Wireless telecommunications system

A first terminal device among a plurality of terminal devices operating within a wireless telecommunications system and operable to communicate with a base station via respective network nodes, wherein the plurality of terminal devices comprises a first group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a first network node and a second group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a second network node, wherein each of the first and second groups of terminal devices are synchronised to communicate with the first and second network nodes, respectively, in a discontinuous mode comprising a repeating signalling cycle, the repeating signalling cycle comprising a first wake period and a second wake period, the first terminal device comprising:

• a transceiver operable to exchange signalling with the base station via one of the first and second network nodes;
• and
• a controller operable to:
• select one of the first and second groups of terminal devices;
• when the first group of terminal devices is selected, control the transceiver to exchange signalling with the base station via the first network node, the controller controlling the transceiver to exchange the predetermined signalling with the first network node during the first wake period of the repeating signalling cycle;
• and
• when the second group of terminal devices is selected, control the transceiver to exchange signalling with the base station via the second network node, the controller controlling the transceiver to exchange the predetermined signalling with the second network node during the second wake period of the repeating signalling cycle.

A first terminal device operating as a network node within a wireless telecommunications system and operable to communicate with a base station and a plurality of terminal devices, wherein the plurality of terminal devices comprises a first group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a first network node and a second group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a second network node, wherein each of the first and second groups of terminal devices are synchronised to communicate with the first and second network nodes, respectively, in a discontinuous mode comprising a repeating signalling cycle, the repeating signalling cycle comprising a first wake period and a second wake period, the first terminal device comprising:

• a transceiver;
• a controller operable to:
• control the transceiver to receive signalling comprising a message identifying one of the first and second groups of terminal devices, the repeating signalling cycle and one of the first and second wake periods from the base station;
• control the transceiver to receive signalling from the identified one of the first and second groups of terminal devices and control the transceiver to transmit the received signalling to the base station;
• control the transceiver to receive signalling from the base station and control the transceiver to transmit the received signalling to identified one of the first and second groups of terminal devices;
• and
• control the transceiver to exchange the predetermined signalling with the identified one of the first and second groups of terminal devices using the identified repeating signalling cycle and the identified one of the first and second wake periods.

A method of operating a first terminal device among a plurality of terminal devices operating within a wireless telecommunications system and operable to communicate with a base station via respective network nodes, wherein the plurality of terminal devices comprises a first group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a first network node and a second group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a second network node, wherein each of the first and second groups of terminal devices are synchronised to communicate with the first and second network nodes, respectively, in a discontinuous mode comprising a repeating signalling cycle, the repeating signalling cycle comprising a first wake period and a second wake period, the first terminal device comprising a transceiver operable to exchange signalling with the base station via one of the first and second network nodes, wherein the method comprises:

• selecting one of the first and second groups of terminal devices;
• when the first group of terminal devices is selected, controlling the transceiver to exchange signalling with the base station via the first network node, and controlling the transceiver to exchange the predetermined signalling with the first network node during the first wake period of the repeating signalling cycle;
• and
• when the second group of terminal devices is selected, controlling the transceiver to exchange signalling with the base station via the second network node, and controlling the transceiver to exchange the predetermined signalling with the second network node during the second wake period of the repeating signalling cycle.

A method of operating a terminal device operating as a network node within a wireless telecommunications system and operable to communicate with a base station and a plurality of terminal devices, wherein the plurality of terminal devices comprises a first group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a first network node and a second group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a second network node, wherein each of the first and second groups of terminal devices are synchronised to communicate with the first and second network nodes, respectively, in a discontinuous mode comprising a repeating signalling cycle, the repeating signalling cycle comprising a first wake period and a second wake period, the first terminal device comprising a transceiver, wherein the method comprises:

• controlling the transceiver to receive signalling comprising a message identifying one of the first and second groups of terminal devices, the repeating signalling cycle and one of the first and second wake periods from the base station;
• controlling the transceiver to receive signalling from the identified one of the first and second groups of terminal devices and controlling the transceiver to transmit the received signalling to the base station;
• controlling the transceiver to receive signalling from the base station and controlling the transceiver to transmit the received signalling to identified one of the first and second groups of terminal devices;
• and
• controlling the transceiver to exchange the predetermined signalling with the identified one of the first and second groups of terminal devices using the identified repeating signalling cycle and the identified one of the first and second wake periods.

A first terminal device among a plurality of terminal devices operating within a wireless telecommunications system and operable to communicate with a base station via respective network nodes, wherein the plurality of terminal devices comprises a first group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a first network node and a second group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a second network node, wherein each of the first and second groups of terminal devices are synchronised to communicate with the first and second network nodes, respectively, in a discontinuous mode comprising a repeating signalling cycle, the repeating signalling cycle comprising a first wake period and a second wake period, the first terminal device comprising:

• transceiver circuitry operable to exchange signalling with the base station via one of the first and second network nodes;
• and
• controller circuitry operable to:
• select one of the first and second groups of terminal devices;
• when the first group of terminal devices is selected, control the transceiver circuitry to exchange signalling with the base station via the first network node, the controller circuitry controlling the transceiver circuitry to exchange the predetermined signalling with the first network node during the first wake period of the repeating signalling cycle;
• and
• when the second group of terminal devices is selected, control the transceiver circuitry to exchange signalling with the base station via the second network node, the controller circuitry controlling the transceiver circuitry to exchange the predetermined signalling with the second network node during the second wake period of the repeating signalling cycle.

A first terminal device operating as a network node within a wireless telecommunications system and operable to communicate with a base station and a plurality of terminal devices, wherein the plurality of terminal devices comprises a first group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a first network node and a second group of terminal devices operable to communicate with the base station via a second network node, wherein each of the first and second groups of terminal devices are synchronised to communicate with the first and second network nodes, respectively, in a discontinuous mode comprising a repeating signalling cycle, the repeating signalling cycle comprising a first wake period and a second wake period, the first terminal device comprising:

• transceiver circuitry;
• controller circuitry operable to:
• control the transceiver circuitry to receive signalling comprising a message identifying one of the first and second groups of terminal devices, the repeating signalling cycle and one of the first and second wake periods from the base station;
• control the transceiver circuitry to receive signalling from the identified one of the first and second groups of terminal devices and control the transceiver circuitry to transmit the received signalling to the base station;
• control the transceiver circuitry to receive signalling from the base station and control the transceiver circuitry to transmit the received signalling to identified one of the first and second groups of terminal devices;
• and
• control the transceiver circuitry to exchange the predetermined signalling with the identified one of the first and second groups of terminal devices using the identified repeating signalling cycle and the identified one of the first and second wake periods.