Methods and devices for transmitting/receiving data based on the allocation of random access resources to uplink subframes

1. A user equipment of an evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) arranged to operate in a lime Division Duplex mode, wherein a frame comprises subframes allocated and split between uplink transmission and downlink transmission, the user equipment comprising:

a memory comprising program instructions; and

processing hardware comprising one or more processors, the processing hardware being communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the program instructions such that the user equipment is caused to:

receive data on a radio channel; and

determine a first uplink subframe and a second uplink subframe in the frame to use in a random access process by reading, in the received data:

an expression identifying the first uplink subframe; and

an ordinal number that identifies the second uplink subframe by specifying an ordinal position within a set consisting of a plurality of uplink subframes within the frame, the ordinal number being less than a subframe number specifying a different ordinal position of the second uplink subframe within a larger set consisting of all the subframes in the frame;

wherein the plurality of uplink subframes comprises the first and second uplink subframes;

wherein the ordinal position within the set is that of the second uplink subframe relative to the first uplink subframe;

wherein the expression in the received data comprises random access configuration for a plurality of random access resources defining that the plurality of random access resources is allocated across the plurality of uplink subframes comprising the first and second uplink subframes by:

mapping, to each of the uplink subframes in a first frequency, a respective first one of the random access resources; and

responsive to the plurality of uplink subframes being fewer in number than the plurality of random access resources, mapping, to one or more of the uplink subframes in a different frequency, a respective second one of the random access resources; and

wherein the mapping of the first and second random access resources is such that:

at least one of the first random access resources is concurrent with a respective second random access resource; and

at least one other of the first random access resources is concurrent with none of the second random access resources.

2. The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the user equipment is further caused to use the first random access resource during a random access process.

3. The user equipment according to claim 2 , wherein the user equipment is further caused to transmit a random access request in the first random access resource according to the expression during the random access process.

4. The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the user equipment is further caused to receive data on a broadcast channel.

5. The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the expression expresses the allocation of the first random access resource to use by expressing the first uplink subframe as a further ordinal number of uplink subframes.

6. A method in a base station of an evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) operating in a Time Division Duplex mode for transmitting data on a radio channel, wherein a frame comprises subframes allocated and split between uplink transmission and downlink transmission, the method comprising:

allocating a plurality of random access resources to a plurality of uplink subframes within the frame, the allocating comprising:

mapping, to each of the uplink subframes in a first frequency, a respective first one of the random access resources;

responsive to the plurality of uplink subframes being fewer in number than the plurality of random access resources, mapping, to one or more of the uplink subframes in a different frequency, a respective second one of the random access resources;

wherein the mapping of the first and second random access resources is such that:

at least one of the first random access resources is concurrent with a respective second random access resource; and

at least one other of the first random access resources is concurrent with none of the second random access resources; and

transmitting the data on the radio channel, the data comprising:

an expression identifying a first uplink subframe of the plurality of uplink subframes to use in a random access process; and

an ordinal number that identifies a second uplink subframe of the plurality of uplink subframes to use in the random access process by specifying an ordinal position within a set consisting of the plurality of uplink subframes, the ordinal number being less than a subframe number specifying a different ordinal position of the second uplink subframe within a larger set consisting of all the subframes in the frame;

wherein the ordinal position within the set is that of the second uplink subframe relative to the first uplink subframe.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one uplink subframe is mapped to a second random access resource at the different frequency and a first random access resource at the first frequency.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the allocating further comprises mapping at least one of the first random access resources to more than one uplink subframe.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the expression expresses allocation of the first random access resource to use by expressing the first uplink subframe as a further ordinal number of uplink subframes.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the radio channel comprises a broadcast channel.

11. A base station of an evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) arranged to operate in a Time Division Duplex mode, wherein a frame comprises subframes allocated and split between uplink transmission and downlink transmission, and wherein the base station comprises:

a memory comprising program instructions; and

processing hardware comprising one or more processors, the processing hardware being communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the program instructions such that the base station is caused to:

allocate a plurality of random access resources to a plurality of uplink subframes within the frame, wherein to allocate the random access resources the base station is configured to:

map, to each of the uplink subframes in a first frequency, a respective first one of the random access resources; and

responsive to the plurality of uplink subframes being fewer in number than the plurality of random access resources, map, to one or more of the uplink subframes in a different frequency, a respective second one of the random access resources;

wherein the mapping of the first and second random access resources is such that:

at least one of the first random access resources is concurrent with a respective second random access resource; and

at least one other of the first random access resources is concurrent with none of the second random access resources; and

transmit data on a radio channel, the data comprising:

an expression identifying a first uplink subframe of the plurality of uplink subframes to use in a random access process; and

an ordinal number that identifies a second uplink subframe of the plurality of uplink subframes to use in the random access process by specifying an ordinal position within a set consisting of the plurality of uplink subframes, the ordinal number being less than a subframe number specifying a different ordinal position of the second uplink subframe within a larger set consisting of all the subframes in the frame;

wherein the ordinal position within the plurality of uplink subframes is that of the second uplink subframe relative to the first uplink subframe.

12. The base station according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one uplink subframe is mapped to a second random access resource at the different frequency and a first random access resource at the first frequency.

13. The base station according to claim 11 , wherein the expression expresses allocation of the first random access resource to use by expressing the first uplink subframe as a further ordinal number of uplink subframes.

14. The base station according to claim 11 , wherein the base station is configured to transmit on a broadcast channel.

15. The base station according to claim 11 , wherein the first random access resource is allocated to more than one uplink subframe.

16. A method in a user equipment of an evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) operating in a Time Division Duplex mode, wherein a frame comprises subframes allocated and split between uplink transmission and downlink transmission, the method comprising:

receiving data on a radio channel; and

determining a first uplink subframe and a second uplink subframe in the frame to use in a random access process by reading, in the received data:

an expression identifying the first uplink subframe; and

an ordinal number that identifies the second uplink subframe by specifying an ordinal position within a set consisting of a plurality of uplink subframes within the frame, the ordinal number being less than a subframe number specifying a different ordinal position of the second uplink subframe within a larger set consisting of all the subframes in the frame;

wherein the plurality of uplink subframes comprises the first and second uplink subframes;

wherein the ordinal position within the set is that of the second uplink subframe relative to the first uplink subframe;

wherein the expression in the received data comprises random access configuration for a plurality of random access resources defining that the plurality of random access resources is allocated across the plurality of uplink subframes by:

mapping, to each of the uplink subframes in a first frequency, a respective first one of the random access resources; and

responsive to the plurality of uplink subframes being fewer in number than the plurality of random access resources, mapping, to one or more of the uplink subframes in a different frequency, a respective second one of the random access resources; and

wherein the mapping of the first and second random access resources is such that:

at least one of the first random access resources is concurrent with a respective second random access resource; and

at least one other of the first random access resources is concurrent with none of the second random access resources.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises using the first random access resource during a random access process.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the expression expresses the allocation of the first random access resource to use by expressing the first uplink subframe as a further ordinal number of uplink subframes.

19. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one uplink subframe is mapped to a second random access resource at the different frequency and a first random access resource at the first frequency.

20. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the first random access resource is allocated to more than one uplink subframe.

21. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the radio channel is a broadcast channel.