Method of reporting scheduling information

1. A method of encoding and transmitting information relating to data to be transmitted from user equipment to a base station in a multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network, at least one carrier comprising a data channel, said method comprising:

generating an indication of one or more characteristics of said data to be transmitted, wherein at least one characteristic is user equipment buffer information;

determining an indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier;

encoding a scheduling information message for said at least one carrier, said scheduling information message being generated from the indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier and the one or more characteristics of said data to be transmitted;

transmitting said encoded scheduling information message for said at least one carrier to the base station on two or more carriers.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one carrier transmits one scheduling information message per predetermined transmit time interval.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said encoded scheduling information message for said at least one carrier is transmitted to the base station on said carriers.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein transmission of said encoded scheduling information message for said at least one carrier to the base station on two or more carriers occurs concurrently.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein transmission of said encoded scheduling information message for said at least one carrier to the base station on two or more carriers occurs consecutively.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein commencement of transmission of said encoded scheduling information message for said at least one carrier to the base station on said two or more carriers is off-set by a predetermined time period.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said predetermined off-set time period comprises a fraction of a predetermined transmit time interval.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein said:

generating an indication of the one or more characteristics of said data to be transmitted;

determining an indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier, and

encoding a scheduling information message for said at least one carrier, said scheduling information message being generated from the indication of estimated power available to send data on said channel of said at least one carrier and the one or more characteristics of said data to be transmitted,

are repeated in said predetermined off-set time period.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said indication of the one or more characteristics of said data to be transmitted comprises:

an indication of a quantity of total data to be transmitted, or an indication of highest priority data to be transmitted, or an indication of a quantity of the highest priority data to be transmitted.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each said encoded scheduling information message comprises 18 bits.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier is encoded into 5 bits.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one carrier further comprises a pilot channel and said indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier comprises a ratio of user equipment available power for data transmission to power pre-allocated to the pilot channel of said at least one carrier.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating an indication of the one or more characteristics of said data to be transmitted, determining an indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier, encoding a scheduling information message for said at least one carrier, and transmitting said encoded scheduling information message for said at least one carrier to the base station on two or more carriers are periodically repeated.

14. User equipment operable to encode and transmit information relating to data to be transmitted from said user equipment to a base station in a multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network, at least one carrier comprising a data channel, said user equipment comprising:

a controller operable to generate an indication of the characteristics of said data to be transmitted, and determine an indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier, wherein at least one characteristic is user equipment buffer information,

the controller being operable to encode a scheduling information message for said at least one carrier, said scheduling information message being generated from the indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier and the characteristics of said data to be transmitted,

the controller being further operable to transmit said encoded scheduling information message for said at least one carrier to the base station on two or more carriers.

15. A non-transitory computer-usable data carrier storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of encoding and transmitting information relating to data to be transmitted from user equipment to a base station in a multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network, at least one carrier comprising a data channel, said method comprising:

generating an indication of one or more characteristics of said data to be transmitted, wherein at least one characteristic is user equipment buffer information;

determining an indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier;

encoding a scheduling information message for said at least one carrier, said scheduling information message being generated from the indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier and the one or more characteristics of said data to be transmitted;

transmitting said encoded scheduling information message for said at least one carrier to the base station on two or more carriers.

16. A method of encoding and transmitting information relating to data to be transmitted from user equipment to a base station in a multi-carrier wireless telecommunications network, at least one carrier comprising a data channel, said method comprising:

generating an indication of one or more characteristics of said data to be transmitted;

determining an indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier;

encoding a scheduling information message for said at least one carrier, said scheduling information message being generated from the indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier and the characteristic of said data to be transmitted;

transmitting said encoded scheduling information message for said at least one carrier to the base station on two or more carriers, wherein said at least one carrier further comprises a pilot channel and said indication of estimated power available to send data on said data channel of said at least one carrier comprises a ratio of user equipment available power for data transmission to power pre-allocated to the pilot channel of said at least one carrier.