Multicarrier communications system

A method for communication between an access node and one or more terminals in a multiuser multicarrier communications network comprising a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:

• establishing one or more links between the access node and the one or more terminals;
• receiving an allocation request for one or more subcarriers in one or more slots from the one or more terminals;
• and
• allocating uplink resources to the one or more terminals, wherein the plurality of terminals are permitted to transmit within a band with a predefined maximum bandwidth and are not permitted to transmit out of the band, and the allocation takes into account one or more estimated channel offsets, and wherein the one or more subcarriers are allocated from the predefined maximum bandwidth such that an allocated transmission is transmitted within the predefined maximum bandwidth but may arrive at the access node outside of the band permitted at the terminal so that in use, an aggregate signal comprised of transmissions received from the plurality of terminals by the access node occupies a bandwidth greater or equal to the predefined maximum bandwidth the plurality of terminals.

A terminal apparatus for use in a multiuser multicarrier communications network comprising an access node and a plurality of terminals, the terminal comprising:

• a transmitter;
• a receiver;
• a channel state tracker configured to perform initial estimation of one or more channel offsets and tracking the one or more channel offsets, and for estimating one or more channel offsets for future packets to be transmitted by the terminal using the one or more tracked channel offsets;
• and
• a Medium Access Controller (MAC) configured to establish a link between the terminal and the access node, to request allocation of one or more subcarriers in one or more slots taking into account the one or more estimated channel offsets, wherein the terminal is permitted to transmit within a band with a predefined maximum bandwidth and is not permitted to transmit out of the band, and receives an allocation of the one or more subcarriers in one or more slots wherein the allocated one or more subcarriers are selected from either a fixed set of contiguous subcarriers spanning an entire maximum bandwidth or a subset of all possible subcarriers over the maximum predefined bandwidth, and to pre-compensate a transmission from the terminal to the access node using the one or more estimated channel offsets such that in at least one use, the pre-compensation is performed such that the transmission is transmitted within the band, and the transmission is estimated to arrive at the access node in one or more subcarriers outside of the band permitted at the terminal.

An access node for use in a multiuser multicarrier communications network comprising the access node and a plurality of terminals, the access node comprising:

• a transmitter;
• a receiver;
• and
• a Medium Access Controller configured to establish one or more links between a terminal and the access node, to receive allocation requests for one or more subcarriers in one or more slots received from one or more terminals, wherein each terminal is permitted to transmit within a predefined maximum bandwidth and is not permitted to transmit out of band, and to allocate the one or more subcarriers in the one or more slots to the one or more terminals, wherein the allocated one or more subcarriers are selected from either a fixed set of contiguous subcarriers spanning an entire maximum bandwidth or a subset of all possible subcarriers over the entire maximum bandwidth and the allocation takes into account one or more channel offsets so that one or more transmissions are received at the access node in additional subcarriers outside of the entire maximum bandwidth permitted at the terminal so that in use an aggregate signal comprised of transmissions received from the plurality of terminals by the access node occupies a bandwidth greater or equal to the predefined maximum bandwidth of the plurality of terminals.

A multiuser multicarrier communications system network comprising:

• a plurality of terminals, each terminal comprising:
• a terminal transmitter;
• a terminal receiver;
• a channel state tracker configured to perform initial estimation of one or more channel offsets and tracking the one or more channel offsets, and for estimating one or more channel offsets for future packets to be transmitted by the terminal using the one or more tracked channel offsets;
• a terminal Medium Access Controller configured to establish a link between the terminal and an access node, and to request allocation of one or more subcarriers in one or more slots taking into account the one or more estimated channel offsets, wherein the terminal is permitted to transmit within a band with a predefined maximum bandwidth and is not permitted to transmit out of the band, and receives an allocation of the one or more subcarriers in one or more slots wherein the allocated one or more subcarriers are selected from either a fixed set of contiguous subcarriers spanning an entire maximum bandwidth or a subset of all possible subcarriers over the maximum predefined bandwidth, and to pre-compensate a transmission from the terminal to the access node using the one or more estimated channel offsets;
• and
• at least one access node comprising:
• an access node transmitter;
• an access node receiver;
• an access node Medium Access Controller configured to establish one or more links between one or more terminals of the plurality of terminals and the access node, to receive allocation requests for one or more subcarriers in the one or more slots received from the one or more terminals, and to allocate the one or more subcarriers in the one or more slots to the one or more terminals, wherein the allocated one or more subcarriers are selected from either a fixed set of contiguous subcarriers spanning an entire maximum bandwidth or a subset of all possible subcarriers over the entire maximum bandwidth and the allocation takes into account the one or more estimated channel offsets so that one or more transmissions are received at the access node in additional subcarriers outside of the entire maximum bandwidth permitted at the terminal so that in use an aggregate signal comprised of transmissions received from the plurality of terminals by the access node occupies a bandwidth greater or equal to the predefined maximum bandwidth of the plurality of terminals.