Device communication using a reduced channel bandwidth
Systems and/or methods for supporting communications at a reduced bandwidth with a full bandwidth network such as a long-term evolution (LTE) network may be disclosed. For example, inband assignments such as downlink assignments and/or uplink grants may be provided and/or received and transmissions may be monitored and/or decoded based on the inband assignment. Additionally, information (e.g. a definition or configuration) associated with an ePDCCH may be provided and/or received and ePDCCH resources may be monitored and/or decoded based on such information. An indication for support of a reduced bandwidth by the full bandwidth network may also be provided and/or received and control channels in the reduced or narrow bandwidth may be monitored and/or decoded based on the indication. A PRACH preamble and/or a multi-type subframe definition may also be provided and/or used for support of such a reduced bandwidth.
1. A method for providing communication in a cell at a reduced bandwidth with a full bandwidth network, the method comprising:
a reduced bandwidth device receiving information about a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) associated with a machine type communication (MTC) device (M-PDCCH) configured to be used by the reduced bandwidth device, wherein the M-PDCCH is comprised in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) region and the information identifies or indicates M-PDCCH resources to monitor on a reduced bandwidth that is less than a full bandwidth of the cell, wherein the M-PDCCH resources to monitor on the reduced bandwidth comprise a subset of the M-PDCCH resources of the full bandwidth of the cell, and wherein the reduced bandwidth device is configured with the subset of the M-PDCCH resources via dedicated signaling; and
monitoring, at the reduced bandwidth device, the M-PDCCH resources in the reduced bandwidth based on the information associated with the M-PDCCH.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reduced bandwidth device comprises a low long-term evolution, LTE, user equipment, UE, category device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subset of M-PDCCH resources is specific to the reduced bandwidth device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises a configuration of the M-PDCCH.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the information is received via radio resource control (RRC) signaling.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the full bandwidth network comprises an LTE network operating at a bandwidth of 20 MHz, and wherein the reduced bandwidth device comprises a low-cost machine type communication (LC-MTC) device operating at a bandwidth of 5 MHz.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the M-PDCCH resources are monitored in a subframe and at a particular location.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
monitoring, at the reduced bandwidth device, physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) resources in the subframe and at the particular location.
9. A reduced bandwidth device for providing communications in a cell at a reduced bandwidth with a full bandwidth network, the reduced bandwidth device comprising:
a transmitter;
a receiver; and
a processor configured to:
cause the receiver to receive information about a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) associated with a machine type communication (MTC) device (M-PDCCH) configured to be used by the reduced bandwidth device, wherein the M-PDCCH is comprised in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) region, and the information identifies or indicates M-PDCCH resources to monitor on a reduced bandwidth that is less than a full bandwidth of the cell, wherein the M-PDCCH resources to monitor on the reduced bandwidth comprise a subset of the M-PDCCH resources of the full bandwidth of the cell, and wherein the reduced bandwidth device is configured with the subset of the M-PDCCH resources via dedicated signaling, and monitor the M-PDCCH resources in the reduced bandwidth based on the information associated with the M-PDCCH.
10. The reduced bandwidth device of claim 9 , wherein the reduced bandwidth device comprises a low Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) category device.
11. The reduced bandwidth device of claim 9 , wherein the subset of M-PDCCH resources is specific to the reduced bandwidth device.
12. The reduced bandwidth device of claim 9 , wherein the information comprises a configuration of the M-PDCCH.
13. The reduced bandwidth device of claim 12 , the information being received via radio resource control (RRC) signaling.
14. The reduced bandwidth device of claim 9 , the full bandwidth network comprising an LTE network operating at a bandwidth of 20 MHz, the reduced bandwidth device comprising a low-cost machine type communication (LC-MTC) device operating at a bandwidth of 5 MHz.
15. The reduced bandwidth device of claim 9 , wherein the M-PDCCH resources are monitored in a subframe and at a particular location.
16. The reduced bandwidth device of claim 15 , the receiver configured to monitor physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) resources in the subframe and at the particular location.
17. A method for providing communications at a reduced bandwidth with a full bandwidth network, the method comprising:
receiving, at a network component, a physical random access channel (PRACH) preamble from a device, the PRACH preamble comprising information associated with an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH) configured to be used by the device;
determining, at the network component, whether the device is a reduced bandwidth device based on the PRACH preamble; and
sending, from the network component, a random access response at a frequency location selected based on the PRACH preamble when the device is a reduced bandwidth device, the random access response indicating ePDCCH resources to monitor on a reduced bandwidth, the reduced bandwidth comprising a subset of ePDCCH resources configured in a cell explicitly via signaling or derived by the device.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the random access response comprises a random access response for reduced bandwidth devices.
19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
receiving, at the network component, a scheduled transmission from the reduced bandwidth device; and
providing, from the network component, a contention resolution configured to be performed by the device.
20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
performing a contention-based procedure when the device is not a reduced bandwidth device.
21. The method of claim 17 , the PRACH preamble indicating a subset of resources associated with the ePDCCH.
22. The method of claim 21 , the subset of resources comprising a set of resource blocks (RBs).
23. The method of claim 22 comprising receiving an indication of the set of RBs.