Timing Advance Management for LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation, the reception timing of uplink signals in a radio base station varies significantly when using Component Carriers with different frequencies, especially when repeaters are involved, leading to inconsistent signal timing.
Innovation Solution
A mobile communication method where the radio base station transmits timing adjustment information to the mobile station, allowing it to adjust the transmission timings of uplink signals across multiple carriers, ensuring consistent reception timing by assigning and managing Timing Advance (TA) values for each Component Carrier.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If Carrier Aggregation is performed using Component Carriers with different carrier frequencies in cells with different coverage or repeater configurations, then the mobile station can achieve higher data rates and better coverage, but the reception timing of uplink signals in the radio base station varies immensely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the Component Carriers into different groups based on their timing characteristics. Specifically, it segments CCs into those that require timing advance adjustment and those that don't, allowing independent timing management for each segment. This resolves the contradiction by enabling CA to maintain timing consistency while supporting diverse CC configurations for high data rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the timing advance parameter for specific Component Carriers based on their propagation conditions. By changing the timing parameter individually for each CC or CC group rather than applying a uniform timing advance, the system maintains reception timing consistency across all carriers while allowing CA to operate with multiple frequency bands for high productivity.
2Area of stationary object
If repeaters are used in certain cells to extend coverage, then the coverage area is expanded, but the reception timing of uplink signals becomes inconsistent across Component Carriers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different timing management strategies to different Component Carriers based on their local propagation conditions. Carriers passing through repeaters receive different timing advance adjustments compared to carriers with direct paths. This local quality approach allows coverage extension via repeaters while maintaining overall timing consistency across all CCs at the base station.
3Productivity
If multiple Component Carriers are aggregated in a mobile station, then the system capacity and data throughput are improved, but the reception timing varies immensely in each Component Carrier at the radio base station
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the aggregated Component Carriers into timing groups, where carriers with similar propagation characteristics are grouped together. Each group can be managed with its own timing advance parameter, allowing the system to maintain high capacity through multi-carrier aggregation while ensuring reliable timing synchronization within each segment, which collectively maintains overall system reliability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a mobile communication method, in which a mobile station UE transmits uplink signals to a radio base station eNB using a plurality of "Component Carriers" having different carrier frequencies, includes a step A of transmitting, by the radio base station eNB, TA to be applied to the plurality of "Component Carriers", to the mobile station UE, and a step B of adjusting, by the mobile station UE, transmission timings of the uplink signals on the plurality of "Component Carriers" based on the received TA.