Inserting virtual carrier in conventional OFDM host carrier in communications system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11616610-B2
Application number	US-202117328084-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2021
Priority date	Feb 4, 2011
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

A mobile telecommunications system including mobile terminals of first type and second type configured to transmit uplink data to a network over a radio interface using plural sub-carriers. The mobile terminals of first type configured to transmit uplink data on a first group of the sub-carriers over a first bandwidth and the mobile terminals of second type configured to transmit uplink data on a second group of the sub-carriers within the first group of sub-carrier over a second bandwidth smaller than the first bandwidth. The mobile terminals of first type transmit random access request messages to a base station of the network requesting uplink radio resources on a first random access channel. The mobile terminals of second type transmit random access request messages to the base station of the network requesting uplink radio resources on a second random access channel on sub-carriers within the second sub-carrier group.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile terminal which communicates with a network, the network communicating with first mobile terminals of a first type and second mobile terminals of a second type, the mobile terminal being of the second type, the mobile terminal comprising:
a transceiver configured to
transmit uplink data to the network over a radio interface using a plurality of sub-carriers, wherein
the network receives uplink data transmitted from the first mobile terminals on a first group of sub-carriers of the plurality of sub-carriers over a first bandwidth, and
the transceiver transmits the uplink data on a second group of sub-carriers of the plurality of sub-carriers, the second group of sub-carriers being within the first group of sub-carriers over a second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth being smaller than the first bandwidth; and

transmit, on a sub-carrier within the second group of sub-carriers, a random access request message requesting uplink radio resources on a random access channel, wherein the network transmits downlink data on a third group of sub-carriers over a third bandwidth,

the transceiver is further configured to receive downlink data on a fourth group of sub-carriers over a fourth bandwidth, the fourth bandwidth being smaller than the third bandwidth and the fourth group of sub-carriers being within the third group of sub-carriers, and
the fourth bandwidth is different than the second bandwidth.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to receive a signal indicating a position of the random access channel on a downlink signaling channel.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile terminal is arranged in accordance with 3GPP Long Term Evolution specifications.

4. The mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the random access request message is transmitted on a same group of sub-carriers of the first group of sub-carriers and at a same time as random access request messages transmitted on the random access channel by another mobile terminal of the first type.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the random access request message on the random access channel in accordance with an allocation of the random access channel, the allocation comprising a time period common to a plurality of mobile terminals of the second type and differing from an allocation for another mobile terminal of the first type.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the random access request message comprises one of a first plurality of random access preambles, the first plurality of random access preambles being commonly allocated to a plurality of mobile terminals of the second type and differing from a second plurality of preambles for use by a mobile terminal of the first type.

7. The mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein
the second group of sub-carriers of the plurality of sub-carriers form a virtual carrier inserted within the first bandwidth, and
a remaining plurality of the sub-carriers of the first group of sub-carriers form a host carrier.

8. A mobile terminal which communicates with a network, the network communicating with first mobile terminals of a first type and second mobile terminals of a second type, the mobile terminal being of the second type, the mobile terminal comprising:
a transceiver configured to
transmit uplink data to the network over a radio interface using a plurality of sub-carriers, wherein
the network receives uplink data transmitted from the first mobile terminals on a first group of sub-carriers of the plurality of sub-carriers over a first bandwidth, and
the transceiver transmits the uplink data on a second group of sub-carriers of the plurality of sub-carriers, the second group of sub-carriers being within the first group of sub-carriers over a second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth being smaller than the first bandwidth; and

transmit, on a sub-carrier outside of the second group of sub-carriers but within remaining sub-carriers of the first group of sub-carriers, a random access request message requesting uplink radio resources on a random access channel, wherein

the network transmits downlink data on a third group of sub-carriers over a third bandwidth,
the transceiver is further configured to receive downlink data on a fourth group of sub-carriers over a fourth bandwidth, the fourth bandwidth being smaller than the third bandwidth and the fourth group of sub-carriers being within the third group of sub-carriers, and
the fourth bandwidth is different than the second bandwidth.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 8 , wherein the transceiver is configured to receive a signal indicating a position of the random access channel on a downlink signaling channel.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 8 , wherein the mobile terminal is arranged in accordance with 3GPP Long Term Evolution specifications.

11. The mobile terminal according to claim 8 , wherein the random access request message is transmitted on a same group of sub-carriers of the first group of sub-carriers and at a same time as random access request messages transmitted on the random access channel by another mobile terminal of the first type.

12. The mobile terminal according to claim 8 , wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the random access request message on the random access channel in accordance with an allocation of the random access channel, the allocation comprising a time period common to a plurality of mobile terminals of the second type and differing from an allocation for another mobile terminal of the first type.

13. The mobile terminal according to claim 8 , wherein the random access request message comprises one of a first plurality of random access preambles, the first plurality of random access preambles being commonly allocated to a plurality of mobile terminals of the second type and differing from a second plurality of preambles for use by a mobile terminal of the first type.

14. The mobile terminal according to claim 8 , wherein
the second group of sub-carriers of the plurality of sub-carriers form a virtual carrier inserted within the first bandwidth, and
the remaining sub-carriers of the first group of sub-carriers form a host carrier.

15. A method for a mobile terminal which communicates with a network, the network communicating with first mobile terminals of a first type and second mobile terminals of a second type, the mobile terminal being of the second type, the method comprising:
transmitting, by the mobile terminal, uplink data to the network over a radio interface using a plurality of sub-carriers, wherein
the network receives uplink data transmitted from the first mobile terminals on a first group of sub-carriers of the plurality of sub-carriers over a first bandwidth, and
the transmitting the uplink data by the mobile terminal is on a second group of sub-carriers of the plurality of sub-carriers, the second group of sub-carriers being within the first group of sub-carriers over a second bandwidth, and the second bandwidth being smaller than the first bandwidth;

transmitting, by the mobile terminal on a sub-carrier within the second group of sub-carriers, a random access request message requesting uplink radio resources on a random access channel, wherein
the network transmits downlink data on a third group of sub-carriers over a third bandwidth and
receiving, by the mobile terminal, downlink data on a fourth group of sub-carriers over a fourth bandwidth, the fourth bandwidth being small

Assignees

• Sca Ipla Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Mcnamara Darren
• Lillie Andrew
• Darwood Peter
• Beale Martin

Classifications

• H04W74/0833

  Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access · CPC title

• H04L5/0064

  Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority · CPC title

• H04L5/0007 Primary

  the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A) or DMT · CPC title

• H04W72/0453 Primary

  Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA · CPC title

• H04L5/0053

  Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals · CPC title