Wireless communications system with a narrower subordinate carrier

Abstract

Wirelessly communicating with a first type of terminal device and a second type of terminal device is disclosed. The first type of terminal device may have a host carrier having radio resource segments distributed in time. Each radio resource segment may provide radio resources across a first frequency band. A second type of terminal device may also communicate, within a second frequency band, using a subordinate carrier comprising resources that are a subset of the host carrier radio resource segments. The second frequency band may be narrower than and contained within the first frequency band.

1 .- 39 . (canceled) 
     
     
         40 . A network device comprising:
 a network device configured to wirelessly communicate with a first type of terminal device and a second type of terminal device;   the network device further configured to communicate with the first type of terminal device with a host carrier having radio resource segments distributed in time, wherein each radio resource segment provides radio resources across a first frequency band;   the network device further configured to communicate, within a second frequency band, with the second type of terminal device using a subordinate carrier comprising resources that are a subset of the host carrier radio resource segments; and   wherein the second frequency band is narrower than and contained within the first frequency band.   
     
     
         41 . The network device of  claim 40  further comprising:
 the radio resource segments are subframes of radio frames having a plurality of subframes; and 
 subframes are allocated to the subordinate carrier using a subordinate carrier subframe allocation set, wherein the subordinate carrier subframe allocation set determines which subframes within a repeating group of one or more radio frames are allocated to the subordinate carrier. 
 
     
     
         42 . The network device of  claim 41 , wherein the subordinate carrier subframe allocation set is defined by one or more reserved subframe allocation patterns. 
     
     
         43 . The network device of  claim 42 , wherein the one or more reserved subframe allocation patterns comprise substantially all or a subset of all reserved subframe allocation patterns of the host carrier. 
     
     
         44 . The network device of  claim 42  further comprising:
 acquisition information required for the second type of terminal device to receive the subordinate carrier is allocated to subframes of the subordinate carrier using at least a portion of the subframes in the one or more reserved subframe allocation patterns. 
 
     
     
         45 . The network device of  claim 40 , wherein the first type of terminal device is capable of receiving a full bandwidth of the first frequency band, wherein the second type of terminal device is incapable of receiving the full bandwidth of the first frequency band, and wherein the second type of terminal device is capable of receiving the full bandwidth of the second frequency band. 
     
     
         46 . A method performed by a network device, the method comprising:
 communicating, wirelessly by the network device, with a first type of terminal device and a second type of terminal device;   communicating, by the network device, with the first type of terminal device with a host carrier having radio resource segments distributed in time, wherein each radio resource segment provides radio resources across a first frequency band;   communicating, by the network device within a second frequency band, with the second type of terminal device using a subordinate carrier comprising resources that are a subset of the host carrier radio resource segments; and   wherein the second frequency band is narrower than and contained within the first frequency band.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46  further comprising:
 the radio resource segments are subframes of radio frames having a plurality of subframes; and 
 subframes are allocated to the subordinate carrier using a subordinate carrier subframe allocation set, wherein the subordinate carrier subframe allocation set determines which subframes within a repeating group of one or more radio frames are allocated to the subordinate carrier. 
 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the subordinate carrier subframe allocation set is defined by one or more reserved subframe allocation patterns. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the one or more reserved subframe allocation patterns comprise substantially all or a subset of all reserved subframe allocation patterns of the host carrier. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 48  further comprising:
 acquisition information required for the second type of terminal device to receive the subordinate carrier is allocated to subframes of the subordinate carrier using at least a portion of the subframes in the one or more reserved subframe allocation patterns. 
 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the first type of terminal device is capable of receiving a full bandwidth of the first frequency band, wherein the second type of terminal device is incapable of receiving the full bandwidth of the first frequency band, and wherein the second type of terminal device is capable of receiving the full bandwidth of the second frequency band.