Inserting virtual carrier in conventional OFDM host carrier in communications system

• US 10,743,314 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2019
• Issued: 08/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SCA IPLA Holdings Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: SCA IPLA Holdings Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: McNamara, Darren, Lillie, Andrew, Darwood, Peter, Beale, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Phuong, Dai
• Application Number:
  US16/592,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20200037326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0039 Frequency-contiguous, i.e. with no allocation of frequencies for one user or terminal between the frequencies allocated to another
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0064 Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

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.

Claims

1. Circuitry for a mobile terminal, the circuitry comprising:

receiver circuitry configured to receive a signal on a downlink; and

processing circuitry configured to detect a reduced bandwidth carrier on the downlink, wherein

the receiver circuitry 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.

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 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, herein 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 method performed by circuitry for a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

receiving 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,

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.