Hsupa carrier activation notification

Abstract

A radio access network ( 20 ) comprises a serving base station ( 28 S ) configured to control a serving cell ( 34 S ) in an active set of a wireless terminal ( 30 ) as well as a non-serving base station ( 28 N ) configured to control a non-serving cell ( 34 N ) in the active set of the wireless terminal ( 30 ). Methods and apparatus are provided for signaling, to the non-serving base station ( 28 N ), information indicating a subset of active carriers in the set of at least two carriers.

1 . A method in a serving base station for signal interaction with a non-serving base station, the serving base station being configured to control a serving cell in an active set of a wireless terminal, the non-serving base station being configured to control one or more non-serving cells in the active set of the wireless terminal, the wireless terminal being configured for multi carrier uplink transmissions on a set of at least two carriers,
 the method comprising:   the serving base station transmitting to the non-serving base station a signal comprising information indicating a subset of active carriers in the set of at least two carriers.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the signal directly to the non-serving base station on an interface between the serving base station and the non-serving base station. 
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the signal on an interface between the serving base station and a radio network controller node for forwarding of the information to the non-serving base station. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the signal after the serving base station has decided to activate or deactivate at least one carrier in said set of at least two carriers. 
     
     
         5 . A method in a non-serving base station configured to control one or more non-serving cells in an active set of a wireless terminal, the wireless terminal being configured for multi carrier uplink transmissions on a set of at least two carriers,
 the method comprising:   the non-serving base station receiving a signal comprising information indicating a subset of active carriers in the set of at least two carriers.   
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the signal is received on an interface between the non-serving base station and a serving base station which controls a serving cell in the active set of the wireless terminal. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the signal is received on an interface between the non-serving base station and a radio network controller node. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 5 , further comprising adapting monitoring of uplink transmissions from the wireless terminal in accordance with the received information. 
     
     
         9 . A method in a wireless terminal for signal interaction with a non-serving base station, the non-serving base station configured to control one or more non-serving cells in an active set of the wireless terminal, the wireless terminal configured for multi carrier uplink transmissions on a set of at least two carriers,
 the method comprising:   the wireless terminal transmitting to the non-serving base station a signal comprising information indicating a subset of active carriers in the set of at least two carriers.   
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the information includes a list of all activated carriers in the set of at least two carriers. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the information includes a list of all deactivated carriers in the set of at least two carriers. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the information indicates changes in activation levels for the carriers as compared to a previous situation. 
     
     
         13 . A base station of a radio access network configured to control a serving cell in an active set of a wireless terminal, the wireless station being configured for multi carrier uplink transmission on a set of at least two carriers, the base station comprising:
 signal transmitting means configured to transmit a signal with information indicating a subset of active carriers in the set of at least two carriers to a non-serving base station; the non-serving base station being configured to control one or more non-serving cells in the active set of the wireless terminal.   
     
     
         14 . A base station according to  claim 13 , wherein the signal is transmitted directly to the non-serving base station on an interface between the base station and the non-serving base station. 
     
     
         15 . A base station according to  claim 13 , wherein the signal is transmitted on an interface between the base station and a radio network controller node for forwarding of the information to the non-serving base station. 
     
     
         16 . A base station according to  claim 13 , wherein the signal is transmitted after the base station has decided to activate or deactivate at least one carrier in said set of at least two carriers. 
     
     
         17 . A base station of a radio access network configured to control one or more non-serving cells in an active set of a wireless terminal, the wireless terminal being configured for multi carrier uplink transmissions on a set of at least two carriers, the base station comprising:
 signal handling means configured to receive a signal comprising information indicating a subset of active carriers in the set of at least two carriers; and   carrier monitoring means configured to adapt monitoring of uplink transmissions from the wireless terminal in accordance with the information.   
     
     
         18 . A base station according to  claim 17 , wherein the signal is received on an interface between the base station and a serving base station which controls a serving cell in the active set of the wireless terminal. 
     
     
         19 . A base station according to  claim 17 , wherein the signal is received on an interface between the base station and a radio network controller node. 
     
     
         20 . A base station according to  claim 13 , wherein the information includes a list of all activated carriers in the set of at least two carriers. 
     
     
         21 . A base station according to  claim 13 , wherein the information includes a list of all deactivated carriers in the set of at least two carriers. 
     
     
         22 . A base station according  claim 13 , wherein the information indicates changes in activation levels for the carriers as compared to a previous situation. 
     
     
         23 . A wireless terminal configured for multi carrier uplink transmissions on a set of at least two carriers and having an active set comprising one or more non-serving cells controlled by a non-serving base station, the wireless terminal comprising:
 signal transmission means configured to transmit a signal to the non-serving base station, the signal comprising information indicating a subset of active carriers in the set of at least two carriers.