Network element and method of communicating using a plurality of controls channels modules

A communications device for communicating with a network element of a communications network, the network element configured to provide a wireless access interface to the communications device, the communications device comprising

• a transmitter configured to transmit uplink signals to the network element via the wireless access interface,
• a receiver configured to receive downlink signals from the network element via the wireless access interface using control channel resources of a control channel, the control channel resources extending across a predetermined bandwidth in a frequency domain and being divided in time into a plurality of subframes, and
• a controller configured to control the receiver
• to detect control data transmitted by the network element using control channel resources, wherein the control channel resources include a plurality of control channel modules, each control channel module being formed from a part of the predetermined bandwidth, the part of the predetermined bandwidth of each control channel module being less than the predetermined bandwidth and mutually exclusive from other parts of the predetermined bandwidths from which other control channel modules are formed, and
• the controller is configured to dynamically control a size of the part of the predetermined bandwidth of each control channel module based on current or expected traffic conditions of the communications network.

A communications system comprising a mobile communications network and a communications device for communicating via the mobile communications network, the mobile communications network including

• a network element configured to transmit signals using a transmitter via a wireless access interface to the communications device, to receive signals using a receiver from the communications device via the wireless access interface, and to control the transmitter and the receiver to form the wireless access interface using control channel resources of a control channel, the control channel resources extending across a predetermined bandwidth in a frequency domain and being divided in time into a plurality of subframes, and to control the transmitter
• to transmit control data to the communications device using the control channel resources, wherein the control channel resources include a plurality of control channel modules, each control channel module being formed from a part of the predetermined bandwidth, the part of the predetermined bandwidth of each control channel module being less than the predetermined bandwidth Id mutually exclusive from other parts of the predetermined bandwidths from which other control channel modules are formed, and
• to dynamically control a size of the part of the predetermined bandwidth of each control channel module based on current or expected traffic conditions of the mobile communications network.

A method of communicating via a mobile communications network, comprising

• transmitting signals via a wireless access interface to one or more communications devices,
• receiving signals from the one or more communications devices via the wireless access interface, and
• controlling the transmitting and the receiving to form the wireless access interface using control channel resources of a control channel, the control channel resources extending across a predetermined bandwidth in a frequency domain and being divided in time into a plurality of timeframes, and the control the transmitting includes
• transmitting control data to the communications devices using the control channel resources, wherein the control channel resources include a plurality of control channel modules, each control channel module being formed from a part of the predetermined bandwidth, the part of the predetermined bandwidth of each control channel module being less than the predetermined bandwidth and mutually exclusive from other parts of the predetermined bandwidths from which other control channel modules are formed and
• dynamically controlling a size of the part of the predetermined bandwidth of each control channel module based on current or expected traffic conditions of the mobile communications network.

Circuitry for a network element for forming a mobile communications network, the circuitry comprising

• transmitter circuitry configured to transmit signals via a wireless access interface to one or more communications devices,
• receiver circuitry configured to receive signals from the one or more communications devices via the wireless access interface, and
• controller circuitry configured to control the transmitter and the receiver to form the wireless access interface using control channel resources of a control channel, the control channel resources extending across a predetermined bandwidth in a frequency domain and being divided in time into a plurality of frames, and to control the transmitter circuitry
• to transmit control data to the communications devices using the control channel resources,
• wherein the control channel resources include a plurality of control channel modules, each control channel module being formed from a part of the predetermined bandwidth, the part of the predetermined bandwidth of each control channel module being less than the predetermined bandwidth and mutually exclusive from other parts of the predetermined bandwidths from which other control channel modules are formed and
• the controller circuitry is configured to dynamically control a size of the part of the predetermined bandwidth of each control channel module based on current or expected traffic conditions of the mobile communications network.

Circuitry for communicating with a network element of a communications network, the network element configured to provide a wireless access interface to a communications device, the circuitry comprising

• transmitter circuitry configured to transmit uplink signals to the network element via the wireless access interface,
• receiver circuitry configured to receive downlink signals from the network element via the wireless access interface using control channel resources of a control channel, the control channel resources extending across a predetermined bandwidth and being divided in time into a plurality of subframes, and
• controller circuitry configured to control the receiver circuitry
• to detect control data transmitted by the network element using the control channel resources, wherein the control channel resources include a plurality of control channel modules, each control channel module being formed from a part of the predetermined bandwidth, the part of the predetermined bandwidth of each control channel module being less than the predetermined bandwidth and mutually exclusive from other parts of the predetermined bandwidths from which other control channel modules are formed and
• the controller circuitry is configured to dynamically control a size of the part of the predetermined bandwidth of each control channel module based on current or expected traffic conditions of the communications network.