Method and apparatus for improving low-cost mtc (machine-type communication) devices in a wireless communication system

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for improving low-cost MTC (Machine-Type Communication) devices in a wireless communication system. The method includes broadcasting, in a system information, a first information used for cell re-selection. The method further includes providing a second information, for a neighboring cell or a frequency, that is used for cell re-selection.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for improving cell re-selection in a wireless communication system, comprising:
 broadcasting a first information and a second information in a system information,   wherein the first information is used for cell re-selection performed by a first User Equipment (UE) without reduction in supported bandwidth, the second information is used for cell re-selection performed by a second UE with reduction in supported bandwidth, and the second information includes a list of neighboring cells supporting a second UE.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein bandwidth supported by the second UE is reduced compared with bandwidth supported by the first UE. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first UE supports 20 MHz bandwidth and the second UE supports a largest bandwidth less than 20 MHz. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second information includes a list of frequencies that have a cell supporting the second UE. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first information and the second information are in different system information block types of the system information. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the neighboring cells are intra-frequency neighboring cells. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the neighboring cells are inter-frequency neighboring cells. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cell re-selection is performed when the first UE or the second UE is in idle mode. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first information includes a list of neighboring cells supporting the first UE. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first information includes a list of frequencies that have a cell supporting the first UE. 
     
     
         11 . A communication device for improving cell re-selection in a wireless communication system, the communication device comprising:
 a control circuit;   a processor installed in the control circuit;   a memory installed in the control circuit and operatively coupled to the processor;   wherein the processor is configured to execute a program code stored in memory to improve cell re-selection by:   broadcasting a first information and a second information in a system information, wherein the first information is used for cell re-selection performed by a first User Equipment (UE) without reduction in supported bandwidth, the second information is used for cell re-selection performed by a second UE with reduction in supported bandwidth, and the second information includes a list of neighboring cells supporting the second UE.   
     
     
         12 . The communication device of  claim 11 , wherein bandwidth supported by the second UE is reduced compared with bandwidth supported by the first UE. 
     
     
         13 . The communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the first UE supports 20 MHz bandwidth and the second UE supports a largest bandwidth less than 20 MHz. 
     
     
         14 . The communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the second information includes a list of frequencies that have a cell supporting the second UE. 
     
     
         15 . The communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the first information and the second information are in different system information block types of the system information. 
     
     
         16 . The communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the neighboring cells are intra-frequency neighboring cells. 
     
     
         17 . The communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the neighboring cells are inter-frequency neighboring cells. 
     
     
         18 . The communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the cell re-selection is performed when the first UE or the second UE is in idle mode. 
     
     
         19 . The communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the first information includes a list of neighboring cells supporting the first UE. 
     
     
         20 . The communication device of  claim 11 , wherein the first information includes a list of frequencies that have a cell supporting the first UE.