Inserting virtual carrier in conventional OFDM host carrier in communications system

A network element for use in a mobile communications system, the network element operable to:

• provide a wireless access interface for communicating data to and/or from mobile communications devices, the wireless access interface providing on a downlink a host carrier, the host carrier providing a plurality of resource elements across first frequency resources;
• transmit data for a first group of mobile communications devices, wherein the data is distributed within the plurality of resource elements across the first frequency resources;
• provide a virtual carrier via the wireless access interface, the virtual carrier providing one or more resource elements within second frequency resources which are within and smaller than the first frequency resources;
• transmit data for a second group of mobile communications devices via the virtual carrier;
• transmit data on the downlink in time-adjacent sub-frames;
• allocate to the virtual carrier one or more resource elements within the second frequency resources in a first sub-frame;
• and
• allocate to the virtual carrier one or more resource elements within a third frequency resources in the sub-frame after the first sub-frame, wherein the third frequency resources are is within and smaller than the first frequency resources.

A method of using a network element for communicating data to and/or from mobile communications devices in a mobile communications system, the method comprising:

• providing a wireless access interface for communicating data to and/or from the mobile communications devices, the wireless access interface providing on a downlink a host carrier, the host carrier providing a plurality of resource elements across first frequency resources;
• transmitting data for a first group of mobile communications devices, wherein the data is distributed within the plurality of resource elements across the first frequency resources;
• providing a virtual carrier via the wireless access interface, the virtual carrier providing one or more resource elements within second frequency resources which are within and smaller than the first frequency resources;
• and
• transmitting data for a second group of mobile communications devices via the at least one virtual carrier, wherein
• the virtual carrier has a bandwidth size of at least one resource block and of fewer than one hundred resource blocks.

A method of using a network element for communicating data to and/or from mobile communications devices in a mobile communications system, the method comprising:

• providing a wireless access interface for communicating data to and/or from the mobile communications devices, the wireless access interface providing on a downlink a host carrier, the host carrier providing a plurality of resource elements across first frequency resources;
• transmitting data for a first group of mobile communications devices, wherein the data is distributed within the plurality of resource elements across the first frequency resources;
• providing a virtual carrier via the wireless access interface, the virtual carrier providing one or more resource elements within second frequency resources which are within and smaller than the first frequency resources;
• and
• transmitting data for a second group of mobile communications devices via the at least one virtual carrier;
• providing the downlink data in time-adjacent sub-frames;
• allocating to the virtual carrier one or more resource elements within the second frequency resources for a first sub-frame;
• and
• allocating to the virtual carrier one or more resource elements within a third frequency resources for the sub-frame after the first sub-frame, wherein the third frequency resources are within and smaller than the first frequency resources.

An apparatus for communicating data to and/or from mobile communications devices in a mobile communications system, the apparatus comprising:

• means for providing a wireless access interface for communicating data to and/or from the mobile communications devices, the wireless access interface providing on a downlink a host carrier, the host carrier providing a plurality of resource elements across first frequency resources;
• means for transmitting data for a first group of mobile communications devices, wherein the data is distributed within the plurality of resource elements across the first frequency resources;
• means for providing a virtual carrier via the wireless access interface, the virtual carrier providing one or more resource elements within second frequency resources which is within and smaller than the first frequency resources;
• and
• means for transmitting data for a second group of mobile communications devices via the at least one virtual carrier, wherein
• the second frequency resources have a bandwidth of at least one resource block and fewer than one hundred resource blocks.