System, method and base station for allocating resources in a plurality of subframes

1. A method of operating a base station in a telecommunications system, the method comprising:

transmitting, in a control region of a first radio subframe, at least (i) a first indication of a first physical resource allocation on a first shared downlink channel for a first terminal device in a first user-plane region of a second radio subframe and (ii) a second indication of a second physical resource allocation on a second shared downlink channel for the first terminal device in a second user-plane region of a third radio subframe; and

subsequently transmitting use-plane data on the first and second physical resource allocations for the first terminal device on the first and second shared downlink channels in the first and second user-plane regions of the second and third radio subframes, wherein the second radio subframe is transmitted with a delay after transmitting the first radio subframe, the delay being dependent on a class type of the first terminal device, wherein the class type includes at least a smartphone-type and a machine-type, the machine-type being semi-autonomous or autonomous wireless communication type terminal devices having bandwidth capabilities lower than smartphone-type terminal devices and the delay is increased when the class type is the machine-type.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second radio subframe is transmitted a predefined interval after the first radio subframe.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control region of the first radio subframe is further used to transmit a third physical resource allocation for a second terminal device on a third shared downlink channel in the first user-plane region of the second radio subframe.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first terminal device is a terminal device of a first type and the second terminal device is a terminal device of a second type, the second type being different from the first type.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first and second physical resource allocations for the first terminal device are transmitted using a first format for conveying control-plane data and the third physical resource allocation for the second terminal device is transmitted using a second format for conveying control-plane data, the second format being different from the first format.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first and second physical resource allocations for the first terminal device are transmitted using a first format for conveying control-plane data and the third physical resource allocation for the second terminal device is transmitted using a second format for conveying control-plane data, the second format being the same as the first format.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprises determining an estimate of extent to which available resources in the control region of the first radio subframe and/or second radio subframe will be used to convey physical resource allocations for terminal devices before transmitting the control region of the first radio subframe, and, based on the estimate, deciding to use the first radio subframe to convey an indication of a physical resource allocation in the second radio subframe.

8. A base station for use in a telecommunications system, the base station comprising:

a transmitter coupled with a receiver, the transmitter configured to transmit, in a control region of a first radio subframe, at least (i) a first indication of a first physical resource allocation on a first shared downlink channel for a first terminal device in a first user-plane region of a second radio subframe and (ii) a second indication of a second physical resource allocation on a second shared downlink channel for the first terminal device in a second user-plane region of a third radio subframe and subsequently transmit use-plane data on the first and second physical resource allocations for the first terminal device on the first and second shared downlink channels in the first and second user-plane regions of the second and third radio subframes, wherein the second radio subframe is transmitted with a delay after transmitting the first radio subframe, the delay being dependent on a class type of the first terminal device, wherein the class type includes at least a smartphone-type and a machine-type, the machine-type being semi-autonomous or autonomous wireless communication type terminal devices having bandwidth capabilities lower than smartphone-type terminal devices and the delay is increased when the class type is the machine-type.

9. The base station of claim 8 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit a third physical resource allocation for a second terminal device on a third shared downlink channel in the first user-plane region of the second radio subframe.

10. The base station of claim 9 , wherein the first terminal device is a terminal device of a first type and the second terminal device is a terminal device of a second type, the second type being different from the first type.

11. The base station of claim 9 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the first and second physical resource allocations for the first terminal device using a first format for conveying control-plane data and to transmit the third physical resource allocation for the second terminal device using a second format for conveying control-plane data, the second format being different from the first format.

12. The base station of claim 9 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the first and second physical resource allocations for the first terminal device using a first format for conveying control-plane data and to transmit the third physical resource allocation for the second terminal device using a second format for conveying control-plane data, the second format being the same as the first format.

13. The base station of claim 8 , wherein the transmitter is configured to determine before transmitting the control region of the first radio subframe an estimate of an extent to which available resources in the control region of the first radio subframe and/or second radio subframe are scheduled to convey physical resource allocations for terminal devices, and, based on the estimate, to decide to use the first radio subframe to convey an indication of a physical resource allocation in the second radio subframe.

14. A method of operating a telecommunications system, the method comprising:

using a control region of a first radio subframe to convey at least (i) a first indication of a first physical resource allocation on a first shared downlink channel for a first terminal device in a first user-plane region of a second radio subframe and (ii) a second indication of a second physical resource allocation on a second shared downlink channel for the first terminal device in a second user-plane region of a third radio subframe; and

subsequently transmitting use-plane data on the first and second physical resource allocations for the first terminal device on the first and second shared downlink channels in the first and second user-plane regions of the second and third radio subframes, wherein the second radio subframe is transmitted with a delay after transmitting the first radio subframe, the delay being dependent on a class type of the first terminal device, wherein the class type includes at least a smartphone-type and a machine-type, the machine-type being semi-autonomous or autonomous wireless communication type terminal devices having bandwidth capabilities lower than smartphone-type terminal devices and the delay is increased when the class type is the machine-type.

15. A telecommunications system comprising:

a base station configured to use a control region of a first radio subframe to convey at least (i) a first indication of a first physical resource allocation on a first shared downlink channel for a first terminal device in a first user-plane region of a second radio subframe and (ii) a second indication of a second physical resource allocation on a second shared downlink channel for the first terminal device in a second user-plane region of a third radio subframe and subsequently transmit use-plane data on the first and second physical resource allocations for the first terminal device on the first and second shared downlink channels in the first and second user-plane regions of the second and third radio subframes, wherein the second radio subframe is transmitted with a delay after transmitting the first radio subframe, the delay being dependent on a class type of the first terminal device, wherein the class type includes at least a smartphone-type and a machine-type, the machine-type being semi-autonomous or autonomous wireless communication type terminal devices having bandwidth capabilities lower than smartphone-type terminal devices and the delay is increased when the class type is the machine-type.