An apparatus and method for using a radio frequency (RF chain) in a dual-network architecture are disclosed herein. An evolved node B (eNodeB) receives RF chain sharing information from user equipment (UE) associated with the eNodeB. The RF chain sharing information comprises indication of a non-usable frequency band or indication of which frequency band is supported for each of a first network and a second network that an RF chain is switchable between. The RF chain is included in the UE and at least a frequency band is shared between the first and second networks. The eNodeB transmits radio resource control (RRC) connection reconfiguration signaling to the UE to release a secondary cell (SCell) or perform inter-frequency handover of a primary cell (PCell) in response to the RF chain sharing information.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A mobile device, comprising: a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) baseband circuitry; a 2nd Generation (2G) or 3rd Generation (3G) baseband circuitry; and a radio frequency (RE) chain selectively switchable between the LTE baseband circuitry and the 2G or 3G baseband circuitry, wherein the RE chain is arranged to transmit at least a radio frame including a scheduling request (SR) provided in a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or to initiate a Random Access procedure to an evolved node B (eNodeB) associated with a LTE network and the RF chain is further arranged to transmit, over a frequency band and in response to the SR in the PUCCH or the Random Access procedure, an Activation/Deactivation request medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) wherein the Activation/Deactivation MAC CE comprises an instruction to deactivate a secondary cell included in the LTE network when the frequency band is the same as a frequency band supported by a 2G or 3G network, wherein the secondary cell comprises a component carrier, configured for the mobile device, different from a primary component carrier of a primary cell configured for the mobile device and both the primary and secondary cells are part of the LTE network.
2. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the Activation/Deactivation request MAC CE is provided in response to a voice call to be started supported by the 2G or 3G baseband circuitry coupled to the RF chain.
3. The mobile device of claim 2 , wherein the voice call comprises a mobile originating (MO) voice call or a mobile terminating (MT) voice call.
4. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the RE chain is further arranged to transmit the radio frame including the SR when a dedicated SR resource has been allocated by the eNodeB for the mobile device.
5. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device initiates the Random Access procedure when no dedicated SR resource has been allocated by the eNodeB for the mobile device.
6. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device receives physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource scheduled by the eNodeB.
7. The mobile device of claim 6 , wherein the mobile device sends the Activation/Deactivation request MAC CE in the PUSCH resource scheduled by the eNodeB.
8. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device transmits an Activation/Deactivation MAC CE signaling to the eNodeB in response to the Activation/Deactivation request MAC CE provided by the mobile device.
9. The mobile device of claim 8 , wherein the Activation/Deactivation request MAC CE comprises identification of a cell to be activated or deactivated.
10. The mobile device of claim 1 , wherein the LTE network operates in time division duplexing (TDD) mode or frequency division duplexing (FDD) mode.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
September 28, 2012
February 23, 2016
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