Control channel architecture with control information distributed over multiple subframes on different carriers

A communication system infrastructure comprising:

• a first transmitter configured to transmit a first frame over a first carrier;
• and
• a second transmitter configured to transmit a second frame over a second carrier;
• the first frame comprising a first plurality of time-frequency resource elements arranged in a first plurality of subframes comprising a first subframe having a first physical control channel comprising first control information;
• the second frame synchronized to the first frame and comprising a second plurality of time-frequency resource elements arranged in a second plurality of subframes comprising a second subframe having a second physical control channel and a physical data channel, the physical data channel comprising data, the second physical control channel comprising second control information, the first control information and the second control information forming minimum control information required by a wireless communication device to obtain the data from the physical data channel.

A method comprising:

• receiving a first frame over a first carrier and a second frame over a second carrier;
• the first frame comprising a first plurality of time-frequency resource elements arranged in a first plurality of subframes comprising a first subframe having a first physical control channel, the first physical control channel comprising first control information;
• the second frame synchronized to the first frame and comprising a second plurality of time-frequency resource elements arranged in a second plurality of subframes comprising a second subframe having a second physical control channel and a physical data channel, the second physical control channel comprising second control information, the physical data channel comprising data;
• and
• obtaining, from the physical data channel, the data using at least minimum control information comprising the first control information and the second control information.