Control channel to enable a low power mode in a wideband wireless communication system

1. A method comprising a receiving device performing the steps of:

receiving a multi-carrier signal comprising a plurality of time slots wherein each time slot comprises a plurality of sub-channels;

operating in a first decoding mode, wherein the first decoding mode comprises a low power mode, to decode one or more sub-channels of the plurality of sub-channels, thereby yielding control information; and

if the control information includes indicia of payload directed to the receiving device, operating in a second decoding mode to decode one or more additional sub-channels of the plurality of sub-channels thereby yielding payload information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the first decoding mode, the receiving device decodes the one or more sub-channels of the plurality of sub-channels, thereby further yielding payload information.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the first decoding mode, the receiving device decodes only the one or more sub-channels of the plurality of sub-channels which yield control information.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein in the second decoding mode, the receiving device decodes the one or more sub-channels of the plurality of sub-channels which yields control information and the one or more additional sub-channels of the plurality of sub-channels which yield payload information.

5. The of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a multi-carrier signal comprising a plurality of time slots wherein each time slot comprises M sub-channels spanning a bandwidth B M ; and

recieving control information in one or more control sub-channels of the M sub-channels occupying a first portion of the bandwidth B M .

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the receiving device is a radio communication unit.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

decoding, by the receiving device, the control sub-channels to receive the control information.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of decoding the control sub-channels comprises the receiving device decoding only the control sub-channels.

9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, upon a sending device having payload information directed to the receiving device:

sending, by the sending device, the payload information to the receiving device in one or more payload sub-channels of the M sub-channels occupying a second portion of the bandwidth B M .

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

decoding, by the receiving device, the payload sub-channels to receive the payload information.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the step of decoding the payload sub-channels comprises the receiving device decoding the full bandwidth B M .

12. The method of claim 9 wherein, prior to sending the payload information, the sending device performs the step of:

sending, via the control sub-channels, a message informing the receiving device to decode at least the one or more payload sub-channels to receive the payload information.

13. The method of claim 5 , further comprising, upon a sending device having payload information directed to the receiving device:

determining, by the sending device, if the payload information can be communicated via the control sub-channels; and

if the payload information can be communicated via the control sub-channels, sending the payload information to the receiving device via the one or more control sub-channels.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

decoding, by the receiving device, the control sub-channels to receive the payload information.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of decoding the control sub-channels comprises the receiving device decoding only the control sub-channels.

16. The method of claim 13 , comprising, if the payload information can not be communicated via the control sub-channels,

sending, by the sending device, the payload information to the receiving device in one or more payload sub-channels of the M sub-channels occupying a second portion of the bandwidth B M .

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

decoding, by the receiving device, the payload sub-channels to receive the payload information.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of decoding the payload sub-channels comprises the receiving device decoding the full bandwidth B M .

19. The method of claim 16 wherein, prior to sending the payload information, the sending device performs the steps of:

sending, via the control sub-channels, a message informing the receiving device to decode the one or more payload sub-channels to receive the payload information.

20. A communication device comprising:

an antenna for receiving a multi-carrier signal comprising a plurality of time slots wherein each time slot comprises M sub-channels; and

a decoding element for independently decoding each of the M sub-channels, the decoding element being operable in a first decoding mode, wherein the first decoding mode comprises a low power mode, to decode one or more control sub-channels of the M sub-channels and in a second decoding mode to decode one or more payload sub-channels of the M sub-channels.

21. The communication device of claim 20 , wherein in the first decoding mode, the decoding element decodes only the control sub-channels.

22. The communication device of claim 20 , wherein in the second decoding mode, the decoding element decodes the control sub-channels and the payload sub-channels.