Infrastructure equipment, wireless communications network, communication device and methods

A communications device for transmitting data to or receiving data from a wireless communications network, the communications device comprising:

• transmitter circuitry configured to transmit signals via a wireless access interface of a cell of the wireless communications network,
• receiver circuitry configured to receive signals transmitted via the wireless access interface of the cell, and
• controller circuitry configured in combination with the receiver circuitry and the receiver circuitry to
• detect a first synchronisation signal at the communications device received via a wireless access interface of a cell of the wireless communications network, the first synchronisation signal being transmitted with a first periodicity with respect to a time divided structure of the wireless access interface, the first synchronisation signal being configured to carry an indication of an identifier of the cell,
• generate a first estimate the cell identifier carried by the first synchronisation signal, configure a transmitter of the communications device to transmit data to the wireless communications network, and configure a receiver of the communications device to receive data from the wireless communications network based on the first estimated cell identifier,
• detect an enhanced synchronisation signal received via the wireless access interface with a second periodicity with respect to the time divided structure within the cell, the enhanced synchronisation signal being formed from one of a set of detectable sequences, each detectable sequence of the set representing one of a set of possible cell identifiers or one or more other signalling indications for the communications device,
• detect from the enhanced synchronisation signal one of the detectable sequences from which the enhanced synchronisation signal has been formed, and
• use said one detected sequence from the enhanced synchronisation signal to re-configure one or both of the transmitter and the receiver of the communications device to transmit the data to the wireless communications network or to receive the data from the wireless communications network, respectively,
• wherein the one or more other signalling indications for the communications device provided by one or more of the detectable sequences of the set includes an indication as to whether or not system information for the cell has changed with respect to a previous transmission of the system information, the system information being transmitted periodically by the infrastructure equipment via the wireless access interface for the cell, and the re-configuring one or both of the transmitter and the receiver of the communications device includes:
• using the detected sequence from which the enhanced synchronisation signal has been formed to detect that the system information for the cell has changed to new system information,
• detecting one or more system information blocks carrying the new system information transmitted by the infrastructure equipment,
• determining the new system information from the one or more detected system information blocks, and
• re-configuring the transmitter or the receiver based on the new system information to transmit the data to the wireless communications network or to receive the data from the wireless communications network.

A circuitry for an infrastructure equipment for forming part of a radio access network of a wireless communications network, the infrastructure equipment comprising:

• transmitter circuitry configured to transmit signals via a wireless access interface of a cell of the wireless communications network formed by the infrastructure equipment,
• receiver circuitry configured to receive signals transmitted via the wireless access interface of the cell formed by the infrastructure equipment, and
• controller circuitry configured to control the transmitter to
• transmit with a first periodicity with respect to a time divided structure of the wireless access interface a first synchronisation signal to one or more communications devices within the cell formed by the infrastructure equipment, the first synchronisation signal being configured to carry a first indication of a Physical Cell Identifier (PCID) of the cell which is detectable by the one or more communications devices for acquiring synchronisation with the time divided structure of the wireless access interface, and
• transmit with a second periodicity with respect to the time divided structure of the wireless access interface an enhanced synchronisation signal to the one or more communications devices within the cell, the enhanced synchronisation signal being configured to carry a second indication of the PCID of the cell or one or more other signalling indications for the one or more communications devices and is detectable by the one or more communications devices for acquiring synchronisation with the time divided structure of the wireless access interface, wherein
• the second periodicity is different to the first periodicity,
• the enhanced synchronisation signal is transmitted more frequently than the first synchronisation signal whereby the one or more communications devices are re-synchronisable in shorter time than a time to acquire synchronisation with respect to the first synchronisation signal,
• the enhanced synchronisation signal is formed from one of a set of detectable sequences, each detectable sequence of the set representing one of a set of possible PCIDs or the one or more other signalling indications for the one or more communications devices, and
• under a condition where the one or more other signalling indications for the one or more communications devices provided by one or more of the detectable sequences of the set are transmitted, the one or more other signalling indications includes an indication as to whether or not the system information has changed with respect to a previous transmission of the system information.