Sony Corporation

Sony Group Corporation

Convida Wireless, LLC

Stephen Truelove

Hideji Wakabayashi

Matthew William Webb

Yuichi Morioka

Dimitris Koulakiotis

Jussi Tapani Kahtava

A communications device transmitting/receiving signals to/from a mobile communications network includes one or more network elements providing a wireless access interface for the communications device. The wireless access interface includes plural communications resource elements across a host frequency range of a host carrier, and a first section of the communications resources within a first frequency range for preferable allocation to reduced capability devices forming a first reduced bandwidth carrier and a second section of the communications resources within a second frequency range for preferable allocation to the reduced capability devices forming a second reduced bandwidth carrier. Each of the first and second frequency ranges is within the host frequency range. The communications device is configured with a reduced capability to receive the signals only within a frequency bandwidth less than the host frequency range and equal to at least one of the first frequency range or the second frequency range.

Mobile communication device and method for allocating system information among virtual carriers for machine-type communications

A mobile communications network includes one or more network elements providing a wireless access interface for communications devices. The wireless access interface provides plural communications resource elements across a host frequency range of a host carrier. First and second sections of communications resources within respective first and second frequency ranges for preferable allocation to reduced capability devices form respective first and second virtual carriers. Each of the first and second frequency ranges is within the host frequency range, wherein the communications device is configured with a reduced capability to receive the signals only within a frequency bandwidth less than the host frequency range and equal to at least one of the first or second frequency range. The communications device is configured to receive the first signalling data from the control channel and the common system information from the one or more communications resources identified by the first signalling data.

Mobile communication equipment and method for allocating system information among virtual carriers for machine-type communications

A mobile communications network includes one or more network elements providing a wireless access interface for communications devices. The wireless access interface provides plural communications resource elements across a host frequency bandwidth, and includes, within the host frequency bandwidth, first communications resource elements within a first frequency bandwidth for allocation preferably to reduced capability devices to receive signals representing the data transmitted by the transmitter unit within the first bandwidth forming a first virtual carrier, the reduced capability devices each having a receiver bandwidth which is greater than or equal to the first frequency bandwidth but less than the host frequency bandwidth. Communications devices of different capabilities can be allocated communications resources within different frequency ranges according to their capability, which can relieve congestion on a centre frequency of communications resources in which communications devices with a minimum bandwidth capability must receive communications resources for receiving down link signals.

Mobile communication base station and method for allocating resources outside of a virtual carrier based on UE capabilities

A paging method in a wireless telecommunications system. A core network element selects a base station from plural base stations including a tracking area to have primary responsibility for paging a terminal device and conveys an indication of the terminal device to the selected base station. Each base station maintains a paging database identifying one or more terminal devices for which it has a responsibility for paging. When a terminal device is to be paged, the core network element transmits a paging request to the plural base stations including the tracking area. The respective base stations then determine whether to onward transmit a paging message for the terminal device based on a comparison between an identifier for the terminal device being paged with entries in their paging database, and if the comparison indicates it has responsibility for paging the terminal device, it will transmit a paging message accordingly.

Telecommunications apparatus and methods

A method of paging in a wireless telecommunications system. A core network element selects a base station from plural base stations including a tracking area to have primary responsibility for paging a terminal device and conveys an indication of the terminal device to the selected base station. Each base station maintains a paging database identifying one or more terminal devices for which it has a responsibility for paging. When a terminal device is to be paged, the core network element transmits a paging request to the plural base stations including the tracking area. The respective base stations then determine whether to onward transmit a paging message for the terminal device based on a comparison between an identifier for the terminal device being paged with entries in their paging database, and if the comparison indicates it has responsibility for paging the terminal device, it will transmit a paging message accordingly.

Telecommunications apparatus and methods for paging mobile terminals in a wireless communication system

An apparatus and method providing feedback on channel conditions in a wireless telecommunications system including a base station to communicate with plural terminals device using frequencies spanning a system frequency bandwidth. At least one terminal device is a reduced capability terminal device including a tuneable transceiver configured to receive downlink transmissions from the base station using only a restricted frequency bandwidth smaller than and within the system frequency bandwidth. The reduced capability terminal device is configured to communicate information derived from measurements of channel conditions to the base station. The information may include an indication of measured channel conditions for different frequency locations, or an indication of one or more frequency locations for which corresponding measurement of channel conditions meet a pre-defined selection criterion. The base station subsequently schedules downlink transmissions for the terminal device in a manner that takes account of the information received from the terminal device.

Mobile communication terminal device and method for selecting a virtual carrier for machine-type communications based on measurements of channel conditions

A communications device configured to receive data from a mobile communications network including one or more network elements providing a wireless access interface. The wireless access interface provides plural communications resource elements across a host frequency bandwidth, and includes, within the host frequency bandwidth, first communications resource elements within a first frequency bandwidth for allocation preferably to reduced capability devices to receive signals representing data transmitted by a transmitter within the first bandwidth forming a first virtual carrier, the reduced capability devices each having a receiver bandwidth greater than or equal to the first frequency bandwidth but less than the host frequency bandwidth. Communications devices of different capabilities can be allocated communications resources within different frequency ranges according to their capability, to relieve congestion on a center frequency of communications resources in which communications devices with a minimum bandwidth capability must receive communications resources for receiving down link signals.

Mobile communication device and method for allocating resources outside of a virtual carrier based on UE capabilities

A perturbation is made to contents and/or locations in time and frequency of Reference Signals transmitted by a cell, such that the perturbation implies information regarding a capability or configuration of the cell as regards availability or configuration of a network functionality, in particular a facility to offer a narrowband virtual carrier operation. The contents and/or locations in time and frequency of the reference signals used are typically based on physical cell identity. In certain embodiments the PCI carried by some identifiable RS resources is changed, in others, the RS is transmitted in unexpected resources. The network functionality configuration information is inferred from various relationships between these transmissions and the cell's actual PCI and/or expected RS transmission resources.

Deriving an indication of a communications parameter using reference symbols

Apparatus and method providing feedback on channel conditions in a wireless telecommunications system including a base station arranged to communicate with plural terminals device using frequencies spanning a system frequency bandwidth. At least one terminal device is a reduced capability terminal device including a tuneable transceiver configured to receive downlink transmissions from the base station using only a restricted frequency bandwidth which is smaller than and within the system frequency bandwidth. The reduced capability terminal device is configured to communicate information derived from measurements of channel conditions to the base station. The information may include an indication of measured channel conditions for the different frequency locations, or an indication of one or more frequency locations for which the corresponding measurement of channel conditions meet a pre-defined selection criterion. The base station subsequently schedules downlink transmissions for the terminal device in taking account of the information received from the terminal device.

Mobile communication base station and method for selecting a virtual carrier for machine-type communications based on measurements of channel conditions

A mobile communications network includes one or more network elements providing a wireless access interface for communications devices. The wireless access interface provides plural communications resource elements across a host frequency bandwidth, and includes, within the host frequency bandwidth, first communications resource elements within a first frequency bandwidth for allocation preferably to reduced capability devices to receive signals representing the data transmitted by the transmitter unit within the first bandwidth forming a first virtual carrier, the reduced capability devices each having a receiver bandwidth which is greater than or equal to the first frequency bandwidth but less than the host frequency bandwidth. Communications devices of different capabilities can be allocated communications resources within different frequency ranges according to their capability, which can relieve congestion on a center frequency of communications resources in which communications devices with a minimum bandwidth capability must receive communications resources for receiving down link signals.

A perturbation is made to contents and/or locations in time and frequency of Reference Signals (RS) transmitted by a cell, such that the perturbation implies information regarding a capability or configuration of the cell as regards availability or configuration of a network functionality, for example facility to offer a narrowband virtual carrier operation. The contents and/or locations in time and frequency of the reference signals used are typically based on the physical cell identity (PCI). In certain embodiments the PCI carried by some identifiable RS resources is changed: in others, the RS is transmitted in unexpected resources. The network functionality configuration information is inferred from the various relationships between these transmissions and the cell's actual PCI and/or expected RS transmission resources.

Growing community of inventors

Ambleside, United Kingdom

Stephen Truelove