Expanded carrier capacity in a mobile communications system

• US 6,584,084 B1
• Filed: 11/08/1999
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Barany, Peter A., Johnson, Eric N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WASHINGTON, ERIKA ALISE
• Application Number:
  US09/435,523
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329,330,336,337,350 455/434,444,446,447,449,450
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/06 Hybrid resource partitioning, e.g. channel borrowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/12 Fixed resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

A mobile communications system includes a plurality of cell segments each allocated primary carriers to carry circuit-switched traffic and packet data carriers for carrying packet-switched traffic. The packet data carriers include two sets of carriers, a main set of carriers and a secondary set of carriers. The main packet data carriers are allocated to corresponding cell segments. The secondary carriers are allocated to high capacity segments, which may be segments having high bursty traffic or segments in which a hierarchical cell structure is implemented. For high bursty cell segments, the main carriers are used to carry control signaling for performing selection or reselection. However, in such high bursty cell segments, the secondary carriers are not used for performing cell segment selection or reselection.

Claims

1. A method of communicating in a mobile communications system including a plurality of cell segments, comprising:

providing a primary carrier in a first cell segment of the plurality of cell segments, the primary carrier carrying circuit switched traffic and control signaling;

providing a main data carrier for carrying packet data traffic and control signaling and for carrying control signaling defining cell segment selection and reselection for the plurality of cell segments;

providing a secondary data carrier carrying packet data traffic and control signaling; and

wherein the secondary data carrier does not carry control signaling defining cell segment selection and reselection for the plurality of cell segments.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a time group to the first cell segment, the time group including at least one time slot.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing time slots in the cell segment with the other cell segments.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing another main carrier in a second cell segment without providing another secondary carrier.

5. The method claim 1, further comprising providing a fourth carrier in a second cell segment, the second cell segment having a smaller number of one or more carriers than the first cell segment.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising identifying the first cell segment as a high bursty cell segment.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a hierarchical cell structure in the first cell segment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating in the mobile communications system is according to an Enhanced General Packet Radio Service protocol.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining the first cell segment as a macrocell segment;

defining at least one microcell segment in the macrocell segment;

allocating the main carrier to the macrocell segment; and

allocating at least one other carrier to the microcell segment.

10. A system for use in a mobile communications system having a first wireless link, comprising:

an interface to communicate signals over the first wireless link, the interface adapted to transmit and receive a first carrier and a second carrier;

wherein the first carrier carries packet based traffic; and

a control unit adapted to communicate control signaling over the first carrier for performing cell selection for the first and second carriers and to communicate signaling over the second carrier, the signaling on the second carrier not including control signaling for performing cell selection.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second interface to communicate signals over a circuit switched link including additional carriers.