Control channel bandwidth determination

• US 10,356,773 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Wanshi, Yang, Yang, Ang, Peter, Li, Chong, Ly, Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Sai Ming
• Application Number:
  US15/490,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 370329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to determination of bandwidth, frequencies, or a set one or more of subbands that carries a downlink control channel. In some examples, a set of one or more subbands that carries a downlink control channel may be determined based on a function of a predetermined reference resource location. The predetermined reference resource location may be a set of one or more subbands that carries one or more synchronization signals and a broadcast channel. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and described.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication between a scheduling entity and a scheduled entity over an air interface comprising a plurality of subbands, the method operational at the scheduled entity, the method comprising:

identifying a predetermined reference resource;

determining a set of one or more subbands that carries a downlink control channel, based on a function of a location of the predetermined reference resource; and

receiving the downlink control channel on the set of one or more subbands determined based on the function of the location of the predetermined reference resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined reference resource location comprises a set of one or more subbands that carries one or more of a synchronization signal or a broadcast channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined reference resource location comprises a set of one or more subbands that carries a direct current (DC) tone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel comprises applying a fixed frequency offset relative to the predetermined reference resource location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel comprises applying a frequency offset implicitly derived from a parameter known to both the scheduling entity and the scheduled entity.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the parameter is a time-varying parameter, causing the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel to vary over time.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the parameter comprises a time-varying parameter and at least one of a cell-specific parameter or a zone-specific parameter, the method further comprising:

deriving the frequency offset by applying a joint function of the time-varying parameter and the cell-specific parameter or the zone-specific parameter.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, when varying over time, the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel comprises at least one subband in each of a plurality of component carriers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information on a resource corresponding to the predetermined reference resource location representing an explicit indication of a relationship to the predetermined reference resource location,

wherein the determining the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel comprises applying the explicit indication to the predetermined reference resource location.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a system information transmission comprising information that represents a system bandwidth for downlink data; and

based on the received system information, determining the system bandwidth for the downlink data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving and decoding the downlink control channel to obtain a resource allocation corresponding to the system information transmission,

wherein the receiving the system information transmission utilizes the resource allocation in the downlink control channel.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving and decoding the downlink control channel to obtain one or more random access parameters; and

transmitting a random access request based on the one or more random access parameters,

wherein the receiving the system information transmission is in response to the random access request.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the downlink control channel comprises control information corresponding to each of a plurality of component carriers.

14. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor;

a transceiver communicatively coupled to the processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

identify a predetermined reference resource;

determine a set of one or more subbands that carries a downlink control channel, based on a function of a location of the predetermined reference resource; and

receive the downlink control channel on the set of one or more subbands determined based on the function of the location of the predetermined reference resource.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the predetermined reference resource location comprises a set of one or more subbands that carries synchronization signals and a broadcast channel.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the predetermined reference resource location comprises a set of one or more subbands that carries a direct current (DC) tone.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the determine the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel comprises the processor to be further configured to apply a fixed frequency offset relative to the predetermined reference resource location.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the determine the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel comprises the processor to be further configured to apply a frequency offset implicitly derived from a parameter known to both a scheduling entity and a scheduled entity.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the parameter is a time-varying parameter, causing the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel to vary over time.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the parameter comprises a time-varying parameter and at least one of a cell-specific parameter or a zone-specific parameter, the processor further configured to:

derive the frequency offset by applying a joint function of the time-varying parameter and the cell-specific parameter or the zone-specific parameter.

21. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to receive information on a resource corresponding to the predetermined reference resource location representing an explicit indication of a relationship to the predetermined reference resource location,

wherein the determine the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel comprises the processor being further configured to apply the explicit indication to the predetermined reference resource location.

22. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a system information transmission comprising information that represents a system bandwidth for downlink data; and

based on the received system information, determine the system bandwidth for the downlink data.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive and decode the downlink control channel to obtain a resource allocation corresponding to the system information transmission,

wherein the receive the system information transmission utilizes the resource allocation in the downlink control channel.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive and decode the downlink control channel to obtain one or more random access parameters; and

transmit a random access request based on the one or more random access parameters,

wherein the receive the system information transmission is in response to the random access request.

25. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the downlink control channel comprises control information corresponding to each of a plurality of component carriers.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code, comprising code for causing a computer to:

identify a predetermined reference resource;

determine a set of one or more subbands that carries a downlink control channel, based on a function of a location of the predetermined reference resource; and

receive the downlink control channel on the set of one or more subbands determined based on the function of the location of the predetermined reference resource.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the code for causing the computer to determine the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel comprises code for causing the computer to apply a fixed frequency offset relative to the predetermined reference resource location.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the code for causing the computer to determine the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel comprises code for causing the computer to apply a frequency offset implicitly derived from a parameter known to both a scheduling entity and a scheduled entity.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising code for causing the computer to receive information on a resource corresponding to the predetermined reference resource location representing an explicit indication of a relationship to the predetermined reference resource location,

wherein the code for causing the computer to determine the set of one or more subbands that carries the downlink control channel further comprises code for causing the computer to apply the explicit indication to the predetermined reference resource location.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising code for causing the computer to receive a system information transmission comprising information that represents a system bandwidth for downlink data;

and

based on the received system information, determine the system bandwidth for the downlink data.