Telecommunications apparatus and methods

Abstract

A method of operating a terminal device and a base station in a wireless telecommunications system to communicate with one another using a primary component carrier operating on radio resources within a first frequency band and a secondary component carrier operating on radio resources within a second frequency band. The terminal device makes measurements of radio usage in the second frequency band, e.g. by other devices which are not part of the wireless telecommunications system but which can also use radio resources within the second frequency band. The terminal device transmits an indication of the measurements to the base station, and on the basis if this the base station establishes a configuration setting for the secondary component carrier, for example in terms of frequency resources to use for the secondary component carrier.

1 : Circuitry of a terminal device that communicates with network infrastructure equipment using a primary component carrier operating on radio resources within a first frequency band and a secondary component carrier operating on radio resources within a second frequency band, wherein the circuitry comprising:
 a transceiver; and   control circuitry, the control circuitry and the transceiver configured together to:
 receive an indication of a configuration setting for the secondary component carrier from the network infrastructure equipment; 
 establish a validity period for the configuration setting; and 
 receive data from the network infrastructure equipment, using the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier in accordance with the configuration setting, during the validity period for the configuration setting. 
   
     
     
         2 - 3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 : The circuitry of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry and the transceiver are further configured to:
 measure a radio usage in the second band; and   transmit an indication of the measurements of radio usage in the second band.   
     
     
         5 : The circuitry of  claim 4 , wherein the control circuitry and the transceiver are further configured to:
 determine whether the validity period has expired; and   in a case that the validity period is determined to have expired, measure the radio usage in the second band and transmit an indication of the measurements of radio usage in the second band.   
     
     
         6 : The circuitry of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry and the transceiver are further configured to:
 determine whether the validity period has expired; and   in a case that the validity period is determined have expired, release the configuration setting.   
     
     
         7 : The circuitry of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry and the transceiver are further configured to:
 receive another indication, of an updated configuration setting for the second band, after the validity period has expired;   establish another validity period for the updated configuration setting for the second band; and   receive data using the second band operating in accordance with the updated configuration setting during the another validity period for the updated configuration setting.   
     
     
         8 : The circuitry of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry and the transceiver are further configured to:
 perform channel quality measurements for the second band;   determine whether the channel quality measurements indicate a channel quality is below a threshold channel quality; and   in a case that the channel quality measurements are determined to indicate that the channel quality is below the threshold channel quality, measure a radio usage in the second band and transmit an indication of the measurements of radio usage in the second band.   
     
     
         9 : The circuitry of  claim 8 , wherein the control circuitry and the transceiver are further configured to:
 receive another indication of an updated configuration setting for the second band after transmitting the indication of the measurements of radio usage in the second band;   establish another validity period for the updated configuration setting for the second band; and   receive data using the second band operating in accordance with the updated configuration setting for the second band during the another validity period for the updated configuration setting.   
     
     
         10 : The circuitry of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry and the transceiver are further configured to:
 receive a request to provide an indication of radio usage in the second band;   measure a radio usage in the second band; and   transmit the indication of the measurements of radio usage in the second band in response thereto.   
     
     
         11 : The circuitry of  claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry and the transceiver are further configured to:
 receive another indication of an updated configuration setting for the second band after transmitting the indication of the measurements of radio usage in the second band in response to receiving the request;   establish another validity period for the updated configuration setting for the second band; and   receive data using the second band operating in accordance with the updated configuration setting for the second band during the another validity period for the updated configuration setting.   
     
     
         12 : The circuitry of  claim 4 , wherein the indication of the measurements of radio usage in the second band is transmitted using transmission resources in the first band. 
     
     
         13 : The circuitry of  claim 4 , wherein the indication of the measurements of radio usage in the second band is transmitted using radio resource control (RRC) signaling. 
     
     
         15 : The circuitry of  claim 1 , wherein the indication of the configuration setting for the second band is received using transmission resources in the first band. 
     
     
         16 : The circuitry of  claim 1 , wherein the indication of the configuration setting for the second band is received using radio resource control (RRC) signaling. 
     
     
         17 : The circuitry of  claim 4 , wherein
 communications are received by the terminal device operating in accordance with a first wireless communications operating standard, and   the measurements of radio usage in the second band are made by the terminal device operating in accordance with a second wireless communications operating standard that is different from the first wireless communications operating standard.   
     
     
         18 : The circuitry of  claim 17 , wherein the first wireless communications operating standard is a cellular telecommunications operating standard and the second wireless communications operating standard is a non-cellular telecommunications operating standard. 
     
     
         19 : The circuitry of  claim 1 , wherein the validity period is established in accordance with an operating standard for a wireless telecommunications system. 
     
     
         20 : A method of operating network infrastructure equipment in a wireless telecommunications system for communicating with a terminal device using a primary component carrier operating on radio resources within a first frequency band and a secondary component carrier operating on radio resources within a second frequency band, the method comprising:
 determining a configuration setting for the secondary component carrier based on radio usage in the second frequency band;   establishing a validity period for the configuration setting;   transmitting an indication of the configuration setting for the secondary component carrier to the terminal device;   transmitting data to the terminal device, using the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier in accordance with the configuration setting, during the validity period for the configuration setting.   
     
     
         21 : The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 determining whether the validity period for the configuration setting for the secondary component carrier has expired; and   in a case that the validity period is determined to have expired, determining a new configuration setting based on measured radio usage in the second frequency band and establishing another validity period for the new configuration setting.   
     
     
         22 : Network infrastructure equipment for use in a wireless telecommunications system for communicating with a terminal device using a primary component carrier operating on radio resources within a first frequency band and a secondary component carrier operating on radio resources within a second frequency band, the network infrastructure equipment comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to:
 determine a configuration setting for the secondary component carrier based on radio usage in the second frequency band; 
 establish a validity period for the configuration setting; 
 transmit an indication of the configuration setting for the secondary component carrier to the terminal device; 
 transmit data to the terminal device, using the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier in accordance with the configuration setting, during the validity period for the configuration setting.