Method, base station and mobile station for tdd operation in a communication system

Abstract

A method, NodeB and User Equipment for TDD operation in a communication system operating in TDD mode in a frequency band allocated for FDD operation. Preferably, operation is in TDD uplink and downlink mode in a first frequency band designated or normally used for FDD uplink communication, and in TDD downlink-only mode in a second frequency band designated or normally used for FDD downlink communication. The invention provides the following advantages: Provides a flexible method to deploy a time division duplex architecture in frequency division duplex spectrum. Allows flexible use of system capacity by adjusting the uplink and downlink capacity split. Removes previous FDD duplex restrictions.

1 . An electronic device comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to   transmit an Aux DL capability message to a base station and receive another Aux DL capability message from the base station so as to enable the base station to use both a lower frequency channel and an upper frequency channel simultaneously in downlink communication, and   communicate via wireless communications with the base station in both the lower frequency channel and the upper frequency channel simultaneously in downlink communication so as to provide the electronic device with increased communications capacity as compared to other user equipment which is not capable of supporting dual simultaneous channels, wherein the lower frequency channel has a predetermined bandwidth that supports user equipment not capable of supporting dual simultaneous channels, and the upper frequency channel has a bandwidth that is a different width than the predetermined bandwidth of the lower frequency channel, the lower frequency channel being contiguous with the upper frequency channel.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to use a common signaling protocol in the lower frequency channel and the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower frequency channel has a wider bandwidth than the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first lower frequency channel has a narrower bandwidth than the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive an instruction from the base station to perform frequency tuning for the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         6 . An electronic device comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to   transmit an Aux DL capability message to a user equipment and receive another Aux DL capability message from the user equipment so as to enable the electronic device to use both a lower frequency channel and an upper frequency channel simultaneously in downlink communication,   communicate via wireless communications with the user equipment in both the lower frequency channel and the upper frequency channel simultaneously in downlink communication so as to provide the electronic device with increased communications capacity as compared to another electronic device which is not capable of supporting dual simultaneous channels, wherein the lower frequency channel has a predetermined bandwidth that supports user equipment not capable of supporting dual simultaneous channels, and the upper frequency channel has a bandwidth that is a different width than the predetermined bandwidth of the lower frequency channel, the lower frequency channel being contiguous with the upper frequency channel.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to use a common signaling protocol in the lower frequency channel and the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , wherein the lower frequency channel has a wider bandwidth than the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , wherein the lower frequency channel has a narrower bandwidth than the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to transmit an instruction to the user equipment to perform frequency tuning for the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         11 . An electronic device comprising:
 at least one antenna that supports wireless communications; and   processing circuitry configured to   transmit an Aux DL capability message to a base station and receive another Aux DL capability message from the base station so as to enable the base station to use both a lower frequency channel and a-an upper frequency channel simultaneously in downlink communication,   communicate via wireless communications with the base station in both the lower frequency channel and the upper frequency channel simultaneously in downlink communication so as to provide the electronic device increased communications capacity as compared to other user equipment which is not capable of supporting dual simultaneous channels, wherein the lower frequency channel has a predetermined bandwidth that supports user equipment not capable of supporting dual simultaneous channels, and the upper frequency channel has a bandwidth that is a different width than the predetermined bandwidth of the lower frequency channel, the lower frequency channel being contiguous with the upper frequency channel.   
     
     
         12 . The electronic device according to  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to use a common signaling protocol in the lower frequency channel and the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic device according to  claim 11 , wherein the lower frequency channel has a wider bandwidth than the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         14 . The electronic device according to  claim 11 , wherein the lower frequency channel has a narrower bandwidth than the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         15 . The electronic device according to  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive an instruction from the base station to perform frequency tuning for the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         16 . An electronic device comprising:
 at least one antenna that supports wireless communications; and   processing circuitry configured to   transmit an Aux DL capability message to a user equipment and receive another Aux DL capability message from the user equipment so as to enable the electronic device to use both a lower frequency channel and an upper frequency channel simultaneously in downlink communication,   communicate via wireless communications with the user equipment in both the lower frequency channel and the upper frequency channel simultaneously in downlink communication so as to provide the electronic device with increased communications capacity as compared to another electronic device which is not capable of supporting dual simultaneous channels, wherein the lower frequency channel has a predetermined bandwidth that supports user equipment not capable of supporting dual simultaneous channels, and the upper frequency channel has a bandwidth that is a different width than the predetermined bandwidth of the lower frequency channel, the lower frequency channel being contiguous with the upper frequency channel.   
     
     
         17 . The electronic device according to  claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to use a common signaling protocol in the lower frequency channel and the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         18 . The electronic device according to  claim 16 , wherein the lower frequency channel has a wider bandwidth than the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         19 . The electronic device according to  claim 16 , wherein the lower frequency channel has a narrower bandwidth than the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         20 . The electronic device according to  claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to transmit an instruction to the user equipment to perform frequency tuning for the upper frequency channel. 
     
     
         21 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to communicate simultaneously with the base station in downlink communication in both the lower and upper frequency channels in a paired band. 
     
     
         22 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to communicate simultaneously with the user equipment in downlink communication in both the lower and upper frequency channels in a paired band. 
     
     
         23 . The electronic device according to  claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to communicate simultaneously with the base station in downlink communication in both the lower and upper frequency channels in a paired band. 
     
     
         24 . The electronic device according to  claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to communicate simultaneously with the user equipment in downlink communication in both the lower and upper frequency channels in a paired band.