Application of Timing Advance Command in Wireless Communication Device in Enhanced Coverage Mode

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method in a wireless communication device that operates in an enhanced coverage mode, the enhanced coverage mode comprising sequential repetition of messages sent from the wireless communication device to a network node. An example method includes: receiving a Timing Advance Command TAC from the network node; and adapting a time at which the TAC is applied, wherein a time difference between the time at which the TAC is applied and a time at which the TAC is received shall be greater than or equal to a specified time depending on a type of the used Radio Access Technology, such that application of the TAC does not occur during a period after a first subframe of a repeated uplink transmission till the end of the repeated uplink transmission.

1 - 46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . A method in a wireless communication device that operates in an enhanced coverage mode, the enhanced coverage mode comprising sequential repetition of messages sent from the wireless communication device to a network node, the method comprising:
 receiving a Timing Advance Command (TAC) from the network node, wherein the TAC is received during a downlink repetition period;   determining a first subframe of a first repeated uplink transmission and a specific number of subframes; and   adapting a time at which the TAC is applied such that a time difference between the end of the repetition period and the first subframe of the first repeated uplink transmission is greater than or equal to the specific number of subframes.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the specific number of subframes is determined based on the type of used Radio Access Technology (RAT). 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the RAT is evolved Machine Type Communication (eMTC) device or Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT). 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the method comprises transmitting multiple uplink signals with different repetition periods and further comprises aligning the repetition periods by shifting in time at least one of start or end points of the repetition periods, such that overlapping time of the repetition periods is maximized or single transmission of the multiple uplink signals is minimized. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the repetition periods are aligned according to any one of the following rules:
 aligning the repetition periods to start at the same time;   aligning the repetition periods to end at the same time;   aligning the repetition periods to start within a certain time duration Δ1; and   aligning the repetition periods to end within a certain time duration Δ2.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the method comprises receiving a plurality of TACs while unable or prohibited to take them into account immediately, and wherein the method further includes only applying the last received TAC. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the method comprises receiving a plurality of TACs while unable or prohibited to take them into account immediately, and wherein the method further includes summing the plurality of TACs and applying the summed plurality of TACs. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the method comprises receiving a plurality of TACs while unable or prohibited to take them into account immediately; and wherein the method further includes:
 summing the plurality of TACs;   dividing the plurality of TACs into a plurality of separate increments, each increment being not greater than a maximum timing advance adjustment allowed; and   applying the plurality of increments as TAC in a plurality of steps.   
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the wireless communication device and the network node operate in a Half Duplex Frequency Division Duplex (HD-FDD) mode. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the wireless communication device and the network node operate in Coverage Enhancement mode A or B, wherein in Coverage Enhancement mode A, one signal is repeated up to 32 times during a repetition period, and wherein in Coverage Enhancement mode B, one signal is repeated up to 2048 times during a repetition period. 
     
     
         57 . A wireless communication device that operates in an enhanced coverage mode, the enhanced coverage mode comprising sequential repetition of messages sent from the wireless communication device to a network node, wherein the wireless communication device includes:
 a receiver configured to receive a Timing Advance Command (TAC) from the network node, wherein the TAC is received during a downlink repetition period;   determining a first subframe of a first repeated uplink transmission and a specific number of subframes; and   a processing circuit configured to adapt a time at which the TAC is applied, wherein a time difference between the end of the repetition period and the first subframe of the first repeated uplink transmission is greater than or equal to the specific number of subframes.   
     
     
         58 . The wireless communication device of  claim 57 , wherein the specific number of subframes is determined based on the type of used Radio Access Technology (RAT). 
     
     
         59 . The wireless communication device of  claim 58 , wherein the RAT is evolved Machine Type Communication (eMTC) device or Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT). 
     
     
         60 . The wireless communication device of  claim 57 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit multiple uplink signals with different repetition periods, and the processing circuit is further configured to align the repetition periods by shifting in time at least one of start or end points of the repetition periods, such that an overlapping time of the repetition periods is maximized or single transmission of the multiple uplink signals is minimized. 
     
     
         61 . The wireless communication device of  claim 57 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to align the repetition periods according to any one of the following rules:
 aligning the repetition periods to start at the same time;   aligning the repetition periods to end at the same time;   aligning the repetition periods to start within a certain time duration Δ1; and   aligning the repetition periods to end within a certain time duration Δ2.   
     
     
         62 . The wireless communication device of  claim 57 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to only apply the last received TAC in the event that the wireless communication device receives a plurality of TACs while unable or prohibited to take them into account immediately. 
     
     
         63 . The wireless communication device of  claim 57 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to, in the event that the wireless communication device receives a plurality of TACs while unable or prohibited to take them into account immediately, sum the plurality of TACs and apply the summed plurality of TACs. 
     
     
         64 . The wireless communication device of claim  11 , wherein the processing circuit is configured to, in the event that the wireless communication device receives a plurality of TACs while unable or prohibited to take them into account immediately: sum the plurality of TACs; divide the plurality of TACs into a plurality of separate increments, each increment being not greater than a maximum timing advance adjustment allowed; and apply the plurality of increments as TAC in a plurality of processes, respectively.