Communication system

A communication device for communicating with communication apparatus of a cellular communication system said communication device comprising:

• means for registering said communication device in at least one communication cell operated by said communication apparatus;
• means for receiving a plurality of sub-frames transmitted from said communication apparatus via a plurality of antenna ports, wherein:
• each sub-frame comprises a plurality of communication resources defining a control region for communicating a respective control channel and a plurality of communication resources defining a data region for communicating a respective data channel;
• and
• said receiving means is operable:
• first control information communicated using a first reference signal pattern and using a first antenna port by said communication apparatus;
• and
• second control information communicated using a second reference signal pattern and using a second antenna port by said communication apparatus;
• and
• means for interpreting said control information communicated using said first reference signal pattern, and for interpreting control information communicated using said second reference signal pattern.

Communication apparatus for communicating with a plurality of mobile communication devices in a cellular communication system said communication apparatus comprising:

• means for operating at least one communication cell;
• means for communicating a plurality of subframes with each of a plurality of communication devices within said at least one cell, wherein:
• each sub-frame comprises a plurality of communication resources defining a control region for communicating a respective control channel and a plurality of communication resources defining a data region for communicating a respective data channel;
• and
• said communicating means is operable to communicate:
• a first control channel having a first reference signal pattern in a control region of a first of said subframes;
• and
• a second control channel having a second reference signal pattern in a control region of a second of said subframes, wherein said second reference signal pattern is different from said first reference signal pattern.

A communication device for communicating with communication apparatus of a cellular communication system said communication device comprising:

• means for registering said communication device in at least one communication cell operated by said communication apparatus;
• means for receiving a plurality of sub-frames from said communication apparatus, wherein:
• each sub-frame comprises a plurality of communication resources defining a control region for communicating a respective control channel and a plurality of communication resources defining a data region for communicating a respective data channel;
• and
• said receiving means is operable:
• to receive a first control channel having a first reference signal pattern in a control region of a first of said subframes;
• and
• to receive a second control channel having a second reference signal pattern in a in a control region of a second of said subframes, wherein said second reference signal pattern is different from said first reference signal pattern;
• and
• means for interpreting control information communicated in said first control channel having a first reference signal pattern, and for interpreting control information communicated in said second control channel having a second reference signal pattern.

A method, performed by communication apparatus, for communicating with a plurality of mobile communication devices in a cellular communication system, the method comprising:

• operating at least one communication cell;
• communicating, via a plurality of antenna ports, a plurality of subframes with each of a plurality of communication devices within said at least one cell, wherein each sub-frame comprises a plurality of communication resources defining a control region for communicating a respective control channel and a plurality of communication resources defining a data region for communicating a respective data channel;
• communicating first control information using a first reference signal pattern and using a first antenna port;
• and
• communicating second control information using a second reference signal pattern and using a second antenna port.

A method, performed by a communication device for communicating with communication apparatus of a cellular communication system, the method comprising:

• registering said communication device in at least one communication cell operated by said communication apparatus;
• receiving a plurality of sub-frames transmitted from said communication apparatus via a plurality of antenna ports, wherein each sub-frame comprises a plurality of communication resources defining a control region for communicating a respective control channel and a plurality of communication resources defining a data region for communicating a respective data channel;
• receiving first control information communicated using a first reference signal pattern and using a first antenna port by said communication apparatus;
• interpreting said control information communicated using said first reference signal pattern;
• receiving second control information communicated using a second reference signal pattern and using a second antenna port by said communication apparatus;
• and
• interpreting control information communicated using said second reference signal pattern.

A method, performed by communication apparatus, of communicating with a plurality of mobile communication devices in a cellular communication system said method comprising:

• operating at least one communication cell;
• communicating a plurality of subframes with each of a plurality of communication devices within said at least one cell, wherein each sub-frame comprises a plurality of communication resources defining a control region for communicating a respective control channel and a plurality of communication resources defining a data region for communicating a respective data channel;
• communicating control information using a first control channel having a first reference signal pattern in a control region of a first of said subframes;
• and
• communicating control information using a second control channel having a second reference signal pattern in a control region of a second of said subframes, wherein said second reference signal pattern is different from said first reference signal pattern.

A method, performed by a communication device, of communicating with communication apparatus of a cellular communication system said method:

• registering said communication device in at least one communication cell operated by said communication apparatus;
• receiving a plurality of sub-frames from said communication apparatus, wherein each sub-frame comprises a plurality of communication resources defining a control region for communicating a respective control channel and a plurality of communication resources defining a data region for communicating a respective data channel;
• receiving a first control channel having a first reference signal pattern in a control region of a first of said subframes;
• interpreting control information communicated in said first control channel having a first reference signal pattern;
• receiving a second control channel having a second reference signal pattern in a in a control region of a second of said subframes, wherein said second reference signal pattern is different from said first reference signal pattern;
• and
• interpreting control information communicated in said second control channel having a second reference signal pattern.

Communication apparatus for communicating with a plurality of mobile communication devices in a cellular communication system said communication apparatus comprising:

• means for operating at least one communication cell;
• means for communicating a plurality of subframes with each of a plurality of communication devices within said at least one cell, wherein:
• each sub-frame comprises a plurality of communication resources defining a control region for communicating a respective control channel and a plurality of communication resources defining a data region for communicating a respective data channel;
• and
• said communicating means is operable to communicate:
• control information using a first control channel having a first reference signal pattern in a control region of a first of said subframes;
• and
• control information using a second control channel having a second reference signal pattern in one of said control and data regions of a second of said subframes, wherein said second reference signal pattern is different from said first reference signal pattern.

A communication device for communicating with communication apparatus of a cellular communication system said communication device comprising:

• means for registering said communication device in at least one communication cell operated by said communication apparatus;
• means for receiving a plurality of sub-frames from said communication apparatus, wherein:
• each sub-frame comprises a plurality of communication resources defining a control region for communicating a respective control channel and a plurality of communication resources defining a data region for communicating a respective data channel;
• and
• said receiving means is operable:
• to receive a first control channel having a first reference signal pattern in a control region of a first of said subframes;
• and
• to receive a second control channel having a second reference signal pattern in at least one of a control region and a data region of a second of said subframes, wherein said second reference signal pattern is different from said first reference signal pattern;
• and
• means for interpreting control information communicated in said first control channel having a first reference signal pattern, and for interpreting control information communicated in said second control channel having a second reference signal pattern.

Communication apparatus for communicating with a plurality of mobile communication devices in a cellular communication system said communication apparatus comprising:

• means for operating at least one communication cell;
• means for communicating a plurality of subframes with each of a plurality of communication devices within said at least one cell, wherein:
• said communicating means is operable to communicate:
• control information using a first control channel omnidirectionally throughout said cell;
• and
• control information using a second control channel in a direction spatially focussed towards a communication device for which the control information is intended.

A communication device for communicating with communication apparatus of a cellular communication system said communication device comprising:

• means for registering said communication device in at least one communication cell operated by said communication apparatus;
• means for receiving a plurality of sub-frames from said communication apparatus, wherein:
• said receiving means is operable:
• to receive a first control channel omnidirectionally by the communication apparatus throughout said cell;
• and
• to receive a second control channel transmitted in a direction spatially focussed towards said communication device;
• and
• means for interpreting control information communicated in said first control channel, and for interpreting control information communicated in said second control channel.

Communication apparatus for communicating with a plurality of mobile communication devices in a cellular communication system said communication apparatus comprising:

• a cell controller adapted to operate at least one communication cell;
• a transceiver operable to communicate a plurality of subframes with each of a plurality of communication devices within said at least one cell, wherein:
• each sub-frame comprises a plurality of communication resources defining a control region for communicating a respective control channel and a plurality of communication resources defining a data region for communicating a respective data channel;
• and
• said transceiver is further operable to communicate:
• control information using a first control channel having a first reference signal pattern in a control region of a first of said subframes;
• and
• control information using a second control channel having a second reference signal pattern in at least one of said control and data regions of a second of said subframes, wherein said second reference signal pattern is different from said first reference signal pattern.

A communication device for communicating with communication apparatus of a cellular communication system said communication device comprising:

• a cell registration module operable to register said communication device in at least one communication cell operated by said communication apparatus;
• a transceiver operable to receive a plurality of sub-frames from said communication apparatus, wherein:
• each sub-frame comprises a plurality of communication resources defining a control region for communicating a respective control channel and a plurality of communication resources defining a data region for communicating a respective data channel;
• and
• said transceiver is further operable:
• to receive a first control channel having a first reference signal pattern in a control region of a first of said subframes;
• and
• to receive a second control channel having a second reference signal pattern in at least one of said control region and said data region of a second of said subframes, wherein said second reference signal pattern is different from said first reference signal pattern;
• and
• a processor operable to interpret control information communicated in said first control channel having a first reference signal pattern, and to interpret control information communicated in said second control channel having a second reference signal pattern.