US 11206670

US Patent 11206670: Communication in a Wireless Network Using Restricted Bandwidths

Title: Communication in a wireless network using restricted bandwidths

Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC

Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Holding 81 LLC

Inventors: Philip Young

Filing Date: February 24, 2021 (for application US17/184,127, which this patent is a continuation of)

Issue Date: December 21, 2021

Abstract: User equipment (UE) may receive a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) including a master information block (MIB). The PSS, SSS, and PBCH are located within a first bandwidth of a cell, which is a portion of the overall cell bandwidth. The MIB contains information about frequency and time resources for acquiring additional system information. The UE can then use this indication to obtain that additional system information.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (System Claim): This claim describes a wireless communication system comprising a base station and two types of terminal devices. The base station communicates with the first type of device using a "host carrier" that utilizes radio resource segments distributed over time across a wide "first frequency band." Concurrently, the base station communicates with the second type of device using a "subordinate carrier." This subordinate carrier uses radio resources within a narrower "second frequency band" that is contained within the first frequency band, and it only occupies a subset of the host carrier's time-distributed radio resource segments.

• Claim 10 (Base Station Claim): This claim focuses on the functionality of the base station within such a system. It states that the base station is capable of communicating with a first type of terminal device via a host carrier (wide frequency band, time-distributed resources) and simultaneously with a second type of terminal device via a subordinate carrier. The subordinate carrier operates within a narrower frequency band that is part of the host carrier's frequency band and uses only a portion of its time-distributed radio resources.

• Claim 11 (Terminal Device Claim): This claim describes a terminal device (specifically of the second type). This device is configured to communicate with a base station that supports a host carrier. The terminal device itself communicates using a subordinate carrier, which has a narrower frequency band located within the host carrier's broader frequency band and utilizes a subset of the host carrier's time-distributed radio resource segments.

• Claim 19 (Method Claim - Base Station & Terminal Devices): This claim outlines a method of communication between a base station and two types of terminal devices. The method involves the base station communicating with the first type of device using a host carrier (wide frequency band, time-distributed resources) and communicating with the second type of device using a subordinate carrier. The subordinate carrier operates within a narrower frequency band contained within the host carrier's frequency band and uses a subset of its time-distributed radio resource segments.

• Claim 20 (Method Claim - Terminal Device): This claim describes a method of communication from the perspective of a terminal device. The method involves the terminal device communicating with a base station using a subordinate carrier. This subordinate carrier is associated with a host carrier, where the subordinate carrier's radio resources are within a second, narrower frequency band that is part of the host carrier's first, broader frequency band, and also utilizes a subset of the host carrier's time-distributed radio resource segments.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:
As of April 26, 2026, there is no authoritative information from the provided patent text or search results explicitly indicating any dockets for US patent 11206670B2 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) for the year 2026. The Google Patents page for US11206670B2 indicates several pending litigation cases in the Texas Western District Court and one Inter Partes Review (IPR2025-00220) at the PTAB, but none of these have progressed to the CAFC dockets for 2026 according to the available information.