Method of managing carriers in a broadband wireless access system

Abstract

A method for managing carriers allocated to a mobile station in a broadband wireless access system supporting multiple carriers, and an apparatus for use in the method are disclosed. A carrier management method for allowing a mobile station to perform carrier management in a broadband wireless access system supporting multiple carriers includes receiving a first message, which includes activation information indicating activation of at least one target carrier from among one or more second carriers allocated through a first carrier, from a base station, and transmitting a second message, which informs the base station of readiness or non-readiness of the at least one target carrier according to a result of the activation, to the base station. The activation information includes information indicating an activation time point, and the transmitting of the second message is performed at a specific time indicated by the activation time point information.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A carrier management method for allowing a mobile station to perform carrier management in a broadband wireless access system supporting multiple carriers, the method comprising:
 receiving a first message, which includes activation information indicating activation of at least one target carrier from among one or more second carriers allocated through a first carrier, from a base station; and 
 transmitting a second message, which confirms informs the base station of readiness of the at least one target carrier according to a result of the activation, to the base station, 
 wherein the activation information includes information indicating a time point information, and the transmission of the second message is performed at a specific before expiration of time indicated by the time point information. 
 
     
     
       2. The carrier management method according to  claim 1 , wherein the time point information indicates a superframe number after the first message is transmitted from the base station. 
     
     
       3. The carrier management method according to  claim 2 , wherein the activation information includes at least one of an action code field set to a specific value indicating management of the second carrier, a field for indicating a number of the at least one target carrier, and a field for indicating each index of the at least one target carrier. 
     
     
       4. The carrier management method according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first carrier is a primary carrier, and 
 the second carrier is an assigned secondary carrier which is allocated from the base station to the mobile station. 
 
     
     
       5. The carrier management method according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 the first message is a carrier management command (AAI_CM-CMD) message or a ranging response (AAI_RNG-RSP) message, 
 the second message is a carrier management indication (AAI_CM-IND) message, and 
 the second carrier is allocated to the mobile station through a multi-carrier response (AAI_MC-RSP) message. 
 
     
     
       6. A carrier management method for allowing a base station to manage carriers of a mobile station in a broadband wireless access system supporting multiple carriers, the method comprising:
 transmitting a first message, which includes activation information indicating activation of at least one target carrier from among one or more second carriers allocated to the mobile station through a first carrier, to the mobile station; and 
 receiving a second message, which confirms informs the base station of readiness of the at least one target carrier according to a result of the activation, from the mobile station, 
 wherein the activation information includes information indicating an time point information, and the reception of the second message is performed at a specific before expiration of time indicated by the time point information. 
 
     
     
       7. The carrier management method according to  claim 6 , wherein the time point information indicates a superframe number after the first message is transmitted from the base station. 
     
     
       8. The carrier management method according to  claim 7 , wherein the activation information includes at least one of an action code field set to a specific value indicating management of the second carrier, a field for indicating a number of the at least one target carrier, and a field for indicating each index of the at least one target carrier. 
     
     
       9. The carrier management method according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the first carrier is a primary carrier, and 
 the second carrier is an assigned secondary carrier which is allocated from the base station to the mobile station. 
 
     
     
       10. The carrier management method according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first message is a carrier management command (AAI_CM-CMD) message or a ranging response (AAI_RNG-RSP) message, 
 the second message is a carrier management indication (AAI_CM-IND) message, and 
 the second carrier is allocated to the mobile station through a multi-carrier response (AAI_MC-RSP) message. 
 
     
     
       11. A mobile station for supporting a multi-carrier operation in a broadband wireless access system, the mobile station comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a radio frequency (RF) module for transmitting and receiving an RF signal to and from an external part upon receiving a control signal from the processor, 
 wherein the processor acquires is configured to: 
 acquire activation information, which indicates activation of at least one target carrier from among one or more second carriers allocated through a first carrier, through a first message received from a base station; and 
 transmitscontrol the RF module to transmit a second message, which confirmsinforms the base station of readiness of the at least one target carrier according to a result of the activation, to the base station, 
 wherein the activation information includes information indicating an time point information, and 
 the transmitting of the second message is performed at a specific before expiration of time indicated by the time point information. 
 
     
     
       12. The carrier management method according to  claim 11 , wherein the time point information indicates a superframe number after the first message is transmitted from the base station. 
     
     
       13. The carrier management method according to  claim 12 , wherein the activation information includes at least one of an action code field set to a specific value indicating management of the second carrier, a field for indicating a number of the at least one target carrier, and a field for indicating each index of the at least one target carrier. 
     
     
       14. The carrier management method according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the first carrier is a primary carrier, and 
 the second carrier is an assigned secondary carrier which is allocated from the base station to the mobile station. 
 
     
     
       15. The carrier management method according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 the first message is a carrier management command (AAI_CM-CMD) message or a ranging response (AAI_RNG-RSP) message, 
 the second message is a carrier management indication (AAI_CM-IND) message, and 
 the second carrier is allocated to the mobile station through a multi-carrier response (AAI_MC-RSP) message.