Carrier Indicator Signaling for Single Carrier Fallback
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Solution Overview
Problem
User equipment in LTE-A systems consumes excessive power when it fails to receive notifications about deactivated component carriers during carrier aggregation, leading to unnecessary control channel reception across all component carriers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a single component carrier fallback method where the base station activates multi-carriers and then switches to a single carrier mode by deactivating non-anchor carriers, using a carrier indicator to notify user equipment, thereby reducing power consumption by allowing data transmission only through an anchor carrier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user equipment continuously monitors all component carriers for control channels in carrier aggregation mode, then it can receive scheduling information for all carriers, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the control channel monitoring function from all component carriers and concentrates it solely on the anchor carrier. When carrier aggregation is deactivated, the user equipment stops monitoring control channels on non-anchor carriers, extracting only the necessary control information from the anchor carrier. This resolves the contradiction by eliminating unnecessary power consumption while maintaining reliable control channel reception through the anchor carrier.
2Adaptability or versatility
If user equipment switches rapidly between carrier aggregation mode and single carrier mode, then it can adapt to changing network conditions, but control channel monitoring becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the anchor carrier serve multiple functions: it acts as both a data transmission carrier and the sole control channel monitoring carrier. This multi-functionality ensures that regardless of whether carrier aggregation is activated or deactivated, the user equipment always has a stable, consistent anchor carrier to monitor for control information, resolving the instability caused by rapid mode switching.
3Productivity
If the base station deactivates non-anchor carriers in carrier aggregation, then bandwidth utilization is optimized, but user equipment may miss control information on deactivated carriers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the anchor carrier as an intermediary to convey control information related to all component carriers. Even when non-anchor carriers are deactivated for data transmission, their control information is transmitted through the anchor carrier's control channels. This intermediary mechanism prevents control information loss while maintaining optimized bandwidth utilization on deactivated carriers.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device deactivate carrier aggregation and execute single carrier operation in a terminal, in a wireless communication system in which broadband is achieved by means of carrier aggregation. More specifically, in a terminal which is running a plurality of carriers, unnecessary power consumption in the terminal is prevented and additional screening events are minimized by defining physical layer signaling so as to make the terminal rapidly convert to running a single carrier.