Abstract: A method for determining whether a radio unit in a shared cell configuration is hearable by a user equipment is provided. Transmission of a probe message to the user equipment by the radio unit is caused. The probe message invokes a probe response from the user equipment if the radio unit is hearable by the user equipment on a downlink channel. The radio unit is hearable by the user equipment if the downlink channel performance between the radio unit and the user equipment meets a predetermined signal criteria. An uplink channel associated with the user equipment is monitored for the probe response from the user equipment after transmission of the probe message. Hearability data associated with the user equipment is determined based on the monitored uplink channel. The hearability data indicates whether the radio unit is hearable by the user equipment the downlink channel.

Abstract: A method and system for selectively activating and deactivating secondary cells in a wireless communication system are disclosed. According to one aspect, the invention provides a finite state machine having a plurality of states facilitating secondary cell activation and deactivation decisions. The states of the finite state machine include a deactivated state and an activated state. In the deactivated state, a secondary cell is deactivated and a media access control element, MAC CE, for deactivation is sent to the UE. The base station in the deactivated state is not allocating resources for maintaining transmission on the secondary cell. In the activated state, the secondary cell is active and a MAC CE for activation is sent to the UE. In the activated state, the base station is ready to transmit on the secondary cell.

Abstract: The present disclosure concerns radio communication. In one of its aspects, the technology presented herein concerns a method for selecting the most suitable secondary carrier for carrier aggregation when employing a combined radio cell including multiple radio sectors A—1, A—2, A—3 of a first Cell (Cell A) and multiple radio sectors B_x, B_y, B_z of a second cell (Cell B).

Abstract: A method and system for carrier aggregation scheduling in a communication system are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for carrier aggregation scheduling includes selecting a set of at least one component carrier from a group of candidate component carriers upon which to transmit data in a queue. The selecting of all component carriers in the set is performed prior to determining an amount of data to be assigned to any one of the component carriers in the set. Blocks of data from the queue are assigned to at least one of the component carriers in the set of selected component carriers based at least in part on an estimated amount of data that can be carried by each component carrier in the set.

Abstract: For controlling radio transmission in a cellular communication network, a node of the cellular communication network determines a mapping between control channel elements of a downlink control channel and resources of an uplink control channel. The node determines a group of the resources of the uplink control channel which are mapped to a subgroup of the control channel elements. From this group of the resources, the node allocates resources to be used for transmission of uplink control information from a user equipment. Using a radio resource control message, the node may indicate the allocated resources to the user equipment. The allocated resources may be used as a Channel Selection set for transmitting feedback related to a secondary component carrier.

Abstract: A terminal (e.g., mobile communication device, UE) and a method are described herein for allocating a soft buffer after interacting with a network node (e.g., base station, eNB). In addition, a network node (e.g., base station, eNB) and a method are described herein that facilitates robust operations during a reconfiguration period while a terminal allocates a soft buffer located therein.

Abstract: A terminal (e.g., mobile communication device, UE) and a method are described herein for allocating a soft buffer after interacting with a network node (e.g., base station, eNB). In addition, a network node (e.g., base station, eNB) and a method are described herein that facilitates robust operations during a reconfiguration period while a terminal allocates a soft buffer located therein.

Abstract: The invention relates to a network node and a method therein for admission control in a wireless communication system. The method comprises receiving a request for a bearer setup from a requesting entity, where the request and/or bearer is associated with a priority level P. The method further comprises obtaining, e.g. receiving or retrieving, reports indicating a priority blocking level, BLi, per monitored system resource, i, needed for setting up a bearer. The method further comprises determining a general priority blocking level BLG, based on the reports. Further, the method comprises deciding whether to accept or reject the request for a bearer setup based on the priority level P and the general priority blocking level BLG.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and arrangement for improving predictability of inter-cell interference in wireless communication systems. A first network radio entity (104, 116) receives (1002) data and estimates (1004) an amount of frequency resources needed to transmit the data. A resource limitation condition is determined (1006) and applied when scheduling (1008) the data for transmission. The resource limitation condition prolongs a time needed to transmit the data by at least one transmission time interval as compared to the time needed to transmit the data using a maximum amount of frequency resources available per scheduling occasion. The data is scheduled within a scheduling time interval that depends on the resource limitation condition and on the estimated amount of frequency resources and that extends over at least two scheduling occasions, and then transmitted (1010) by the first network radio entity (104, 116) on the estimated amount of frequency resources.

Abstract: A method and network node (400) for supporting evaluation of usage of a radio network feature in radio communication between wireless devices (402) and the network node. The network node (400) retrieves (4:1) statistical information regarding the usage of the radio network feature, and reports (4:5) the statistical information to an Operation and Maintenance, O&M, node (404). The O&M node then uses (4:6) the statistical information for evaluating how measured performance (4:3) of the radio network is related to the usage of the radio network feature.

Abstract: A user equipment, UE, (24) is configured to receive downlink control information, DCI, transmitted to the UE (24) by a primary cell (26) in a wireless communication system (10). The UE (24) comprises one or more processing circuits (34) that shall assume that a DCI message which has a common payload size and the same first control channel element index, but different bit fields, in a common search space and a UE-specific search space is transmitted by the primary cell (26) in the common search space or the UE-specific search space, based on radio resource control, RRC, configuration of the UE (24).

Abstract: Network node and method therein for admission control in a communication system applying shared channels for communication. The method comprises receiving a request for a bearer setup, and deciding whether to accept or reject the request for a bearer setup based on information on current bearers carrying data having a QoS value, and for which bearers a transmission of the data fulfills a criterion, the criterion representing a probability of violating the QoS value. Information on bearers carrying data which do not have a QoS value and information on bearers for which a transmission of data having a QoS value does not fulfill the criterion is disregarded.

Abstract: A method and system for selectively activating and deactivating secondary cells in a wireless communication system are disclosed. According to one aspect, the invention provides a finite state machine having a plurality of states facilitating secondary cell activation and deactivation decisions. The states of the finite state machine include a deactivated state and an activated state. In the deactivated state, a secondary cell is deactivated and a media access control element, MAC CE, for deactivation is sent to the UE. The base station in the deactivated state is not allocating resources for maintaining transmission on the secondary cell. In the activated state, the secondary cell is active and a MAC CE for activation is sent to the UE. In the activated state, the base station is ready to transmit on the secondary cell.

Abstract: A method and a base station (900) for controlling wireless communication of data on a first radio link between the base station and a User Equipment, UE (902), when a first communication Mode is employed implying that corresponding status reports should be transmitted on an opposite second radio link to indicate whether said data has been received or not. A communication unit (900a) communicates data and status reports with the UE according to the first communication Mode and according to a second communication Mode. When an indication of potential congestion pertaining to the second radio link is detected, a logic unit (900b) instruct the communication unit to trigger or initiate a change to a second communication Mode implying that no transmission of status reports on the second radio link is expected. Thereby, any unnecessary re-transmissions of data due to missing status reports may be avoided.

Abstract: A User Equipment (UE) (20) has multiple transceivers, each having a corresponding receiver configured to communicate on respective carriers. The UE (20) monitors a radio access network (RAN) (16) on a serving cell using a first of the receivers, and indicates to the base station (80) that at least one of its receivers will temporary tune-out from the RAN (16). The base station (80) receives the indication from the UE (20), and temporarily suspends communications with the UE (20).

Abstract: The present disclosure concerns radio communication. In one of its aspects, the technology presented herein concerns a method for selecting the most suitable secondary carrier for carrier aggregation when employing a combined radio cell including multiple radio sectors A—1, A—2, A—3 of a first Cell (Cell A) and multiple radio sectors B_x, B_y, B_z of a second cell (Cell B).

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for using new energy-saving subframe structures, as well as corresponding apparatus that are configured to exploit these energy-saving subframes. In these energy-saving subframes, some, but not all, of the individual OFDM symbols in a subframe are inactive, meaning that no signal is transmitted during at least a part of the symbol time of the blanked symbols. An example method according to these techniques may be implemented in a radio transceiver, such as an LTE eNodeB, and comprises transmitting, in a first symbol time of a downlink subframe that comprises a plurality of symbol times, a codeword indicating that the downlink subframe includes at least one inactive symbol time. The method further includes transmitting data during at least one but fewer than all of the remaining ones of the plurality of symbol times in the downlink subframe. Corresponding techniques for receiving the energy-saving subframes are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and system for carrier aggregation scheduling in a communication system are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for carrier aggregation scheduling includes selecting a set of at least one component carrier from a group of candidate component carriers upon which to transmit data in a queue. The selecting of all component carriers in the set is performed prior to determining an amount of data to be assigned to any one of the component carriers in the set. Blocks of data from the queue are assigned to at least one of the component carriers in the set of selected component carriers based at least in part on an estimated amount of data that can be carried by each component carrier in the set.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for identifying carrier-aggregation band combinations that may be supported by a mobile terminal with limited performance. According to one example method, a mobile terminal sends (710) a band capability information element to the network (e.g., to a 3GPP eNB). The band capability information element contains data indicating which band combinations the mobile terminal supports for carrier aggregation. In addition, the mobile terminal sends (720) additional information (e.g., one or more new parameters) associated with at least one specific band combination. In some cases, this new information indicates that a specific band combination has limited support. In these or in other embodiments, the new information contains information about an amount or type of limitation. This latter information may be present on its own, or in combination with the information that more generally indicates that the mobile terminal is capable of only limited support for a specific band combination.

Abstract: A method for determining whether a radio unit in a shared cell configuration is hearable by a user equipment is provided. Transmission of a probe message to the user equipment by the radio unit is caused. The probe message invokes a probe response from the user equipment if the radio unit is hearable by the user equipment on a downlink channel. The radio unit is hearable by the user equipment if the downlink channel performance between the radio unit and the user equipment meets a predetermined signal criteria. An uplink channel associated with the user equipment is monitored for the probe response from the user equipment after transmission of the probe message. Hearability data associated with the user equipment is determined based on the monitored uplink channel. The hearability data indicates whether the radio unit is hearable by the user equipment the downlink channel.