Time-division duplex frame structure for narrowband communications

A method of wireless communications for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• determining a frame structure for narrowband communications, the frame structure corresponding to one frame structure from a group of time division-duplex (TDD) frame structures of different downlink and uplink subframe configurations;
• receiving configuration information indicating a first carrier to monitor for at least one of a broadcast channel (BCH) or a system information block 1 (SIB1), wherein the BCH includes information that indicates at least one of the frame structure determined for the narrowband communications, or a carrier location or subframe location associated with the SIB1, and wherein the information is included in the BCH by at least one of additional bits in a payload, different CRC masks based on the additional bits, or different scrambling codes based on the additional bits;
• and
• receiving a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the at least one of the BCH or the SIB1 using the frame structure determined for the narrowband communications, wherein the first carrier is used to receive the at least one of the BCH or the SIB1, the first carrier being different from a second carrier used to receive one or more of the PSS or the SSS.

An apparatus for wireless communications for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• means for determining a time division-duplex (TDD) frame structure for narrowband communications, the TDD frame structure corresponding to one TDD frame structure from a group of TDD frame structures of different downlink and uplink subframe configurations for the narrowband communications;
• means for receiving configuration information indicating a first carrier to monitor for a system information block 1 (SIB1);
• and
• means for receiving a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the SIB1 using the TDD frame structure determined for the narrowband communications, wherein the first carrier is used to receive the SIB1, the first carrier being different from a second carrier used to receive one or more of the PSS or the SSS.

An apparatus for wireless communications for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• means for determining a frame structure for narrowband communications, the frame structure corresponding to one frame structure from a group of time division-duplex (TDD) frame structures of different downlink and uplink subframe configurations;
• means for receiving configuration information indicating a first carrier to monitor for at least one of a broadcast channel (BCH) or a system information block 1 (SIB1), wherein the BCH includes information that indicates at least one of the frame structure determined for the narrowband communications, or a carrier location or subframe location associated with the SIB1, and wherein the information is included in the BCH by at least one of additional bits in a payload, different CRC masks based on the additional bits, or different scrambling codes based on the additional bits;
• and
• means for receiving a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the at least one of the BCH or the SIB1 using the frame structure determined for the narrowband communications, wherein the first carrier is used to receive the at least one of the BCH or the SIB1, the first carrier being different from a second carrier used to receive one or more of the PSS or the SSS.

An apparatus for wireless communications for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
• determine a time division-duplex (TDD) frame structure for narrowband communications, the TDD frame structure corresponding to one TDD frame structure from a group of TDD frame structures of different downlink and uplink subframe configurations for the narrowband communications;
• receive configuration information indicating a first carrier to monitor for a system information block 1 (SIB1);
• and
• receive a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the SIB1 using the TDD frame structure determined for the narrowband communications, wherein the first carrier is used to receive the SIB1, the first carrier being different from a second carrier used to receive one or more of the PSS or the SSS.

An apparatus for wireless communications for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
• determine a frame structure for narrowband communications, the frame structure corresponding to one frame structure from a group of time division-duplex (TDD) frame structures of different downlink and uplink subframe configurations;
• receive configuration information indicating a first carrier to monitor for at least one of a broadcast channel (BCH) or a system information block 1 (SIB1), wherein the BCH includes information that indicates at least one of the frame structure determined for the narrowband communications, or a carrier location or subframe location associated with the SIB1, and wherein the information is included in the BCH by at least one of additional bits in a payload, different CRC masks based on the additional bits, or different scrambling codes based on the additional bits;
• and
• receive a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the at least one of the BCH or the SIB1 using the frame structure determined for the narrowband communications, wherein the first carrier is used to receive the at least one of the BCH or the SIB1, the first carrier being different from a second carrier used to receive one or more of the PSS or the SSS.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for a user equipment (UE), comprising code to:

• determine a time division-duplex (TDD) frame structure for narrowband communications, the TDD frame structure corresponding to one TDD frame structure from a group of TDD frame structures of different downlink and uplink subframe configurations for the narrowband communications;
• receive configuration information indicating a first carrier to monitor for a system information block 1 (SIB1);
• and
• receive a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the SIB1 using the TDD frame structure determined for the narrowband communications, wherein the first carrier is used to receive the SIB1, the first carrier being different from a second carrier used to receive one or more of the PSS or the SSS.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for a user equipment (UE), comprising code to:

• determine a frame structure for narrowband communications, the frame structure corresponding to one frame structure from a group of time division-duplex (TDD) frame structures of different downlink and uplink subframe configurations;
• receive configuration information indicating a first carrier to monitor for at least one of a broadcast channel (BCH) or a system information block 1 (SIB1), wherein the BCH includes information that indicates at least one of the frame structure determined for the narrowband communications, or a carrier location or subframe location associated with the SIB1, and wherein the information is included in the BCH by at least one of additional bits in a payload, different CRC masks based on the additional bits, or different scrambling codes based on the additional bits;
• and
• receive a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and the at least one of the BCH or the SIB1 using the frame structure determined for the narrowband communications, wherein the first carrier is used to receive the at least one of the BCH or the SIB1, the first carrier being different from a second carrier used to receive one or more of the PSS or the SSS.