Inserting virtual carrier in conventional ofdm host carrier in communications system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020037326-A1
Application number	US-201916592771-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 4, 2019
Priority date	Feb 4, 2011
Publication date	Jan 30, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a mobile communications system and method for communicating data to and/or from mobile communications devices. The method includes receiving, by a mobile terminal, a signal on a downlink, detecting a reduced bandwidth carrier on the downlink, and receiving downlink communications via the reduced bandwidth carrier, wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier is configured to provide a first set of resource elements within first frequency resources that are within and smaller than second frequency resources that are used by a host carrier to provide a second set of resource elements, wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier is provided in the first frequency resources in a first sub-frame, wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier is provided in third frequency resources in a second sub-frame after the first sub-frame, and wherein the third frequency resources are within and smaller than the first frequency resources.

First claim

1 . Circuitry for a mobile terminal, the circuitry configured to:
receive a signal on a downlink; detect a reduced bandwidth carrier on the downlink; and receive downlink communications via the reduced bandwidth carrier, wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier is configured to provide a first set of resource elements within first frequency resources that are within and smaller than second frequency resources that are used by a host carrier to provide a second set of resource elements, wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier is provided in the first frequency resources in a first sub-frame, wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier is provided in third frequency resources in a second sub-frame after the first sub-frame, and wherein the third frequency resources are within and smaller than the first frequency resources.

2 . The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
decode the first set of resource elements; and obtain network configuration information from the decoded first set of resource elements.

3 . The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to scan the first frequency resources for the reduced bandwidth carrier.

4 . The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to configure a receiver to receive communications transmitted in the first frequency resources.

5 . The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the first set of resource elements includes a reduced bandwidth carrier indicator that is configured to indicate a presence of the reduced bandwidth carrier.

6 . The circuitry of claim 5 , wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier indicator is configured to indicate a location of the reduced bandwidth carrier.

7 . The circuitry of claim 5 , wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier indicator is configured to indicate a bandwidth of the reduced bandwidth carrier.

8 . The circuitry of claim 5 , wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier indicator is provided in a physical broadcast channel.

9 . The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier has a bandwidth size of at least one resource block and of fewer than one hundred resource blocks.

10 . The circuitry of claim 1 , wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier has a bandwidth size of six resource blocks.

11 . A mobile terminal, comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a signal on a downlink; and processing circuitry configured to detect a reduced bandwidth carrier on the downlink, wherein the receiver is configured to receive downlink communications via the reduced bandwidth carrier, the reduced bandwidth carrier is configured to provide a first set of resource elements within first frequency resources that are within and smaller than second frequency resources that are used by a host carrier to provide a second set of resource elements, the reduced bandwidth carrier is provided in the first frequency resources in a first sub-frame, the reduced bandwidth carrier is provided in third frequency resources in a second sub-frame after the first sub-frame, and the third frequency resources are within and smaller than the first frequency resources.

12 . The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
decode the first set of resource elements; and obtain network configuration information from the decoded first set of resource elements.

13 . The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to scan the first frequency resources for the reduced bandwidth carrier.

14 . The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to configure a receiver to receive communications transmitted in the first frequency resources.

15 . The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the first set of resource elements includes a reduced bandwidth carrier indicator that is configured to indicate a presence of the reduced bandwidth carrier.

16 . The mobile terminal of claim 15 , wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier indicator is configured to indicate a location of the reduced bandwidth carrier.

17 . The mobile terminal of claim 15 , wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier indicator is configured to indicate a bandwidth of the reduced bandwidth carrier.

18 . The mobile terminal of claim 15 , wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier indicator is provided in a physical broadcast channel.

19 . The mobile terminal of claim 11 , wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier has a bandwidth size of at least one resource block and of fewer than one hundred resource blocks.

20 . A device comprising:
circuitry configured to
receive a signal on a downlink;
detect a reduced bandwidth carrier on the downlink; and
receive downlink communications via the reduced bandwidth carrier,
wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier is configured to provide a first set of resource elements within first frequency resources that are within and smaller than second frequency resources that are used by a host carrier to provide a second set of resource elements, wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier is provided in the first frequency resources in a first sub-frame, wherein the reduced bandwidth carrier is provided in third frequency resources in a second sub-frame after the first sub-frame, and wherein the third frequency resources are within and smaller than the first frequency resources.

Assignees

• Sca Ipla Holdings Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04W4/70

  Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] · CPC title

• H04W72/0453 Primary

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

• H04L5/0039 Primary

  Frequency-contiguous, i.e. with no allocation of frequencies for one user or terminal between the frequencies allocated to another · CPC title

• H04L5/0048

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title

• H04L5/0007

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