Multiband-operation in wireless communication systems

Abstract

A method and wireless communication network that employs adapted control channel information to facilitate centralized and distributed scheduling of network resources for a network with mobile communication devices of differing bandwidth capabilities are described. The method includes transmitting control channel data of a first format over a control channel, wherein the control channel data of the first format conveys information related to data transmitted within a first frequency band and transmitting control channel data of a second format over the control channel, wherein the control channel data of the second format conveys information related to data transmitted over one or more frequency bands, the one or more frequency bands having a combined bandwidth equal or greater than the first frequency band.

1 . A method of transmitting data in a communication system, the method comprising:
 transmitting control channel data of a first format over a control channel, wherein the control channel data of the first format conveys information related to data transmitted within a first frequency band; and   transmitting control channel data of a second format over the control channel, wherein the control channel data of the second format conveys information related to data transmitted over one or more frequency bands, the one or more frequency bands having a combined bandwidth equal or greater than the first frequency band.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting control channel data of the second format over the control channel comprises transmitting control channel data of the second format over the control channel, wherein the one or more frequency bands include the first frequency band. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting control channel data of the first format over the control channel comprises transmitting control channel data of the first format over the control channel with a first bandwidth; and
 wherein transmitting control channel data of the second format over the control channel comprises transmitting control channel data of the second format over the control channel with the first bandwidth.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting control channel data of the first format over the control channel comprises transmitting control channel data of the first format over the control channel with a first carrier frequency; and
 wherein transmitting control channel data of the second format over the control channel comprises transmitting control channel data of the second format over the control channel with the first carrier frequency.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting control channel data of the first format over the control channel comprises transmitting control channel data of the first format over the control channel with a first carrier frequency; and
 wherein transmitting control channel data of the second format over the control channel comprises transmitting control channel data of the second format over the control channel with a second carrier frequency, the second carrier frequency being a different frequency than the first carrier frequency.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting control channel data of the first format over the control channel comprises transmitting control channel data of the first format over the control channel with a first bandwidth; and
 wherein transmitting control channel data of the second format over the control channel comprises transmitting control channel data of the second format over the control channel with a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth being equal or greater than the first bandwidth.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting control channel data of the second format comprises transmitting control channel data of the second format, wherein the second format includes:
 a carrier frequency field, the carrier frequency field being indicative of one or more carrier frequencies to be used in a transmission; and   a physical resource block field, the physical resource block field being indicative of a number of physical resource blocks allocated to each one or more carrier frequencies to be used in the transmission.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein transmitting control channel data of the second format further comprises transmitting control channel data of the second format, wherein the second format includes a mobile communication device bandwidth field, the mobile communication device bandwidth field being indicative of a radio frequency transmission and/or reception bandwidth capability of a mobile communication device. 
   
   
       9 . A wireless communication network, the wireless communication network comprising:
 a first mobile communication device, the first mobile communication device operating over a first frequency band;   a second mobile communication device, the second mobile communication device operating over one or more frequency bands, the one or more frequency bands having a combined bandwidth equal or greater than the first frequency band; and   a base station, wherein the base station is configured to:
 transmit control channel data of a first format over a control channel, wherein the control channel data of the first format conveys information related to data transmitted within the first frequency band; and 
 transmit control channel data of a second format over the control channel, wherein the control channel data of the second format conveys information related to data transmitted over the one or more frequency bands. 
   
   
   
       10 . The wireless communication network of  claim 9 , wherein the one or more frequency bands includes the first frequency band. 
   
   
       11 . The wireless communication network of  claim 9 , wherein the base station is configured to:
 transmit control channel data of the first format over the control channel with a first bandwidth; and   transmit control channel data of the second format over the control channel with the first bandwidth.   
   
   
       12 . The wireless communication network of  claim 9 , wherein the base station is configured to:
 transmit control channel data of the first format over the control channel with a first carrier frequency; and   transmit control channel data of the second format over the control channel with the first carrier frequency.   
   
   
       13 . The wireless communication network of  claim 9 , wherein the base station is configured to:
 transmit control channel data of the first format over the control channel with a first bandwidth; and   transmit control channel data of the second format over the control channel with a second bandwidth, the second bandwidth being equal or greater than the first bandwidth.   
   
   
       14 . The wireless communication network of  claim 9 , wherein the base station is configured to:
 transmit control channel data of the first format over the control channel with a first carrier frequency; and   transmit control channel data of the second format over the control channel with a second carrier frequency, the second carrier frequency being a different frequency than the first carrier frequency.   
   
   
       15 . The wireless communication network of  claim 9 , wherein the information related to data transmitted over the one or more frequency bands includes:
 a carrier frequency field, the carrier frequency field being indicative of one or more carrier frequencies to be used in a transmission; and   a physical resource block field, the physical resource block field being indicative of a number of physical resource blocks allocated to each one or more carrier frequencies to be used in the transmission.   
   
   
       16 . The wireless communication network of  claim 15 , wherein the information related to data transmitted over the one or more frequency bands further includes a mobile communication device bandwidth field, the mobile communication device bandwidth field being indicative of a radio frequency transmission and/or reception bandwidth capability of the second mobile communication device. 
   
   
       17 . The wireless communication network of  claim 16 , further comprising a relay node. 
   
   
       18 . The wireless communication network of  claim 17 , wherein the relay node is configured to:
 receive control channel data of the second format;   decode control channel data of the second format;   reconfigure control channel data of the second format, wherein the reconfiguration alters the information related to data transmitted over the one or more frequency bands;   re-encode control channel data of the second format; and   transmit the control channel data of the second format.   
   
   
       19 . A base station for transmitting control channels in a communication system, the base station configured to:
 generate control channel data of a first format, wherein the control channel data of the first format conveys information related to data to be transmitted within a first frequency band;   generate control channel data of a second format, wherein the control channel data of the second format conveys information related to data to be transmitted over one or more frequency bands, the one or more frequency bands having a combined bandwidth equal or greater than the first frequency band;   transmit control channel data of the first and second format over a control channel; and   transmit data in conformance with the control channel data of the first and second format.   
   
   
       20 . A wireless communication device, comprising:
 a transceiver;   a processor; and   a memory unit communicatively connected to the processor and including:
 computer code that when executed by the processor causes the wireless communication device to receive control channel data; and 
 computer code that when executed by the processor causes the wireless communication device to interpret the control channel data, wherein the control channel data includes:
 a carrier frequency field, the carrier frequency field being indicative of one or more carrier frequencies to be used in a transmission; and 
 a physical resource block field, the physical resource block field being indicative of a number of physical resource blocks allocated to each one or more carrier frequencies to be used in the transmission. 
 
   
   
   
       21 . The wireless communication device of  claim 20 , wherein the control channel data further includes a mobile communication device bandwidth field, the mobile communication device bandwidth field being indicative of a radio frequency transmission and/or reception bandwidth capability of a mobile communication device. 
   
   
       22 . The wireless communication device of  claim 21 , wherein the wireless communication device is a relay node. 
   
   
       23 . The wireless communication device of  claim 22 , wherein the relay node is configured to reconfigure control channel data of the second format. 
   
   
       24 . The wireless communication device of  claim 20 , wherein the wireless communication device is a mobile communication device. 
   
   
       25 . The wireless communication device of  claim 20 , wherein the wireless communication device is a base station.