Method and apparatus for enhancing cell-edge user performance and signaling radio link failure conditions via downlink cooperative component carriers

Abstract

A wireless communication network and method are described for enhancing cell-edge performance of a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). The WTRU may establish a connection with a plurality of sites via respective downlinks (DLs). Each DL may include at least one DL component carrier (CC) that operates on a frequency that is the same or different than one or more of the other CCs. The sites may manipulate their transmit power for a particular CC operating frequency such that the distance from a particular one of the sites to its cell boundary may become larger by increasing its transmit power on the particular frequency, and the distance from at least one of the other sites to its respective cell boundary may become smaller by decreasing its transmit power on the particular frequency. Thus, a coverage overlap between different CC frequencies may be created while maintaining a frequency reuse pattern of one.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of enhancing cell-edge performance of a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:
 the WTRU establishing a connection with a plurality of sites via respective downlinks (DLs), each DL including at least one DL component carrier (CC) that operates on a frequency that is the same or different than one or more of the other DL CCs; and   the sites manipulating their transmit power for a particular DL CC operating frequency, wherein the distance from a particular one of the sites to its cell boundary becomes larger by increasing its transmit power on the particular DL CC operating frequency, and the distance from at least one of the other sites to its respective cell boundary becomes smaller by decreasing its transmit power on the particular DL CC operating frequency.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a coverage overlap between different CC frequencies is created while maintaining a frequency reuse pattern of one. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the WTRU establishing additional connections with the sites via respective uplinks (ULs), each UL including at least one UL CC that operates on a frequency that is the same or different than one or more of the other UL CCs. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising:
 the WTRU transmitting UL control information (UCI) via at least one of the UL CCs or an X2 interface connected between two of the sites. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  where the WTRU is configured to receive data from any of the sites, or simultaneously from two or more of the sites. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sites include at least one of a Node-B, an evolved Node-B (eNB), a remote radio head (RRH) associated with a base station, or one of several sector transmit antennas of a Node-B or an eNB. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a power usage pattern is defined for each CC in a reuse set. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein an antenna pattern is defined for each CC in a reuse set. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein individual CC activation or CC deactivation is used in addition to a handover procedure to effectively support a CC-specific handover to maintain a desired reception quality. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 the WTRU detecting a CC failure; and 
 the WTRU sending a partial radio link failure (RLF) report to a CC of a cooperating site. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 establishing an X2 interface, a common control channel (CCCH) or a dedicated control channel (DCCH) between the cooperating site and a serving site to forward a partial RLF indication from the cooperating site to the serving site. 
 
     
     
         12 . A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) in communication with a plurality of sites configured to manipulate their transmit power for a particular downlink (DL) component carrier (CC) operating frequency, the WTRU configured to establish a connection with the sites via respective DLs, each DL including at least one DL CC that operates on a frequency that is the same or different than one or more of the other DL CCs, wherein the distance from a particular one of the sites to its cell boundary becomes larger by increasing its transmit power of the particular DL CC operating frequency, and the distance from at least one of the other sites to its respective cell boundary becomes smaller by decreasing its transmit power on the particular DL CC operating frequency. 
     
     
         13 . The WTRU of  claim 12  wherein the WTRU is further configured to establish additional connections with the sites via respective uplinks (ULs), each UL including at least one UL CC that operates on a frequency that is the same or different than one or more of the other UL CCs. 
     
     
         14 . The WTRU of  claim 13  wherein the WTRU is further configured to transmit UL control information (UCI) via at least one of the UL CCs or an X2 interface connected between two of the sites. 
     
     
         15 . The WTRU of  claim 12  where the WTRU is configured to receive data from any of the sites, or simultaneously from two or more of the sites. 
     
     
         16 . The WTRU of  claim 12  wherein the WTRU is configured to send a partial radio link failure (RLF) report to a CC of a cooperating site on a condition that the WTRU detects a CC failure. 
     
     
         17 . A wireless communication network comprising:
 a plurality of sites configured to manipulate their transmit power for a particular downlink (DL) component carrier (CC) operating frequency; and   a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) configured to establish a connection with the sites via respective DLs, each DL including at least one DL CC that operates on a frequency that is the same or different than one or more of the other DL CCs, wherein the distance from a particular one of the sites to its cell boundary becomes larger by increasing its transmit power of the particular DL CC operating frequency, and the distance from at least one of the other sites to its respective cell boundary becomes smaller by decreasing its transmit power on the particular DL CC operating frequency.   
     
     
         18 . The network of  claim 17  wherein a coverage overlap between different CC frequencies is created while maintaining a frequency reuse pattern of one. 
     
     
         19 . The network of  claim 17  wherein the sites include at least one of a Node-B, an evolved Node-B (eNB), a remote radio head (RRH) associated with a base station, or one of several sector transmit antennas of a Node-B or an eNB. 
     
     
         20 . The network of  claim 17  wherein the sites include at least one of a Node-B, an evolved Node-B (eNB), a remote radio head (RRH) associated with a base station, or one of several sector transmit antennas of a Node-B or an eNB.