Method and apparatus for a wireless communication unit operating on a virtual carrier

摘要

A method for a low bandwidth wireless communication unit to re-synchronize to a wireless communication system employing one or more virtual carrier(s) after the wireless communication unit has lost synchronization is described. The method comprises, at the wireless communication unit: entering a sleep mode of operation following communication on a first virtual carrier; waking up from the sleep mode of operation on a default virtual carrier that is not the first virtual carrier; and acquiring synchronization information using synchronization signals that occupy subcarrier resources that overlap with the subcarrier resources occupied by the default virtual carrier to re-synchronize with the wireless communication system.