Patent ID: 8848601

Claim:
A method for receiving data using a user agent (UA) configured to communicate with a wireless communications network using a first and second communication carrier, comprising: receiving, from a base station, resource information on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) at a first time interval using the first communication carrier, the PDCCH on the first communication carrier is designated to allocate physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) resources for both the first communication carrier and the second communication carrier, the resource information allocating a PDSCH resource on at least one of the first communication carrier or the second communication carrier and indicating to the UA a carrier switch is required via an explicit designated carrier switch indication or an implicit carrier switch indication; wherein the explicit carrier switch indication is defined as: receiving at least one of a carrier switch indication field in the resource information to a value indicative of a carrier switch, the carrier switch designating that the second communication carrier allocates PDSCH resources for both the first communication carrier and the second communication carrier; and wherein the implicit carrier switch indication is defined as: receiving resource information in the first time interval that allocates resources on the second communication carrier; and receiving resource information in the first time interval that does not allocate resources on the first communication carrier.