Communication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9596667-B2
Application number	US-201214356567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2012
Priority date	Nov 7, 2011
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

A communication system is disclosed in which each base station is configured to provide synchronizations signals in each radio frame of both a primary (backwards compatible) component carrier and a secondary (extension) component carrier. The location of the synchronization signals in the radio frame of the primary (backwards compatible) component carrier are fixed whilst the location of the synchronization signals in the radio frame of the secondary (extension) component carrier are configurable.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A communication apparatus for communicating with a plurality of mobile communication devices in a cellular communication system using a plurality of radio frames, said communication apparatus comprising:
a communication control module configured to operate a communication cell on an associated component carrier;
a synchronization module configured to configure said apparatus to communicate a signal comprising at least one of a synchronization signal and a reference signal at a configured relative location within a radio frame to be transmitted in said communication cell using said component carrier, said configured relative location being a location within said radio frame relative both to a time range spanned by said radio frame and to a frequency range spanned by said radio frame; and
a transceiver configured to communicate a signal at said configured relative location within said radio frame,
wherein said synchronization module is operable to configure said apparatus to communicate said signal at any of a plurality of relative locations within said radio frame,
wherein said communication control module is configured to operate a plurality of communication cells on respective component carriers,
wherein said transceiver is operable to communicate a first signal within a first radio frame transmitted in a first of said plurality of cells using a first component carrier, said first signal being transmitted at a predetermined relative location within said radio frame relative both to a time range spanned by said first radio frame and to a frequency range spanned by said first radio frame,
wherein said synchronization module is operable to configure said apparatus to communicate a second signal at a configured relative location within a second radio frame to be transmitted in a second of said plurality of cells using a second component carrier, said configured relative location being a location within said radio frame relative both to a time range spanned by said second radio frame and to a frequency range spanned by said second radio frame,
wherein said transceiver is further operable to communicate a second signal at said configured relative location within said second radio frame,
wherein said first and second signals are of a same type as one another, each comprising at least one of a synchronization signal and a reference signal, and
wherein said synchronization module is operable to configure said apparatus to communicate said second signal at a configured relative location within said second radio frame that is different to the predetermined relative location within said first radio frame.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
each radio frame comprises a plurality of subframes or slots spanning a range of different subframe locations or slot locations in time; and
said synchronization module is operable to configure said apparatus to communicate said second signal, at any of a plurality of relative locations within said radio frame, which plurality of locations each comprise a different subframe location or a different slot location within said range of subframe locations or slot locations.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
each subframe or slot comprises a plurality of symbols spanning a range of different symbol locations in time; and
said synchronization module is operable to configure said apparatus to communicate said second signal, at a predetermined symbol location within each subframe or slot in which said signal, or said second signal is communicated, which predetermined symbol location is located within a control region of said subframe or slot.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
each subframe or slot comprises a plurality of symbols spanning a range of different symbol locations in time; and
said synchronization module is operable to configure said apparatus to communicate said second signal, at any of a plurality of relative locations within said radio frame, which plurality of locations each comprises a different symbol location within said range of symbol locations.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
each radio frame comprises a plurality of subcarriers spanning a range of different subcarrier locations in frequency; and
said synchronization module is operable to configure said apparatus to communicate said second signal, at any of a plurality of relative locations within said radio frame, which plurality of locations each comprises a different subrange of subcarrier locations within said range of subcarrier locations.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
each radio frame comprises a plurality of resource blocks spanning a range of different resource block locations in frequency; and
said synchronization module is operable to configure said apparatus to communicate said second signal, at any of a plurality of relative locations within said radio frame, which plurality of locations each comprises a different subrange of resource block locations within said range of resource block locations.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said synchronization module is configured to identify a further relative location within a further radio frame used by a further communication apparatus to communicate a signal of the same type as said first and second signals and to configure said second signal at a configured relative location within an associated radio frame that is different to said identified further relative location within a further radio frame.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said synchronization module is operable to identify said further relative location within said further radio frame by communicating with said further communication apparatus via an X2 interface.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said synchronization module is operable to identify said further relative location within said further radio frame during an automatic neighbour relation (ANR) procedure.

10. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter configured to communicate, to said mobile communication devices, information for identifying said configured relative location to said mobile communication devices.

11. The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said information for identifying said configured relative location comprises a configuration index from which said configured relative location can be derived.

12. The communication apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the link between possible configuration indexes and possible configured relative locations is represented by a look-up table in a memory of the apparatus.

13. The communication apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the look-up table comprises a link between possible configuration indexes and possible configured relative locations as follows:

Subframe numbers used for

Configuration Index
associated transmission

0
None

1
0, 5

2
1, 6

Assignees

• Awad Yassin Aden
• Seo Kay
• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Awad Yassin Aden
• Seo Kay

Classifications

• H04W56/0015 Primary

  one node acting as a reference for the others · CPC title

• H04L5/001

  the frequencies being arranged in component carriers · CPC title

• H04W72/0446

  Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames · CPC title

• H04L5/0091

  Signalling for the administration of the divided path, e.g. signalling of configuration information · CPC title

• H04L5/005

  of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals · CPC title