Discontinuous Reception for Carrier Aggregation

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for carrier aggregation with discontinuous reception is disclosed. At least two different time division duplexing configurations can be communicated from serving cells to a device, the subframes of the at least two different configurations being counted for purposes of operating at least one timer function according to a predefined rule of counting. Discontinuous communications by the serving cells with the device are controlled based on the predefined rule of counting such that at least one timer function associated with discontinuous reception from the serving cells is operated based on the counting.

1 . A method for a device capable of carrier aggregation, comprising:
 receiving at least two different time division duplexing configurations for different serving cells, and   operating at least one timer function associated with discontinuous reception from the different serving cells based on counting of subframes of the received at least two different configurations according to a predefined rule of counting for a common discontinuous reception operation at the device to the different serving cells.   
     
     
         2 . A method for controlling communications by a device capable of carrier aggregation, comprising:
 sending from one or more serving cells to the device at least two different time division duplexing configurations, wherein subframes of the at least two different time division duplexing configurations are configured to be counted for purposes of operating at least one timer function according to a predefined rule of counting for a common discontinuous reception operation at the device to the one or more serving cells, and   controlling, with the one or more serving cells, discontinuous communications with the device based on the predefined rule of counting.   
     
     
         3 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising using time division duplexing configuration of a primary cell of the one or more serving cells as the basis for counting of subframes. 
     
     
         4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising:
 determining a serving cell with most downlink subframes in its configuration, and   using the configuration of the determined serving cell as the basis for counting of subframes.   
     
     
         5 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising counting an instance of a downlink subframe in configuration from any serving cell as a subframe for timing purposes. 
     
     
         6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising counting only a subframe where a downlink subframe is present in all received configurations as a subframe for timing purposes. 
     
     
         7 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a downlink subframe by a secondary cell that is cross scheduled by another cell in not counted as a subframe for timing purposes. 
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising controlling discontinuous reception active time of the device based on the counting. 
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising counting downlink sub-frames and subframes including downlink pilot subframes for the timing purposes. 
     
     
         10 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the timer function comprises at least one of an inactivity timer, retransmission timer, and on-duration timer. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus capable of carrier aggregation, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor, and   at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to:
 facilitate receiving of at least two different time division duplexing configurations for different serving cells, and 
 operate at least one timer function associated with discontinuous reception from the different serving cells based on counting of subframes of the received at least two different configurations according to a predefined rule of counting for a common discontinuous reception operation at the apparatus to the different serving cells. 
   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for controlling carrier aggregation, the apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to:
 cause sending with one or more serving cells, to a device, at least two different time division duplexing configurations, wherein subframes of the at least two different time division duplexing configurations are configured to be counted for purposes of operating at least one timer function according to a predefined rule of counting for a common discontinuous reception operation with the one or more serving cells at the device, and   cause controlling, with the one or more serving cells, discontinuous communications with the device based on the predefined rule of counting.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , configured to use the time division duplexing configuration of a primary cell of the one or more serving cells as the basis for counting of sub-frames. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , configured to determine a serving cell with most downlink subframes in its configuration and to use the configuration of the determined serving cell as the basis for counting of subframes. 
     
     
         15 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . An apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the timer function comprises at least one of:
 an inactivity timer,   a retransmission timer, or   an on-duration timer.   
     
     
         21 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium in which a computer program comprising program code is stored that, when being executed by a computer, is configured to perform the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         26 . A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium in which a computer program comprising program code is stored that, when being executed by a computer, is configured to perform the method of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         27 . A method as claimed in  claim 2 , comprising using time division duplexing configuration of a primary cell of the one or more serving cells as the basis for counting of subframes. 
     
     
         28 . A method as claimed in  claim 2 , comprising:
 determining a serving cell with most downlink subframes in its configuration, and   using the configuration of the determined serving cell as the basis for counting of subframes.   
     
     
         29 . A method as claimed in  claim 2 , comprising counting an instance of a downlink subframe in configuration from any serving cell as a subframe for timing purposes.