Selective suppression of uplink transmission in control regions

1. A method, implemented by a radio network device operative in a wireless communication network, of transmitting uplink data and uplink control signaling to the network, the method characterized by:

being allocated, by the network, a specified portion of a full, continuous bandwidth of an uplink carrier for transmitting uplink data;

receiving, from the network, identification of one or more control regions within the specified portion that are reserved for control signaling by other radio network devices; and

in response to an indication from the network, selectively transmitting uplink data, or suppressing transmission of uplink data, on resources within the one or more control regions within the specified portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier is logically divided into two or more sub-band portions, and wherein at least one sub-band portion includes at least one control region; and

the radio network device is provisioned with, or receives from the network, information regarding the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier.

3. The method of claim 2 , further characterized by determining the sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier by a predetermined relationship with the carrier bandwidth.

4. The method of claim 2 , further characterized by receiving from the network information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein receiving from the network information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier comprises receiving the information in a System Information broadcast.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein receiving from the network information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier comprises receiving the information in higher layer signaling directed to the radio network device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication from the network to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions is received in downlink control signaling.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication from the network to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions applies to one of a single control region, a pre-defined group of control regions, and all control regions.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication from the network to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions applies to a specified subset of the one or more control regions.

10. The method of claim 1 , further characterized by transmitting uplink bandwidth capability and/or configuration of the radio network device to the network.

11. A radio network device operative in a wireless communication network, comprising:

one or more antennas;

a transceiver operatively connected to the antennas; and

processing circuitry operatively connected to the transceiver, and configured to:

be allocated, by the network, a specified portion of a full, continuous bandwidth of an uplink carrier for transmitting uplink data;

receive, from the network, identification of one or more control regions within the specified portion that are reserved for control signaling by other radio network devices; and

in response to an indication from the network, selectively transmit uplink data, or suppress transmission of uplink data, on resources within the one or more control regions within the specified portion.

12. The radio network device of claim 11 , wherein

the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier is logically divided into two or more sub-band portions, and wherein at least one sub-band portion includes at least one control region; and

the radio network device is provisioned with, or receives from the network, information regarding the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier.

13. The radio network device of claim 12 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier by a predetermined relationship with the carrier bandwidth.

14. The radio network device of claim 12 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive from the network information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier.

15. The radio network device of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive from the network information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier by receiving the information in a System Information broadcast.

16. The radio network device of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive from the network information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier by receiving the information in higher layer signaling directed to the radio network device.

17. The radio network device of claim 11 , wherein the indication from the network to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions is received in downlink control signaling.

18. The radio network device of claim 11 , wherein the indication from the network to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions applies to one of a single control region, a pre-defined group of control regions, and all control regions.

19. The radio network device of claim 11 , wherein the indication from the network to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions applies to a specified subset of the one or more control regions.

20. The radio network device of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit uplink bandwidth capability and/or configuration of the radio network device to the network.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions which, when executed by processing circuitry of a radio network device operative in a wireless communication network, cause the device to perform the steps of:

being allocated, by the network, a specified portion of a full, continuous bandwidth of an uplink carrier for transmitting uplink data;

receiving, from the network, identification of one or more control regions within the specified portion that are reserved for control signaling by other radio network devices; and

in response to an indication from the network, selectively transmitting uplink data, or suppressing transmission of uplink data, on resources within the one or more control regions within the specified portion.

22. A method, implemented by a radio network device operative in a wireless communication network, of receiving uplink data and uplink control signaling from a radio network device, the method characterized by:

allocating to the radio network device a specified portion of a full, continuous bandwidth of an uplink carrier for transmitting uplink data;

transmitting to the radio network device identification of one or more control regions within the specified portion that are reserved for control signaling by other radio network devices; and

transmitting to the radio network device an indication that the radio network device selectively transmit uplink data, or suppress transmission of uplink data, on resources within the one or more control regions within the specified portion.

23. The method of claim 22 ,

wherein the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier is logically divided into two or more sub-band portions, and wherein at least one sub-band portion includes at least one control region; and further characterized by

transmitting to the radio network device information regarding the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the radio network device determines the sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier by a predetermined relationship with the carrier bandwidth.

25. The method of claim 23 , further characterized by transmitting to the radio network device information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein transmitting to the radio network device information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier comprises transmitting the information in a System Information broadcast.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein transmitting to the radio network device information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier comprises transmitting the information in higher layer signaling directed to the radio network device.

28. The method of claim 22 , wherein transmitting to the radio network device the indication to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions comprises transmitting the indication in downlink control signaling.

29. The method of claim 22 , wherein the indication to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions applies to one of a single control region, a pre-defined group of control regions, and all control regions.

30. The method of claim 22 , wherein the indication to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions applies to a specified subset of the one or more control regions.

31. The method of claim 22 , further characterized by receiving from the radio network device uplink bandwidth capability and/or configuration of the radio network device.

32. A radio network node operative in a wireless communication network, comprising:

one or more antennas;

a transceiver operatively connected to the antennas; and

processing circuitry operatively connected to the transceiver, and configured to:

allocate to a radio network device a specified portion of a full, continuous bandwidth of an uplink carrier for transmitting uplink data;

transmit to the radio network device identification of one or more control regions within the specified portion that are reserved for control signaling by other radio network devices; and

transmit to the radio network device an indication that the radio network device selectively transmit uplink data, or suppress transmission of uplink data, on resources within the one or more control regions within the specified portion.

33. The radio network node of claim 32 , wherein

the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier is logically divided into two or more sub-band portions, and wherein at least one sub-band portion includes at least one control region; and

the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit to the radio network device information regarding the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier.

34. The radio network node of claim 33 , wherein the radio network device determines the sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier by a predetermined relationship with the carrier bandwidth.

35. The radio network node of claim 33 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to transmit to the radio network device information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier.

36. The radio network node of claim 35 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to transmit to the radio network device information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier by transmitting the information in a System Information broadcast.

37. The radio network node of claim 35 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to transmit to the radio network device information identifying sub-band portions and one or more control regions within the full, continuous bandwidth of the uplink carrier by transmitting the information in higher layer signaling directed to the radio network device.

38. The radio network node of claim 32 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to transmit to the radio network device the indication to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions by transmitting the indication in downlink control signaling.

39. The radio network node of claim 32 , wherein the indication to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions applies to one of a single control region, a pre-defined group of control regions, and all control regions.

40. The radio network node of claim 32 , wherein the indication to transmit or suppress uplink data on resources within the one or more control regions applies to a specified subset of the one or more control regions.

41. The radio network node of claim 32 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to receive from the radio network device uplink bandwidth capability and/or configuration of the radio network device.

42. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions which, when executed by processing circuitry of a radio network node operative in a wireless communication network, causes the node to perform the steps of:

allocating to a radio network device a specified portion of a full, continuous bandwidth of an uplink carrier for transmitting uplink data;

transmitting to the radio network device identification of one or more control regions within the specified portion that are reserved for control signaling by other radio network devices; and

transmitting to the radio network device an indication that the radio network device selectively transmit uplink data, or suppress transmission of uplink data, on resources within the one or more control regions within the specified portion.