Abstract: A wireless communication system includes a virtual terminal formed from one or more independent devices, a terminal management entity for managing the virtual terminal. The devices may be independent physical devices (smartphones, tablet computers), virtual machines/modules of physical devices, or a combination of both. The virtual terminal and terminal management entity communicate via a base station and/or access point. The terminal management entity creates a service ID for a service to be provided to the virtual terminal, the service ID being shared by the one or more independent devices, each having its own device ID. The TME forms an association of the virtual terminal with the network through use of a multi-homing transport protocol such as SCTP, the association supporting the service by using the service ID. For service delivery, paging and handover purposes the devices of the virtual terminal are treated as a single entity by the TME.

Abstract: A transmission procedure for use in a communication system including a base station and one or more terminals. The base station transmits a signal to a terminal, and provides the terminal with possible characteristics of a further signal for transmission from the terminal to the base station, the possible characteristics including at least one of: one or more locations for transmission of the further signal in the time domain; and one or more locations for the transmission of the further signal in the frequency domain; and wherein transmission of the further signal from the terminal, with one or more characteristics selected by the terminal from the possible characteristics, indicates further information relating to the terminal.

Abstract: A terminal apparatus performs transmission and/or reception in units of subframes, and receives the control signal arranged in accordance with a predefined format having a predetermined size in bits and comprising one or more sets of bits each containing one or more bits from a base station; wherein within the format, a first set of bits is intended for one or more terminal apparatus and a second set of bits distinct from the first set of bits is intended for other terminal apparatus; and wherein transmission and/or reception by the terminal apparatus in a subsequent subframe is determined by the said set of bits of the control signal.

Abstract: Wireless communication method where a wireless network transmits a control channel message to a terminal. At the wireless network side: configuring a plurality of search spaces, each of the plurality are configured from a plurality of control channel elements within a sub-frame by using a pseudorandom function; determining one or more control channel elements to use for transmission of the control channel message from the plurality of search spaces; and transmitting the control channel message. At the terminal side: decoding the control channel message by making a selection of locations for blind decoding the search space within the sub-frame, using the pseudorandom function. The pseudo-random function is a function based on a sum of a first value and a second value. The first value is a pseudo-random factor, and the second value is based on an aggregation level and a total of control channel elements in the sub-frame.

Abstract: A wireless communication method wherein: a terminal (1) transmits first and second data streams to a network; wherein the first data stream is associated with both a first cell and a second cell of a plurality of cells (10, 20, 22, 24) serving the terminal, and the second data stream is associated with the second cell; and the terminal (1) transmits at least one signalling message including first information relating to data to be sent in the first data stream and/or second information relating to data to be sent in the second data stream to at least one of the first cell and the second cell based on predetermined rules corresponding to association between cells and data streams.

Abstract: A scheme for the co-ordination of multiple base stations of different RATs (radio access technologies), such as a LTE eNB, UMTS base station, and WiFi access point with the assistance of the terminals in order to achieve efficient radio resource scheduling for multi-RAT multi-flow aggregation in the downlink. At the network side, multi-RAT flows (RB11) share the same PDCP Entity, (PDCP Entity) while each has independent RLC/MAC (RAT1 RLC Entity, RAT2 RLC Entity). The terminal (UE1) performs necessary measurements on all involved RATs, depending on the requirements of different RATs, and sends measurement reports/indication to all involved base stations. Based on the measurement report as well as pre-defined rules/policy, a decision is made on which RAT should be used for next DL transmission or next period of DL transmission.

Abstract: A method for configuring a search space within which a mobile terminal performs blind decoding attempts for potential control message candidates which may be transmitted by a base station. The frequency domain resource for which the terminal performs a blind decoding attempt for a given candidate message is determined by a pseudo-random selection (known by both terminal and network) from a pre-determined set of possible resources. A pre-determined set of resources can be different for each candidate. In one embodiment the set of resources is configured by the network for each terminal and each candidate. The method may be applied for example to ePDCCH of an LTE-A wireless communication system.

Abstract: The invention provides for association of data streams (and/or logical channels) with individual carriers (cells), and independent buffer status reporting per carrier for terminals with more than one uplink carrier configured. In a “Small Cell” scenario for 3GPP LTE, a terminal may be simultaneously served by a macro cell and one or more small cells. These may operate at different frequencies, have different traffic loading and support different QoS (Quality of Service). The invention allows independent control of traffic on the uplinks to the macro cell and the small cells, which can be used to optimize the user experience in relation to the available resources at any given time/location, and allows particular data to be routed via particular cells.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a new way for a UE to autonomously indicate to the network from which transmission points (TPs) it is able to receive certain broadcast signals. As an example, by receiving in a broadcast signal in the form of a synchronization sequence, the physical identity of a particular TP, a UE infers when it should, if it wishes, send on an UL an indication of its ability to receive the broadcast signal from that TP—i.e., an indication of its presence in the coverage of the TP. The network is then able to take suitable action in response to this, such as adjusting network coverage, enabling or disabling other broadcast channels and controlling paging.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for use in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication network in which the network includes a plurality of cells provided by one or more base stations operable to transmit signals on at least one downlink to, and receive signals on at least one uplink from, one or more user equipments. A user equipment feeds back to the network reports on channel state information, CSI, relating to one or more channels between base stations and that user equipment, and base stations adapt downlink signals to user equipments based on the CSI reports, the method including: identifying uplink resources for a user equipment-initiated channel state message; the user equipment judging a need for a user equipment-initiated channel state message based on information not available to the network; and the user equipment sending the user equipment-initiated channel state message to the network using the uplink resources identified.

Abstract: A wireless communication method in which a user equipment receives downlink signals from at least first and second cells, said downlink signals include respective reference signals transmitted from each of the cells; and a channel jointly transmitted by the cells; the user equipment utilizing a joint amplitude and/or phase reference derived from the respective reference signals to demodulate the jointly transmitted channel.

Abstract: A buffer status reporting scheme for a terminal (10) wishing to transmit data simultaneously in multiple RATs of a wireless communication network, which enables the co-ordination of multiple base stations (12, 14) of different RATs (e.g. LTE eNB, UMTS base station, WiFi access point, etc.) with the assistance of the terminal (10) in order to achieve efficient radio resource scheduling for multi-RAT multi-flow aggregation in uplink. A radio bearer is configured for multi-RAT multi-flow aggregation by the network, and multiple logical channel IDs are assigned to this RB that may be associated with different RATs. Logical channels associated with a certain RAT (or a given set of RATs) may be grouped into one logical channel group for radio resource scheduling reason. The terminal (10) performs buffer status reporting, according to the configuration, on all involved RATs and sends reports/indications to one or more involved base stations (12.14).

Abstract: A buffer status reporting scheme for a terminal (10) wishing to transmit data simultaneously in multiple RATs of a wireless communication network, which enables the co-ordination of multiple base stations (12, 14) of different RATs (e.g. LTE eNB, UMTS base station, WiFi access point, etc.) with the assistance of the terminal (10) in order to achieve efficient radio resource scheduling for multi-RAT multi-flow aggregation in uplink. A radio bearer is configured for multi-RAT multi-flow aggregation by the network, and multiple logical channel IDs are assigned to this RB that may be associated with different RATs. Logical channels associated with a certain RAT (or a given set of RATs) may be grouped into one logical channel group for radio resource scheduling reason. The terminal (10) performs buffer status reporting, according to the configuration, on all involved RATs and sends reports/indications to one or more involved base stations (12.14).

Abstract: A User Equipment (10) in a wireless communication network reports measurements or selects cells based on the EMF exposure to one or more persons in those cells, estimated to result on the uplink (UL) and/or downlink (DL) due to the UE's use of those cells. The network sends indications to the UE, in order to allow the UE to understand the EMF impact generated when the UE is connected to certain cells. For the downlink, these indications may include an EMF impact indicator or a UL beamforming reception capability indicator. For application to LTE, a new event triggered UE measurement reporting criterion is proposed to allow the UE to report measurements based on a new EMF related metric and to trigger measurement reports with regards to the EMF impact. The new EMF-based measurement reports allow the cell selection/reselection process to take into account minimization or optimization of the EMF impact on the environment.

Abstract: A method of communicating a plurality of transmission layers from at least one cell which is under the control of at least one base station to a user equipment. The plurality of transmission layers includes a data layer and an interference layer which are spatially multiplexed. The data layer includes user data for the user equipment and the interference layer interferes with the data layer. The method includes determining interference layer information relating to the interference layer, transmitting the data layer, the interference layer and a control channel message to user equipment. The control channel message includes a first information field and a second information field.

Abstract: A network which allows the transmission of small data packets after reading System Information. The network can control a cell to allow access from devices (12) using an extended coverage mode, ECM, outside the normal coverage area of the cell. Initial access from devices in the extended cell coverage area can be scheduled (S104, S110) with the use of a pre-defined scheduled time for the devices to access the cell. A transmission of a schedule for ECM operation to the devices (12) that are using the ECM is provided (S144) after an ECM capable device has been moved from idle to connected mode for the first time, and can be updated (S146) at every scheduled opportunity when the device subsequently moves to connected mode. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention provide a modified RACH procedure (S122, S128, S134, S140) to be followed by devices (12) taking advantage of the ECM.

Abstract: In a wireless communication system providing a plurality of cells (Cell A, Cell B), the cells broadcast indications related to performance. At least one of the cells (Cell A) is a serving cell for a secondary station (10), and at least one other cell (Cell B) is not a serving cell. The secondary station (10) computes performance metrics for detected ones of the cells. Based on the values of the performance metrics, the secondary station (10) reports measurement/metrics for one or more cells to a primary station (20) providing a serving cell for the secondary station (10). In this way the primary station (20) can know the amount of available resources in each cell suitable for handover, and can make a better handover choice for the primary station (10).

Abstract: In a heterogeneous network based on LTE, the random access, RA, procedure triggered in a macrocell produces transmissions from a UE (20) on the physical random access channel, PRACH, which a picocell eNB (12) can attempt to make measurements of for interference coordination purposes over the X2 interface between the macro eNB (10) and the pico eNB (12). By reconfiguring the UE's behavior during principally the contention-free RA procedure, its transmissions on PRACH are made different to the default such as to be suitable for heterogeneous network interference measurements. This is done by assigning new meanings to certain of the characteristic parameters provided by the macro eNB (10) to the UE (20), such as the RA preamble it uses and the C-RNTI it is assigned during the procedure.

Abstract: LTE TDD with Carrier Aggregation, a sequence number or downlink assignment indicator can be attached to downlink control information (DCI) messages relating to packets transmitted on some or all of successive carrier frequencies in a given subframe. The sequence number is incremented or decremented for each DCI transmitted depending on whether the total number of DCI message transmitted in a given subframe is even or odd. Including determining a number of control messages, meeting at least one criterion and for transmission in a sequence; and associating sequence information with each control message in the sequence, the sequence information differing between successive control messages. The associating accounting for a number of control messages so that first sequence information, associated with control messages in a first sequence, is distinguishable from second sequence information, associated with control messages in a second sequence having a number of control messages different from the first sequence.

Abstract: In LTE TDD with Carrier Aggregation (CA), a two bit sequence number or downlink assignment indicator (DAI) can be attached to downlink control information (DCI) messages relating to packets transmitted on some or all of successive carrier frequencies in a given subframe. The numerical progression of the sequence numbers can be used to determine the number of ACK/NACK bits (ACK/NACK codebook size) needed to acknowledge reception of the packets. The receiver determines the ACK/NACK codebook size to within a certain granularity or other constraints, depending on the received sequence of DAI values. The granularity or constraint(s) may be pre-determined, or configured or indicated by the sequence. This allows a more accurate and reliable common understanding between the transmitter and receiver concerning the number of DCI messages transmitted.