Information exchange between base stations

• US 10,397,913 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Dinan, Esmael Hejazi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Will W
• Application Number:
  US15/818,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are described for wireless communications involving base stations. A base station may configure a downlink channel (e.g., a physical downlink control channel) based on the configuration of a downlink channel associated with another base station. One or more base stations may manage overlap between downlink channels.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first base station;

first configuration information indicating a starting symbol parameter that is indicative of a start, in at least one subframe, of a first physical downlink control channel associated with the first base station; and

second configuration information indicating that the first physical downlink control channel is to be transmitted by the first base station in fewer than all resource blocks of the at least one subframe;

receiving, by a second base station, the first configuration information; and

transmitting, by the second base station, a second physical downlink control channel using second radio resources that are configured, based on the first configuration information, to manage overlap with first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first physical downlink control channel is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH), and wherein the second physical downlink control channel is an ePDCCH.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first configuration information comprises a bitmap indicating the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first configuration information comprises an index indicating a pre-defined set of resource blocks that comprise the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first configuration information comprises an indication of a starting offset and bandwidth for the first physical downlink control channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first configuration information further indicates a subset of subframes for the first physical downlink control channel.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring, by the second base station and based on the first configuration information, the second radio resources to reduce overlap between the first radio resources and the second radio resources.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, by a computing device and to the first base station, a protected physical downlink control channel carrier component preference list.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the starting symbol parameter indicates a particular symbol at which the first physical downlink control channel starts.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first base station, configuration information indicating;

a starting symbol parameter that is indicative of a start of a first physical downlink control channel associated with the first base station; and

that the first physical downlink control channel is to be transmitted by the first base station in fewer than all resource blocks of a subframe;

transmitting, by the first base station, the first physical downlink control channel using first radio resources that are based on the configuration information;

receiving, by a second base station, the configuration information; and

transmitting, by the second base station, a second physical downlink control channel using second radio resources that are overlap-managed, based on the starting symbol parameter, with respect to the first radio resources.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first physical downlink control channel is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH), and wherein the second physical downlink control channel is an ePDCCH.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the configuration information comprises a bitmap indicating the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the configuration information comprises an index indicating a pre-defined set of resource blocks that comprise the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the configuration information comprises an indication of a starting offset and bandwidth for the first physical downlink control channel.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the configuration information further indicates a subset of subframes for the first physical downlink control channel.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring, by the second base station and based on the configuration information, the second radio resources to reduce overlap between the first radio resources and the second radio resources.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting, by a computing device and to the first base station, a protected physical downlink control channel carrier component preference list.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the starting symbol parameter indicates a particular symbol at which the first physical downlink control channel starts.

19. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a computing device and to a first base station;

first configuration information indicating a starting symbol parameter that is indicative of a start of a first physical downlink control channel associated with the first base station; and

second configuration information indicating that the first physical downlink control channel is to be transmitted by the first base station in fewer than all resource blocks of a subframe; and

transmitting, by the computing device and to a second base station, the first configuration information to allow the second base station to manage overlap between first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel associated with the first base station and second radio resources of a second physical downlink control channel associated with the second base station.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first physical downlink control channel is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH), and wherein the second physical downlink control channel is an ePDCCH.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first configuration information comprises a bitmap indicating the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the first configuration information comprises an index indicating a pre-defined set of resource blocks that comprise the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the first configuration information comprises an indication of a starting offset and bandwidth for the first physical downlink control channel.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the first configuration information further indicates a subset of subframes for the first physical downlink control channel.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising configuring, by the second base station and based on the first configuration information, the second radio resources to reduce overlap between the first radio resources and the second radio resources.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting, by the computing device and to the first base station, a protected physical downlink control channel carrier component preference list.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the starting symbol parameter indicates a particular symbol at which the first physical downlink control channel starts.

28. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a computing device and to a first base station, configuration information indicating;

a starting symbol parameter that is indicative of a start of a first physical downlink control channel associated with the first base station; and

that the first physical downlink control channel is to be transmitted by the first base station in fewer than all resource blocks of a subframe; and

transmitting, by the computing device and to a second base station, the configuration information to allow the second base station to transmit a second physical downlink control channel, associated with the second base station, using second radio resources that are overlap-managed, based on the starting symbol parameter, with respect to first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first physical downlink control channel is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH), and wherein the second physical downlink control channel is an ePDCCH.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the configuration information comprises a bitmap indicating the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the configuration information comprises an index indicating a pre-defined set of resource blocks that comprise the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the configuration information comprises an indication of a starting offset and bandwidth for the first physical downlink control channel.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the configuration information further indicates a subset of subframes for the first physical downlink control channel.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the second radio resources are overlap-managed to reduce overlap with the first radio resources.

35. The method of claim 28, further comprising transmitting, by the computing device and to the first base station, a protected physical downlink control channel carrier component preference list.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the starting symbol parameter indicates a particular symbol at which the first physical downlink control channel starts.

38. The system of claim 36, wherein the first physical downlink control channel is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH), and wherein the second physical downlink control channel is an ePDCCH.

39. The system of claim 36, wherein:

the first configuration information comprises a bitmap indicating the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel;

the first configuration information comprises an index indicating a pre-defined set of resource blocks that comprise the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel;

the first configuration information comprises an indication of a starting offset and bandwidth for the first physical downlink control channel;

or

the first configuration information further indicates a subset of subframes for the first physical downlink control channel.

40. The system of claim 36, wherein the instructions in the memory of the second base station, when executed by the one or more processors of the second base station, cause the second base station to configure, based on the first configuration information, the second radio resources to reduce overlap between the first radio resources and the second radio resources.

42. The system of claim 36, wherein the starting symbol parameter indicates a particular symbol at which the first physical downlink control channel starts.

37. A system comprising:

a first base station and a second base station,

wherein the first base station comprises;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the first base station, cause the first base station to receive;

first configuration information indicating a starting symbol parameter that is indicative of a start, in at least one subframe, of a first physical downlink control channel associated with the first base station; and

second configuration information indicating that the first physical downlink control channel is to be transmitted by the first base station in fewer than all resource blocks of the at least one subframe; and

wherein the second base station comprises;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the second base station, cause the second base station to;

receive the first configuration information; and

transmit a second physical downlink control channel using second radio resources that are configured, based on the first configuration information, to manage overlap with first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the instructions in the memory of the first base station, when executed by the one or more processors of the first base station, cause the first base station to receive a protected physical downlink control channel carrier component preference list.

43. A system comprising:

a first base station and a second base station,

wherein the first base station comprises;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the first base station, cause the first base station to;

receive configuration information indicating;

a starting symbol parameter that is indicative of a start of a first physical downlink control channel associated with the first base station; and

that the first physical downlink control channel is to be transmitted by the first base station in fewer than all resource blocks of a subframe; and

transmit the first physical downlink control channel using first radio resources that are based on the configuration information; and

wherein the second base station comprises;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the second base station, cause the second base station to;

receive the configuration information; and

transmit a second physical downlink control channel using second radio resources that are overlap-managed, based on the starting symbol parameter, with respect to the first radio resources.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the first physical downlink control channel is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH), and wherein the second physical downlink control channel is an ePDCCH.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein:

the configuration information comprises a bitmap indicating the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel;

the configuration information comprises an index indicating a pre-defined set of resource blocks that comprise the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel;

the configuration information comprises an indication of a starting offset and bandwidth for the first physical downlink control channel;

or

the configuration information further indicates a subset of subframes for the first physical downlink control channel.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the instructions in the memory of the second base station, when executed by the one or more processors of the second base station, cause the second base station to configure, based on the configuration information, the second radio resources to reduce overlap between the first radio resources and the second radio resources.

47. The system of claim 43, wherein the instructions in the memory of the first base station, when executed by the one or more processors of the first base station, cause the first base station to receive a protected physical downlink control channel carrier component preference list.

48. The system of claim 43, wherein the starting symbol parameter indicates a particular symbol at which the first physical downlink control channel starts.

49. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

transmit, to a first base station;

first configuration information indicating a starting symbol parameter that is indicative of a start of a first physical downlink control channel associated with the first base station; and

second configuration information indicating that the first physical downlink control channel is to be transmitted by the first base station in fewer than all resource blocks of a subframe; and

transmit, to a second base station, the first configuration information to allow the second base station to manage overlap between first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel associated with the first base station and second radio resources of a second physical downlink control channel associated with the second base station.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the first physical downlink control channel is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH), and wherein the second physical downlink control channel is an ePDCCH.

51. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein:

the first configuration information comprises a bitmap indicating the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel;

the first configuration information comprises an index indicating a pre-defined set of resource blocks that comprise the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel;

the first configuration information comprises an indication of a starting offset and bandwidth for the first physical downlink control channel;

or

the first configuration information further indicates a subset of subframes for the first physical downlink control channel.

52. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to transmit, to the first base station, a protected physical downlink control channel carrier component preference list.

53. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the starting symbol parameter indicates a particular symbol at which the first physical downlink control channel starts.

54. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to;

transmit, to a first base station, configuration information indicating;

a starting symbol parameter that is indicative of a start of a first physical downlink control channel associated with the first base station; and

that the first physical downlink control channel is to be transmitted by the first base station in fewer than all resource blocks of a subframe; and

transmit, to a second base station, the configuration information to allow the second base station to transmit a second physical downlink control channel, associated with the second base station, using second radio resources that are overlap-managed, based on the starting symbol parameter, with respect to first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the first physical downlink control channel is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH), and wherein the second physical downlink control channel is an ePDCCH.

56. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein:

the configuration information comprises a bitmap indicating the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel;

the configuration information comprises an index indicating a pre-defined set of resource blocks that comprise the first radio resources of the first physical downlink control channel;

the configuration information comprises an indication of a starting offset and bandwidth for the first physical downlink control channel;

or

the configuration information further indicates a subset of subframes for the first physical downlink control channel.

57. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the second radio resources are overlap-managed to reduce overlap with the first radio resources.

58. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the apparatus to transmit, to the first base station, a protected physical downlink control channel carrier component preference list.

59. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the starting symbol parameter indicates a particular symbol at which the first physical downlink control channel starts.