Frequency sub-band selection in wireless communications
View Patent ↗This document discloses a solution where a network element of a cellular communication system detects appearance of a terminal device in the cellular communication system. In connection with registering the terminal device in the cellular communication system, the network element determines that a native frequency band of the terminal device is a sub-band of an operating frequency band of the cellular communication system and, then, allocates to the terminal device frequency resources from the native frequency band of the terminal device.
1. A method comprising:
detecting, in a network element of a cellular communication system, appearance of a terminal device in the cellular communication system;
determining, in connection with registering the terminal device in the cellular communication system, that a native frequency band of the terminal device is a sub-band of an operating frequency band of the cellular communication system;
determining whether or not the terminal device supports carrier aggregation;
determining that the terminal device supports, in addition to its native frequency band, also the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system in the carrier aggregation;
allocating to the terminal device frequency resources from the native frequency band of the terminal device on at least one carrier; and
prioritizing the native frequency band over the other frequency bands of the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system when allocating additional carriers to the terminal device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the terminal device is a roaming terminal device.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
reallocating at least one other terminal device away from the native frequency band of the terminal device to make room for the terminal device.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the cellular communication system is a home network of the other terminal device.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the terminal device supports, in addition to its native frequency band, also the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system having a higher bandwidth than the bandwidth of the native frequency band; and
prioritizing the native frequency band over the other frequency bands of the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system when allocating frequency resources to the terminal device.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the network element is a base station in the cellular communication system.
7. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including program instructions, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
detect appearance of a terminal device in a cellular communication system;
determine, in connection with registering the terminal device in the cellular communication system, that a native frequency band of the terminal device is a sub-band of an operating frequency band of the cellular communication system;
determine whether or not the terminal device supports carrier aggregation;
determine that the terminal device supports, in addition to its native frequency band, also the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system in the carrier aggregation;
allocate to the terminal device frequency resources from the native frequency band of the terminal device on at least one carrier; and
prioritize the native frequency band over the other frequency bands of the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system when allocating additional carriers to the terminal device.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the terminal device is a roaming terminal device.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein:
the apparatus comprises a base station in the cellular communication system.
10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to reallocate at least one other terminal device away from the native frequency band of the terminal device to make room for the terminal device.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the cellular communication system is a home network of the other terminal device.
12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
determine that the terminal device supports, in addition to its native frequency band, also the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system having a higher bandwidth than the bandwidth of the native frequency band; and
prioritize the native frequency band over the other frequency bands of the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system when allocating frequency resources to the terminal device.
13. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising radio interface components providing the apparatus with radio communication capability.
14. A non-transitory computer readable memory storing computer program code, which when executed on a network element, causes the network element to:
detect appearance of a terminal device in a cellular communication system;
determining whether or not the terminal device supports carrier aggregation;
determining that the terminal device supports, in addition to its native frequency band, also the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system in the carrier aggregation;
determine, in connection with registering the terminal device in the cellular communication system, that a native frequency band of the terminal device is a sub-band of an operating frequency band of the cellular communication system;
allocating to the terminal device frequency resources from the native frequency band of the terminal device on at least one carrier; and
prioritizing the native frequency band over the other frequency bands of the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system when allocating additional carriers to the terminal device.
15. The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 14 , wherein the terminal device is a roaming terminal device.
16. The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 14 , wherein the computer program code further causes the network element to reallocate at least one other terminal device away from the native frequency band of the terminal device to make room for the terminal device.
17. The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 16 , wherein:
the cellular communication system is a home network of the other terminal device.
18. The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 14 , wherein the computer program code further causes the network element to:
determine that the terminal device supports, in addition to its native frequency band, also the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system having a higher bandwidth than the bandwidth of the native frequency band; and
prioritize the native frequency band over the other frequency bands of the operating frequency band of the cellular communication system when allocating frequency resources to the terminal device.
19. The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 14 , wherein the network element comprises radio interface components providing the network element with radio communication capability.
20. The non-transitory computer readable memory according to claim 14 , wherein:
the network element comprises a base station in the cellular communication system.