Radio Resource Allocation In A Narrowband Communication System

A user equipment for communicating with a base station in a narrowband communication system, the user equipment comprising:

• radio circuitry;
• and
• processing circuitry operatively connected to the radio circuitry;
• the processing circuitry configured such that the user equipment is operative to:
• obtain a set of multiple indices, each index in the set of multiple indices corresponding to a different uplink resource allocation from a set of uplink resource allocations formed from twelve contiguous subcarriers, the set of uplink resource allocations comprising an allocation of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, two allocations of six contiguous ones of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, four allocations of three contiguous ones of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, and twelve allocations of a single one of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, such that:
• the two allocations of six contiguous subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within a bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• the four allocations of three contiguous subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within the bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• and
• the twelve allocations of single subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within the bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• receive an index indication corresponding to an index from the set of multiple indices from the base station;
• and
• transmit data to the base station using the resource allocation corresponding to the received index indication.

A method, implemented by a user equipment, for performing wireless communication with a base station in a narrowband communication system, the method comprising the user equipment:

• obtaining a set of multiple indices, each index in the set of multiple indices corresponding to a different uplink resource allocation from a set of uplink resource allocations formed from twelve contiguous subcarriers, the set of uplink resource allocations comprising an allocation of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, two allocations of six contiguous ones of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, four allocations of three contiguous ones of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, and twelve allocations of a single one of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, such that:
• the two allocations of six contiguous subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within a bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• the four allocations of three contiguous subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within the bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• and
• the twelve allocations of single subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within the bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• receiving an index indication corresponding to an index from the set of multiple indices from the base station;
• and
• transmitting data to the base station using the resource allocation corresponding to the received index indication.

A base station configured for communication with a user equipment in a narrowband communication system, the base station comprising:

• radio circuitry;
• and
• processing circuitry operatively connected to the radio circuitry;
• the processing circuitry configured such that the base station is operative to:
• obtain a set of multiple indices, each index in the set of multiple indices corresponding to a different uplink resource allocation from a set of uplink resource allocations formed from twelve contiguous subcarriers, the set of uplink resource allocations comprising an allocation of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, two allocations of six contiguous ones of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, four allocations of three contiguous ones of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, and twelve allocations of a single one of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, such that:
• the two allocations of six contiguous subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within a bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• the four allocations of three contiguous subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within the bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• and
• the twelve allocations of single subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within the bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• transmit an index indication corresponding to an index from the set of multiple indices to the user equipment;
• and
• receive data from the user equipment using the resource allocation corresponding to the transmitted index indication.

A method, performed by a base station, for communication with a user equipment in a narrowband communication system, the method comprising the base station:

• obtaining a set of multiple indices, each index in the set of multiple indices corresponding to a different uplink resource allocation from a set of uplink resource allocations formed from twelve contiguous subcarriers, the set of uplink resource allocations comprising an allocation of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, two allocations of six contiguous ones of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, four allocations of three contiguous ones of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, and twelve allocations of a single one of the twelve contiguous subcarriers, such that:
• the two allocations of six contiguous subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within a bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• the four allocations of three contiguous subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within the bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• and
• the twelve allocations of single subcarriers do not overlap with each other and fall within the bandwidth of the twelve contiguous subcarriers;
• transmitting an index indication corresponding to an index from the set of multiple indices to the user equipment;
• and
• receiving data from the user equipment using the resource allocation corresponding to the transmitted index indication.