplink-downlink configuration numbers of the plurality of aggregated cells. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises determining the at least one control timing configuration number such that control data is transmitted, to and from the user equipment and the network, in a non-conflicting manner. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises determining the at least one control timing configuration number based on the uplink-downlink configuration numbers of the plurality of aggregated cells. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the determining further comprises determining the at least one control timing configuration number based on a subframe timing compatibility ordering. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the determining further comprises arranging the subframe timing compatibility ordering such that uplink-downlink configurations on a higher level of the ordering comprise uplink subframes that are a superset of all uplink subframes from uplink-downlink configurations on a lower level of the ordering. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the determining further comprises arranging the subframe timing compatibility ordering such that uplink-downlink configurations on a lower level of the ordering comprise downlink subframes that are a superset of all downlink subframes from uplink-downlink configurations on a higher level of the ordering. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the assigning comprises communicating the at least one control timing configuration number to the user equipment via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the assigning comprises assigning, in response to the presence of conflicting subframes, a forward-subframe downlink scheduling timing with respect to a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the assigning comprises assigning, in response to the presence of conflicting subframes, a cross component carrier forward-subframe downlink scheduling timing with respect to a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
         14 . A base station for determining at least one control timing configuration number, the at least one control timing configuration number indicating a subframe timing setting for configuring control timing to and/or from a user equipment in a multiple cell communications network, the base station comprising a processor and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processor whereby the base station is configured to:
 determine the at least one control timing configuration number for a plurality of aggregated cells associated with the user equipment, each aggregated cell being associated with one of a plurality of uplink-downlink configuration numbers, and wherein at least two uplink-downlink configuration numbers of the plurality of aggregated cells are not equal, and wherein each of the at least one control timing configuration number is one of the plurality of uplink-downlink configuration numbers; and   assign the at least one control timing configuration number to the user equipment.   
     
     
         15 . The base station of  claim 14 , wherein the base station is configured to determine the at least one control timing configuration number based on rules for controlling Hybrid-Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) control timing among aggregated cells. 
     
     
         16 . The base station of  claim 14 , wherein each of the uplink-downlink configuration numbers defines a particular correlation of one or more timing offsets with one or more subframes, the timing offsets for transmission timing associated with a cell, and uplink-downlink configuration numbers that are not equal define different correlations. 
     
     
         17 . The base station of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one control timing configuration number is equal to one of the uplink-downlink configuration numbers of the plurality of aggregated cells. 
     
     
         18 . The base station of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one control timing configuration number is not equal to any of the uplink-downlink configuration numbers of the plurality of aggregated cells. 
     
     
         19 . The base station of  claim 14 , wherein the memory contains instructions executable by the processor whereby the device is configured to determine the at least one control timing configuration number such that control data is transmitted, to and from the user equipment and the network, in a non-conflicting manner. 
     
     
         20 . The base station of  claim 14 , wherein the memory contains instructions executable by the processor whereby the device is configured to determine the at least one control timing configuration number based on the uplink-downlink configuration numbers of the plurality of aggregated cells. 
     
     
         21 . The base station of  claim 20 , wherein the memory contains instructions executable by the processor whereby the device is configured to determine the at least one control timing configuration number further based on a subframe timing compatibility ordering. 
     
     
         22 . The base station of  claim 21 , wherein the subframe timing compatibility ordering is arranged such that uplink-downlink configurations on a higher level of the ordering comprise uplink subframes that are a superset of all uplink subframes from uplink-downlink configurations on a lower level of the ordering. 
     
     
         23 . The base station of  claim 21 , wherein the subframe timing compatibility ordering is arranged such that uplink-downlink configurations on a lower level of the ordering comprise downlink subframes that are a superset of all downlink subframes from uplink-downlink configurations on a higher level of the ordering. 
     
     
         24 . The base station of  claim 14 , wherein the memory contains instructions executable by the processor whereby the device is configured to communicate to the user equipment the at least one control timing configuration number via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. 
     
     
         25 . The base station of  claim 14 , wherein the memory contains instructions executable by the processor whereby the device is configured to assign, in response to the presence of conflicting subframes, a forward-subframe downlink scheduling timing with respect to a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
         26 . The base station of  claim 14 , wherein the memory contains instructions executable by the processor whereby the device is configured to assign, in response to the presence of conflicting subframes, a cross component carrier forward-subframe downlink scheduling timing with respect to a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
         27 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a control program stored thereon that, when executed by processing circuitry of a base station in a communication network, causes the base station to:
 determine at least one control timing configuration number for a plurality of aggregated cells associated with a user equipment, each aggregated cell being associated with one of a plurality of uplink-downlink configuration numbers, and wherein at least two uplink-downlink configuration numbers of the plurality of aggregated cells are not equal, and wherein each of the at least one control timing configuration number is one of the plurality of uplink-downlink configuration numbers; and   assign the at least one control timing configuration number to the user equipment.