Abstract: A packet data network gateway, P-GW, is located in a second network for supporting user plane data to terminal devices in a wireless communications system that additionally comprises a first network having a first packet data network gateway, P-GW operably couplable to the P-GW. The P-GW comprises a processor arranged to: check a destination address of received packets from the first P-GW to determine whether the received packets are destined for any of the terminal devices, and in response thereto: extract one or more properties of said received packets if they are destined for any of the terminal devices served with user plane data; or discard said received packets if they are not destined for the terminal device(s).

Abstract: A packet data network gateway, P-GW, is located in a second network for supporting user plane data to terminal devices in a wireless communications system that additionally comprises a first network having a first packet data network gateway, P-GW operably couplable to the P-GW. The P-GW comprises a processor arranged to: check a destination address of received packets from the first P-GW to determine whether the received packets are destined for any of the terminal devices, and in response thereto: extract one or more properties of said received packets if they are destined for any of the terminal devices served with user plane data; or discard said received packets if they are not destined for the terminal device(s).

Abstract: A method for increasing coverage in a wireless communication system is described. The method comprises, at the network element: transmitting a first portion of subframes comprising a number of resource blocks to a first wireless communication unit in a first mode of operation, wherein the number of resource blocks are transmitted at a first power level per resource block; and transmitting, a second portion of subframes to a second wireless communication unit in a second mode of operation at a second power level, wherein the second portion of subframes comprise a lower number of resource blocks than the first portion of subframes and the lower number of resource blocks is transmitted at a second power level per resource block that is higher than the first power level per resource block.

Abstract: A wireless communications system supporting user plane data comprises: a first network having a first packet data network gateway (P-GW); a second network having a second P-GW operably coupled to the first network via a backhaul link; a serving gateway (S-GW) a base station; and a terminal device, wherein a single packet data network connection is created for the terminal device that traverses through the first P-GW, second P-GW, S-GW and base station.

Abstract: A packet data network gateway, P-GW, is located in a second network for supporting control plane data in a wireless communications system that additionally comprises a first network having a first packet data network gateway, P-GW, operably couplable to the P-GW and a serving gateway, S-GW. The P-GW comprises a processor arranged to determine an operational status of at least one of: a backhaul link, first P-GW. In response to the processor determining that both of the backhaul link and the first P-GW are available, the processor is arranged to perform at least one of: trigger deferred signalling between the first network and at least one of a mobility management entity, MME, the S-GW; trigger user plane handling, monitor and build terminal device context information for a plurality of terminal devices being served with user plane data by the backhaul link of the second network.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for managing channel selection among a plurality of mesh points in a wireless network. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a first announcement that includes channel exclusion information from a first mesh point; managing a distributed channel exclusion list based on the announcement; and generating a second announcement to the first mesh point based on the channel exclusion list.

Abstract: A packet data network gateway, P-GW, is located in a second network for supporting control plane data in a wireless communications system that additionally comprises a first network having a first P-GW operably couplable to the P-GW, and a serving gateway, S-GW. The P-GW comprises a processor arranged to: monitor and build terminal device context information for a plurality of terminal devices being served with user plane data by the second network; and determine an operational status of at least one of: the backhaul link, first P-GW. In response to the processor determining that at least one of: the backhaul link, first P-GW, is unavailable, the processor is arranged to perform at least one of: terminate signalling between the first network and at least one of a mobility management entity, MME, the S-GW; defer signalling between the first network and at least one of the MME, the S-GW; perform at least some functionality of the first P-GW.

Abstract: A method for key generation at a terminal device supporting at least two communication modes of operation is described. The method comprises, at a terminal device comprising a key derivation function: receiving at least one input parameter from a first wireless communication system; generating a first key in the key derivation function using the received at least one input parameter and at least one first locally stored input parameter in order to transmit in a first mode of operation on the first wireless communication system; and generating a second key in the key derivation function solely using at least one second locally stored input parameter in order to transmit in a second mode of operation on a second wireless communication system; wherein the at least one second locally stored input parameter is arranged to enable the second key to be used as the first key.

Abstract: A phase shift device includes an input quadrature junction for receiving an input EM signal and extracting a first electromagnetic (EM) signal, a second EM signal, a third EM signal, and a fourth EM signal from the input EM signal. Four waveguide arms are operatively connected to the input quadrature junction for respectively conveying the first, second, third, and fourth EM signals therethrough. At least two of the waveguide arms shift the phase of EM signal conveyed therethrough such that two of the first, second, third, and fourth EM signals are phase shifted with respect to the other two of the first, second, third, and fourth EM signals. An output quadrature junction is operatively connected to the waveguide arms for combining the first, second, third, and fourth EM signals. Thus, polarization adjustment may be achieved through rotation of the phase shift device.

Abstract: A method for increasing coverage in a wireless communication system is described. The method comprises, at the network element: transmitting a first portion of subframes comprising a number of resource blocks to a first wireless communication unit in a first mode of operation, wherein the number of resource blocks are transmitted at a first power level per resource block; and transmitting, a second portion of subframes to a second wireless communication unit in a second mode of operation at a second power level, wherein the second portion of subframes comprise a lower number of resource blocks than the first portion of subframes and the lower number of resource blocks is transmitted at a second power level per resource block that is higher than the first power level per resource block.

Abstract: A method for a low bandwidth wireless communication unit to re-synchronize to a wireless communication system employing one or more virtual carrier(s) after the wireless communication unit has lost synchronization is described. The method comprises, at the wireless communication unit: entering a sleep mode of operation following communication on a first virtual carrier; waking up from the sleep mode of operation on a default virtual carrier that is not the first virtual carrier; and acquiring synchronization information using synchronization signals that occupy subcarrier resources that overlap with the subcarrier resources occupied by the default virtual carrier to re-synchronize with the wireless communication system.

Abstract: A network element for controlling a usage of at least one resource is described. The network element comprises: a transmitter for transmitting a signal identifying at least one uplink resource to at least one wireless communication unit; a signal processor operably coupled to the transmitter for generating the signal; and a receiver for receiving a transmission from the at least one wireless communication unit on the identified at least one uplink resource. The signal processor is arranged to allocate the uplink resource for the at least one wireless communication unit in a first portion of a first sub-frame on a first frequency and a first portion of a second sub-frame on a second frequency wherein a time gap is allocated between an end of the first portion of the first sub-frame and a beginning of the first portion of a second sub-frame.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for interleaving priorities of a plurality of virtual processors are disclosed. A hypervisor assigns a base priority to each virtual processor and schedules one or more virtual processors to execute on one or more physical processors based on the current priority associated with each virtual processor. When the hypervisor receives an indication from one of the virtual processors that its current priority may be temporarily reduced, the hypervisor lowers the current priority of that virtual processor. The hypervisor then schedules another virtual processor to execute on a physical processor instead of the virtual processor with the temporarily reduced priority. When the hypervisor receives an interrupt for the virtual processor with the lowered priority, the hypervisor raises the priority of that virtual processor and schedules the virtual processor with the restored priority to execute on a physical processor so that processor can handle the interrupt.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and apparatus for constructing a secure and flexible operating system. The presently disclosed system executes different user applications in different operating systems on different virtual machines. Each user application communicates with other processes via the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP). In particular, each user application's user interface is implemented in a web browser that is running in its own operating system on its own virtual machine, and each user application interacts with the user interface by exchanging HTTP messages between the virtual machines.

Abstract: A relay device for supporting communications between a terminal device and a base station in a wireless communications system is described. The relay device comprises a transceiver arranged to at least receive an access request message from the terminal device; and a control processor operably coupled to the transceiver and arranged to process the access request message, extract information and determine therefrom a power delta value that is not based on a determination of pathloss between the relay device and the terminal device, generate a control element comprising the power delta value; and for relaying at least the control element to the base station. The control processor is further arranged to receive subsequently at least one physical uplink channel message from the terminal device wherein a transmit power level of the at least one physical uplink channel message is based at least on the power delta value.

Abstract: A terminal device is arranged to communicate with a base station via a relay device in a wireless communications system. The terminal device comprises: a transmitter arranged to transmit an access request message to the base station, wherein the access request message comprises one from a set of access preambles that indicate relay device uplink assistance is required; a receiver arranged to receive an access request grant response from the base station; and a control processor operably coupled to the transmitter and receiver and arranged to: process the access request grant response and determine from a timing advance part thereof transmit power control (TPC) information for transmitting to the base station via the relay device.

Abstract: A terminal device is arranged to communicate with a base station via a relay device in a wireless communications system. The terminal device comprises: a transmitter arranged to transmit a first access request message to the base station wherein the access request message comprises one from a set of access preambles that indicate relay device uplink assistance is required; a receiver arranged to receive an access request grant response from the base station; and a control processor operably coupled to the transmitter and receiver and arranged to: process the access request grant response; extract transmit power control information therefrom for transmissions to the relay device; map a first power level indicated in the transmit power control information to a second power level associated with a transmission via the relay device; and generate and transmit a transmission to the relay device at the mapped transmit second power level.

Abstract: A relay device is described for supporting communications between a terminal device and a base station, the relay device comprises: at least one receiver; and a control processor, operably coupled to the at least one receiver and arranged to: monitor a downlink communication from the base station to the terminal device; determine therefrom at least one uplink resource to be used by the terminal device; configure the at least one receiver to receive the at least one uplink resource; receive an uplink message on the at least one uplink resource; determine therefrom uplink control information used by the terminal device; modify the uplink message on the at least one uplink resource; and relay the uplink message to the base station.

Abstract: A relay device for supporting uplink communication between a terminal device and a base station is described. The relay device comprises at least one receiver arranged to receive a downlink message from the base station; a control processor, operably coupled to the at least one receiver and arranged to determine from the downlink message information identifying an uplink control resource to be used by the terminal device; and a transmitter, operably coupled to the control processor and arranged to relay received periodic uplink control channel messages on the identified uplink control resource from the terminal device to the base station.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for synchronizing multiple virtual processors of a virtual machine are disclosed. A hypervisor schedules a first virtual processor in a virtual machine to execute using a first physical processor. Subsequently, the hypervisor receives an indication from the first virtual processor that it is waiting on a second different virtual processor. If the second virtual processor is not already running on another physical processor, the hypervisor saves the priority associated with the first virtual processor, lowers the priority associated with the first virtual processor, and schedules the second virtual processor to execute using the first physical processor or another physical processor.