# US 2021/0243760 A1 · Inserting virtual carrier in conventional ofdm host carrier in communications system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243760 A1 - Document ID: US20210243760A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/239,971 - Filed: 2021-04-26 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-02-04 - Assignees: Sca Ipla Holdings Inc. - Applicants: SCA IPLA Holdings Inc. - Inventors: Darren MCNAMARA; Andrew LILLIE; Peter DARWOOD; Martin BEALE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243760A1 ## CPC - H04L 27/2626: {Arrangements specific to the transmitter only} - H04L 5/0032: {Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation} - H04L 5/0039: {Frequency-contiguous, i.e. with no allocation of frequencies for one user or terminal between the frequencies allocated to another} - H04L 5/0048: {Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091)} - H04L 5/0064: {Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority} - H04L 5/0094: {Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated} - H04W 72/04: Wireless resource allocation - H04W 72/0453: Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA - H04L 5/0007: {the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A) or DMT} - H04W 72/23: in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal - H04W 72/52: based on load - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A network element for use in a mobile communications system and a method of using a network element for communicating data to/from mobile communications devices in a mobile communications system. The network element can provide a wireless access interface for communicating data to/from the mobile communications devices, the wireless access interface including: on a downlink a host carrier, the host carrier providing plural resource elements across a first frequency range; transmit data for a first group of mobile communications devices, wherein the data is distributed within the plural resource elements across the first frequency range; a virtual carrier via the wireless access interface, the virtual carrier providing one or more resource elements within a second frequency range which is within and smaller than the first frequency range; and transmit data for a second group of mobile communications devices via the virtual carrier. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device comprising: circuitry configured to locate, within a wireless access interface provided by a base station, a narrowband carrier that includes a first plurality of resource elements across a first range of system resource blocks which is within a second range of system resource blocks that span a system frequency bandwidth; decode a narrowband carrier control portion within the narrowband carrier, the narrowband carrier control portion identifying resource elements within the narrowband carrier that are allocated to the electronic device; locate the allocated resource elements within the narrowband carrier based on the decoded control portion; and receive data transmitted by the base station by decoding the allocated resource elements within the narrowband carrier, wherein data transmitted on the narrowband carrier is logically distinct from data transmitted in remaining parts of the second range of system resource blocks. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the narrowband carrier control portion within the narrowband carrier is included in a first sub-frame transmitted by the base station, and the allocated resource elements are included in a second sub-frame, which is transmitted by the base station subsequent to the first sub-frame. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second sub-frame immediately follows the first sub-frame. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the allocated resource elements include a subset of resource elements in the narrowband carrier of the second sub-frame. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the allocated resource elements include an entirety of resource elements of the narrowband carrier in the second sub-frame. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the allocated resource elements include network configuration information, and the circuitry is configured to decode the allocated resource elements to identify the network configuration information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to synchronize with the base station based on a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) transmitted by the base station. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to receive and decode a primary broadcast channel (PBCH) transmitted by the base station after performing the synchronization with the base station and before locating the narrowband carrier. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first range of system resource blocks includes fewer than one hundred resource blocks. ### Claim 10 An electronic device comprising: circuitry configured to locate, within a wireless access interface provided by a base station, a narrowband downlink carrier that includes a first plurality of resource elements across a first range of system resource blocks which is within a second range of system resource blocks that span a system frequency bandwidth; decode a narrowband carrier control portion within the downlink narrowband carrier, the narrowband carrier control portion identifying a physical random access channel (PRACH) to transmit a random access request to the base station; and transmit a random access request to the base station on the PRACH based on the decoded control portion within the downlink narrowband carrier, wherein data transmitted on the narrowband carrier is logically distinct from data transmitted in remaining parts of the second range of system resource blocks. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the first range of system resource blocks includes fewer than one hundred resource blocks. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the narrowband carrier control portion identifies that the PRACH is in a narrowband uplink carrier, and the circuitry is configured to transmit the random access request to the base station on the PRACH included in the uplink narrowband carrier. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the narrowband uplink carrier includes a same number of resource elements as the downlink narrowband carrier. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the narrowband carrier control portion identifies that the PRACH is in a host carrier bandwidth outside of a narrowband uplink carrier, and the circuitry is configured to transmit the random access request to the base station on the PRACH included in the host carrier bandwidth. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the narrowband carrier control portion identifies that the PRACH is included in a subset of a plurality of uplink sub-frames, and the circuitry is configured to transmit the random access request to the base station on the PRACH included in subset of the plurality of uplink sub-frames. ### Claim 16 An electronic device comprising: circuitry configured to locate, within a wireless access interface provided by a base station, a narrowband carrier that includes a first plurality of resource elements across a first range of system resource blocks which is within and smaller than a second range of system resource blocks that span a system frequency bandwidth; extract reference signals included in the narrowband carrier; estimate a channel function applied to data received on the narrowband carrier based on the extracted reference signals; decode a narrowband carrier control portion within the narrowband carrier based on the estimate channel function, the narrowband carrier control portion identifying resource elements within the narrowband carrier that are allocated to the electronic device; locate the allocated resource elements within the narrowband carrier based on the decoded control portion; and receive data transmitted by the base station by decoding the allocated resource elements within the narrowband carrier, wherein data transmitted on the narrowband carrier is logically distinct from data transmitted in remaining parts of the second range of system resource blocks. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first range of system resource blocks includes fewer than one hundred resource blocks. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The electronic device of claim 16, wherein density of reference signals included in the narrowband carrier is greater than a density of reference signals included in the system bandwidth outside of the narrowband carrier. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the reference signals are included in edges of a frequency bandwidth of the narrowband carrier. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the circuitry is configured to use the reference signals to determine at least one of metrics for received signal power indications, automatic frequency control metrics and automatic gain control metrics.