Frame structures with flexible partition boundary for wireless networks

An apparatus comprising:

• a wireless interface;
• and
• a controller, the apparatus configured to:
• transmit a downlink subframe of a frequency division duplex (FDD) frame to one or more mobile stations in a wireless network, each wireless station being assigned to a group out of at least 2 groups, the at least 2 groups including at least a group 1 and a group 2, the downlink subframe including at least:
• a group 1 portion and a group 2 portion, wherein a group boundary between the group 1 portion and the group 2 portion of the downlink subframe is variable, at least one of the group portions including a group boundary information identifying a location of the group boundary or a location of the group 2 portion in the downlink subframe.

A method of receiving information by a mobile station in a wireless network, the mobile station being assigned to a second group out of a plurality of groups including at least a first group and a second group of mobile stations in the wireless network, the method comprising:

• receiving, by the mobile station, a downlink control information associated with the first group of mobile stations, the downlink control information including a location of, or pointer to, the group boundary information;
• obtaining the group boundary information;
• determining, based on the group boundary information, a location of a downlink control information associated with the second group;
• and
• receiving the downlink control information associated with the second group.

A method of receiving information by a mobile station in a wireless network, the mobile station being assigned to a second group out of a plurality of groups including at least a first group and a second group of mobile stations in the wireless network, the method comprising:

• receiving, by the mobile station, a downlink control information associated with the first group of mobile stations, the downlink control information including a group boundary information of a downlink subframe;
• determining, based on the group boundary information, a location of a downlink control information associated with the second group;
• and
• receiving the downlink control information associated with the second group.

An apparatus provided at a mobile station in a wireless network, the mobile station being assigned to a second group out of a plurality of groups including at least a first group and a second group of mobile stations in the wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

• a wireless interface;
• and
• a controller, the apparatus configured to:
• receive, by the mobile station, a downlink control information associated with the first group of mobile stations, the downlink control information including a group boundary information of a downlink subframe;
• determine, based on the group boundary information, a location of a downlink control information associated with the second group;
• and
• receive the downlink control information associated with the second group.

A method of synchronizing a mobile station in a wireless network, the mobile station being assigned to a second group out of a plurality of groups including at least a first group and a second group of mobile stations in the wireless network, the method comprising:

• waking, by the mobile station, from a low power state;
• receiving a downlink control information of a first group portion of a downlink subframe, the downlink subframe also including a second group portion, the downlink control information of the first group portion including a group boundary information identifying a location of a group boundary between the first group portion and the second group portion or identifying a location or resources of the second group portion, wherein a group boundary between the first group portion and the second group 2 portion of the downlink subframe is variable;
• and
• determining a location or resources of a downlink control information of the second group, based on the downlink control information of the first group.

An apparatus provided in a mobile station in a wireless network, the mobile station being assigned to a second group out of a plurality of groups including a first group and a second group of mobile stations in the wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

• a wireless interface;
• and
• a controller, the apparatus configured to:
• wake from a low power state;
• receive a downlink control information of a first group portion of a downlink subframe, the downlink subframe also including a second group portion, the downlink control information of the first group portion including a group boundary information identifying a location or resources for a group boundary between the first group portion and the second group portion or identifying a location or resources of the second group portion, wherein a group boundary between the first group portion and the second group 2 portion of the downlink subframe is variable;
• and
• determine a location or resources of a downlink control information of the second group, based on the downlink control information of the first group.

A method comprising;

• sending, from a mobile station in a wireless network, a synchronization request message to a target base station;
• receiving a synchronization response message from the target base station, the synchronization response message including a group assignment for the mobile station and a group boundary information, wherein the group boundary information identifies a location of a boundary between a first group portion and a second group portion of a downlink subframe or identifies a location of the second group portion;
• and
• receiving, based on the group boundary information, a downlink control information associated with the group to which the mobile station is assigned.

A method of receiving information by a mobile station in a wireless network, the method comprising:

• receiving, by the mobile station, a fixed location downlink control information, the fixed location downlink control information including location information identifying a location of a variable location downlink control information;
• determining, based on the location information, a location of the variable location downlink control information;
• and
• receiving the variable location downlink control information.

A method comprising:

• transmitting a downlink subframe of a frequency division duplex (FDD) frame to one or more mobile stations in a wireless network, the downlink subframe including at least:
• a fixed location downlink control information;
• and
• a variable location downlink control information, wherein a location of the variable location downlink control information may vary or change;
• wherein the fixed location downlink control information includes location information identifying the location of the variable location downlink control information either within a current FDD frame or a future FDD frame.

A method comprising:

• transitioning, by a mobile station in a wireless network, from a low power or idle mode to an active mode;
• receiving, by the mobile station, a fixed location portion of a downlink subframe, the fixed location portion including at least a paging message addressed to the mobile station and location information identifying a location of a variable location portion of the downlink subframe;
• and
• determining that a base station or other infrastructure node has data pending for the mobile station based on the paging message in the fixed location portion.

A method comprising:

• determining, by a mobile station in a wireless network, whether a location of a variable location portion of a downlink subframe is known;
• receiving, by the mobile station, if the location of the variable location portion is known, the variable location portion of the downlink subframe;
• otherwise, if the location of the variable location portion of the downlink subframe is not known, then performing the following:
• receiving a fixed location portion of the downlink subframe, the fixed location portion including location information identifying the location of the variable location portion for a current or future frame;
• determining, based on the location information, the location of the variable location portion;
• and
• receiving, based on the determined current location, for a current or future frame, the variable location portion of a downlink subframe.

A method comprising:

• transmitting, from a base station, a fixed boundary frame including a first downlink control portion provided at a fixed location and a second downlink control portion provided at a default location in the fixed boundary frame;
• and
• transmitting, from the base station in a wireless network, a variable boundary frame including a third downlink control portion provided at the fixed location in the variable boundary frame and a fourth downlink control portion provided at a variable location of the variable boundary frame;
• wherein the second downlink control portion of the fixed boundary frame includes boundary information identifying a location of the fourth downlink control portion of the variable boundary frame.