System combination of an asynchronous and a synchronous radio system

A base station 9 comprising:

• a transceiver,
• wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit data using a first radio network and a second radio network in a frequency band,
• wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit data in the first radio network according to a first time/frequency hopping pattern in a first frequency range of the frequency band,
• wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit data in the second radio network according to a second time/frequency hopping pattern in a second frequency range of the frequency band,
• wherein the first time/frequency hopping pattern and the second time/frequency hopping pattern are different,
• wherein the first frequency range and the second frequency range overlap at least partially,
• wherein the first radio network is an asynchronous radio network in which participants of the communication system are able to transmit data to the base station at any points in time,
• wherein the second radio network is a synchronous radio network in which the base station allocates exclusive resources to transmit the data to the participants of the communication system,
• wherein the transceiver is configured to receive an asynchronous uplink data transmission from a participant of the communication system using the first radio network and to transmit a downlink data transmission to the participant synchronized in time with the received uplink data transmission using the first radio network, the downlink data transmission comprising signaling information on a transmission of at least one beacon,
• wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the at least one beacon for synchronizing participants of the second radio network using the second radio network,
• wherein the signaling information comprise information on a point in time and/or a frequency channel of the at least one beacon.

A method of operating a communication system, comprising:

• transmitting data between participants and a base station of the communication system using a first radio network and a second radio network in a frequency band,
• wherein, in the first radio network, data are transmitted according to a first time/frequency hopping pattern in a first frequency range of the frequency band,
• wherein, in the second radio network, data are transmitted according to a second time/frequency hopping pattern in a second frequency range of the frequency band,
• wherein the first time/frequency hopping pattern and the second time/frequency hopping pattern are different,
• wherein the first frequency range and the second frequency range overlap at least partially,
• wherein the first radio network is an asynchronous radio network in which participants of the communication system are able to transmit data to the base station at any points in time,
• wherein the second radio network is a synchronous radio network in which exclusive resources to transmit the data are allocated to the participants,
• transmitting an asynchronous uplink data transmission from a participant of the communication system to the base station using the first radio network,
• transmitting a downlink data transmission from the base station to the participant synchronized in time with the received uplink data transmission using the first radio network, the downlink data transmission comprising signaling information on a transmission of at least one beacon,
• transmitting a beacon from the base station to the participants for synchronizing the participants of the second radio network, using the second radio network,
• wherein the signaling information comprise information on a point in time and/or a frequency channel of the at least one beacon.