Patent ID: 8717920

Claim:
A method of performing intra-band carrier aggregation in a multi-tiered wireless network including a first radio network node that uses a first component carrier in a first frequency band and a second radio network node that is not co-located with the first radio network node and that uses a second component carrier in the first frequency band, the method comprising: determining a capability of a user equipment unit located within an overlapping coverage area of the first and second radio network nodes to simultaneously receive data on the first component carrier from the first radio network node and on the second component carrier from the second radio network node when a time difference of arrival at the user equipment unit for transmissions from the first and second radio network nodes is greater than a smaller of a cyclic prefix duration of a first symbol transmitted by the first radio network node and a second cyclic prefix duration of a second symbol transmitted by the second radio network node; and transmitting first data to the user equipment unit from the first radio network node using the first component carrier simultaneous with the second radio network node transmitting second data to the user equipment unit using the second component carrier in response to determining that the user equipment unit is capable of simultaneously receiving data on the first component carrier from the first radio network node and on the second component carrier from the second radio network node.