Methods and apparatus for flexible use of frequency bands

A communication system serving a plurality of mobile devices, wherein the communication system utilizes a plurality of carriers for communication with a mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices, the plurality of carriers including one or more time division duplex (TDD) carriers and a plurality of downlink (DL) carriers paired with a plurality of uplink (UL) carriers, the communication system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a memory communicatively coupled to said processor when the communication system is operational, the memory having stored therein computer executable instructions that upon execution by the at least one processor cause the communication system to:
• transmit, to the mobile device, broadcast information indicating a pairing between the plurality of DL carriers and the plurality of UL carriers, wherein one of the plurality of DL carriers is a primary DL carrier and one of the plurality of UL carriers is a primary UL carrier, and wherein at least one of the plurality of DL carriers is a non-primary DL carrier and at least one of the plurality of UL carriers is a non-primary UL carrier, wherein a first carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication has a wider bandwidth than a second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication and signals transmitted via the first carrier of the plurality of carriers have an increased subcarrier spacing in frequency and shorter orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbols in time than signals transmitted via the second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication;
• receive UL signals over the non-primary UL carrier and over the primary UL carrier;
• and
• transmit a DL signal to the mobile device over at least one of the one or more TDD carriers and another DL signal over the primary or non-primary DL carrier at least in-part contemporaneously.

A communication system serving a plurality of mobile devices, wherein the communication system utilizes a plurality of carriers for communication with a mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices, the plurality of carriers including one or more time division duplex (TDD) carriers and a plurality of downlink (DL) carriers paired with a plurality of uplink (UL) carriers, the communication system comprising:

• a transmitter configured to transmit, to the mobile device, broadcast information indicating a pairing between the plurality of DL carriers and the plurality of UL carriers, wherein one of the plurality of DL carriers is a primary DL carrier and one of the plurality of UL carriers is a primary UL carrier, and wherein at least one of the plurality of DL carriers is a non-primary DL carrier and at least one of the plurality of UL carriers is a non-primary UL carrier, wherein a first carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication has a wider bandwidth than a second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication and signals transmitted via the first carrier of the plurality of carriers have an increased subcarrier spacing in frequency and shorter orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbols in time than signals transmitted via the second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication;
• and
• a receiver configured to receive UL signals over the non-primary UL carrier and over the primary UL carrier;
• wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit a DL signal to the mobile device over at least one of the one or more TDD carriers and another DL signal over the primary or non-primary DL carrier at least in-part contemporaneously.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing thereon computer executable instructions for execution by one or more processors, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising:

• instructions for utilizing a plurality of carriers for communication with a mobile device of a plurality of mobile devices, the plurality of carriers including one or more time division duplex (TDD) carriers and a plurality of downlink (DL) carriers paired with a plurality of uplink (UL) carriers, wherein the utilizing includes:
• transmitting, to the mobile device, broadcast information indicating a pairing between the plurality of DL carriers and the plurality of UL carriers, wherein one of the plurality of DL carriers is a primary DL carrier and one of the plurality of UL carriers is a primary UL carrier, and wherein at least one of the plurality of DL carriers is a non-primary DL carrier and at least one of the plurality of UL carriers is a non-primary UL carrier, wherein a first carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication has a wider bandwidth than a second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication and signals transmitted via the first carrier of the plurality of carriers have an increased subcarrier spacing in frequency and shorter orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbols in time than signals transmitted via the second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication;
• receiving UL signals over the non-primary UL carrier and over the primary UL carrier;
• and
• transmitting a DL signal to the mobile device over at least one of the one or more TDD carriers and another DL signal over the primary or non-primary DL carrier at least in-part contemporaneously.

A method for a mobile device in communication with a communication system that utilizes a plurality of carriers for communication with a mobile device of a plurality of mobile devices, the plurality of carriers including one or more time division duplex (TDD) carriers and a plurality of downlink (DL) carriers paired with a plurality of uplink (UL) carriers, the method comprising:

• receiving broadcast information indicating a pairing between the plurality of DL carriers and the plurality of UL carriers, wherein one of the plurality of DL carriers is a primary DL carrier and one of the plurality of UL carriers is a primary UL carrier, and wherein at least one of the plurality of DL carriers is a non-primary DL carrier and at least one of the plurality of UL carriers is a non-primary UL carrier, wherein a first carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication has a wider bandwidth than a second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication and signals transmitted via the first carrier of the plurality of carriers have an increased subcarrier spacing in frequency and shorter orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbols in time than signals transmitted via the second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication;
• transmitting UL signals over the non-primary UL carrier and over the primary UL carrier;
• and
• receiving a DL signal over at least one of the one or more TDD carriers and another DL signal over the primary or non-primary DL carrier at least in-part contemporaneously.

A mobile device in communication with a communication system that utilizes a plurality of carriers for communication with a mobile device of a plurality of mobile devices, the plurality of carriers including one or more time division duplex (TDD) carriers and a plurality of downlink (DL) carriers paired with a plurality of uplink (UL) carriers, the mobile device comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive broadcast information indicating a pairing between the plurality of DL carriers and the plurality of UL carriers, wherein one of the plurality of DL carriers is a primary DL carrier and one of the plurality of UL carriers is a primary UL carrier, and wherein at least one of the plurality of DL carriers is a non-primary DL carrier and at least one of the plurality of UL carriers is a non-primary UL carrier, wherein a first carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication has a wider bandwidth than a second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication and signals transmitted via the first carrier of the plurality of carriers have an increased subcarrier spacing in frequency and shorter orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbols in time than signals transmitted via the second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication;
• and
• a transmitter configured to transmit UL signals over the non-primary UL carrier and over the primary UL carrier;
• wherein the receiver is further configured to receive a DL signal over at least one of the one or more TDD carriers and another DL signal over the primary or non-primary DL carrier at least in-part contemporaneously.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing thereon computer executable instructions for execution by one or more processors, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising:

• instructions for utilizing a plurality of carriers for communication with a communication system, the plurality of carriers including one or more time division duplex (TDD) carriers and a plurality of downlink (DL) carriers paired with a plurality of uplink (UL) carriers, wherein the utilizing includes:
• receiving broadcast information indicating a pairing between the plurality of DL carriers and the plurality of UL carriers, wherein one of the plurality of DL carriers is a primary DL carrier and one of the plurality of UL carriers is a primary UL carrier, and wherein at least one of the plurality of DL carriers is a non- primary DL carrier and at least one of the plurality of UL carriers is a non-primary UL carrier, wherein a first carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication has a wider bandwidth than a second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication and signals transmitted via the first carrier of the plurality of carriers have an increased subcarrier spacing in frequency and shorter orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbols in time than signals transmitted via the second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication;
• transmitting UL signals over the non-primary UL carrier and over the primary UL carrier;
• and
• receiving a DL signal over at least one of the one or more TDD carriers and another DL signal over the primary or non-primary DL carrier at least in-part contemporaneously.

A communication system serving a plurality of mobile devices, wherein the communication system utilizes a plurality of carriers for communication with a mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices, the plurality of carriers including one or more time division duplex (TDD) carriers and a plurality of downlink (DL) carriers paired with a plurality of uplink (UL) carriers, the communication system comprising:

• a first transmitter configured to transmit, to the mobile device, broadcast information indicating a pairing between the plurality of DL carriers and the plurality of UL carriers, wherein one of the plurality of DL carriers is a primary DL carrier and one of the plurality of UL carriers is a primary UL carrier, and wherein at least one of the plurality of DL carriers is a non-primary DL carrier and at least one of the plurality of UL carriers is a non-primary UL carrier, wherein a first carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication has a wider bandwidth than a second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication and signals transmitted via the first carrier of the plurality of carriers have an increased subcarrier spacing in frequency and shorter orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbols in time than signals transmitted via the second carrier of the plurality of carriers for communication;
• a first receiver configured to receive UL signals over the non-primary UL carrier and over the primary UL carrier;
• and
• a second transmitter configured to transmit a DL signal to the mobile device over at least one of the one or more TDD carriers and another DL signal over the primary or non-primary DL carrier at least in-part contemporaneously.