Apparatus, Methods and Computer Program Products Providing a Common Signaling Entry for a Modular Control Channel Structure

• US 20100067445A1
• Filed: 01/04/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Frederiksen, Frank, Tirkkonen, Olav E., Rinne, Mika P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,675,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals

Abstract

The exemplary embodiments of the invention provide information (e.g., a common control signaling entry) for a control channel. The information may include signaling information about the overall control channel structure in a given sub-frame and/or other common information to assist UEs in decoding the channel (e.g., definitions related to the overall arrangement and parameterization of the channel structure). The information may provide non-UE-specific, common signaling information for the UEs served in the cell. In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method includes: providing at least one control channel allocated over at least one set of subcarrier resources, wherein the at least one control channel extends over a number n of multicarrier symbols; and transmitting information via a portion of the sub-carrier resources, wherein the transmitted information is indicative of at least one property of the at least one control channel.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing at least one control channel allocated over at least one set of subcarrier resources, wherein the at least one control channel extends over a number n of multicarrier symbols; and

transmitting information via a portion of the sub-carrier resources, wherein the transmitted information is indicative of at least one property of the at least one control channel.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the at least one property comprises the number n of multicarrier symbols used for the control channel.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the information is indicative of resource allocations applied in a current sub-frame.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the information comprises a binary representation of allocations in at least a portion of the at least one control channel, wherein the at least one control channel has a modular structure.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one of a number of multicarrier symbols to be searched for the at least one control channel, an automatic repeat-request acknowledgement list, an effective code rate set for the control channel, a paging indicator, a random access channel response indicator, and an error detection code.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein the method is implemented within an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network.

7. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, said operations comprising:

providing at least one control channel allocated over at least one set of subcarrier resources, wherein the at least one control channel extends over a number n of multicarrier symbols; and

transmitting information via a portion of the sub-carrier resources, wherein the transmitted information is indicative of at least one property of the at least one control channel.

8. A program storage device as in claim 7, wherein the at least one property comprises the number n of multicarrier symbols used for the control channel.

9. A program storage device as in claim 7, wherein the information is indicative of resource allocations applied in a current sub-frame.

10. A program storage device as in claim 7, wherein the information comprises a binary representation of allocations in at least a portion of the at least one control channel, wherein the at least one control channel has a modular structure.

11. A program storage device as in claim 7, wherein the information comprises at least one of a number of multicarrier symbols to be searched for the at least one control channel, an automatic repeat-request acknowledgement list, an effective code rate set for the control channel, a paging indicator, a random access channel response indicator, and an error detection code.

12. A program storage device as in claim 7, wherein the machine comprises a node within an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network.

13. An apparatus comprising:

means for providing at least one control channel allocated over at least one set of subcarrier resources, wherein the at least one control channel extends over a number n of multicarrier symbols; and

means for transmitting information via a portion of the sub-carrier resources, wherein the transmitted information is indicative of at least one property of the at least one control channel.

14. An apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the at least one property comprises the number n of multicarrier symbols used for the control channel.

15. An apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the information is indicative of resource allocations applied in a current sub-frame.

16. An apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the information comprises at least one of a number of multicarrier symbols to be searched for the at least one control channel, an automatic repeat-request acknowledgement list, an effective code rate set for the control channel, a paging indicator, a random access channel response indicator, and an error detection code.

17. An apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the apparatus comprises a node within an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network.

18. An apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the means for providing comprises a processor and the means for transmitting comprises a transmitter.

19. A method comprising:

receiving information via at least one control channel, wherein the at least one control channel utilizes at least one set of subcarrier resources and extends over a number n of multicarrier symbols; and

using the received information to determine at least one property of the at least one control channel.

20. A method as in claim 19, wherein the at least one property comprises the number n of multicarrier symbols used for the control channel.

21. A method as in claim 19, wherein the information is indicative of resource allocations applied in a current sub-frame.

22. A method as in claim 19, wherein the information comprises a binary representation of allocations in at least a portion of the at least one control channel, wherein the at least one control channel has a modular structure.

23. A method as in claim 19, wherein the information comprises at least one of a number of multicarrier symbols to be searched for the at least one control channel, an automatic repeat-request acknowledgement list, an effective code rate set for the control channel, a paging indicator, a random access channel response indicator, and an error detection code.

24. A method as in claim 19, wherein the method is implemented within an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network.

25. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, said operations comprising:

receiving information via at least one control channel, wherein the at least one control channel utilizes at least one set of subcarrier resources and extends over a number n of multicarrier symbols; and

using the received information to determine at least one property of the at least one control channel.

26. A program storage device as in claim 25, wherein the at least one property comprises the number n of multicarrier symbols used for the control channel.

27. A program storage device as in claim 25, wherein the information is indicative of resource allocations applied in a current sub-frame.

28. A program storage device as in claim 25, wherein the information comprises a binary representation of allocations in at least a portion of the at least one control channel, wherein the at least one control channel has a modular structure.

29. A program storage device as in claim 25, wherein the information comprises at least one of a number of multicarrier symbols to be searched for the at least one control channel, an automatic repeat-request acknowledgement list, an effective code rate set for the control channel, a paging indicator, a random access channel response indicator, and an error detection code.

30. A program storage device as in claim 25, wherein the machine comprises a node within an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network.

31. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving information via at least one control channel, wherein the at least one control channel utilizes at least one set of subcarrier resources and extends over a number n of multicarrier symbols; and

means for using the received information to determine at least one property of the at least one control channel.

32. An apparatus as in claim 31, wherein the at least one property comprises the number n of multicarrier symbols used for the control channel.

33. An apparatus as in claim 31, wherein the information is indicative of resource allocations applied in a current sub-frame.

34. An apparatus as in claim 31, wherein the information comprises at least one of a number of multicarrier symbols to be searched for the at least one control channel, an automatic repeat-request acknowledgement list, an effective code rate set for the control channel, a paging indicator, a random access channel response indicator, and an error detection code.

35. An apparatus as in claim 31, wherein the means for receiving comprises a receiver and the means for using comprises a processor.

36. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to provide at least one control channel allocated over at least one set of subcarrier resources, wherein the at least one control channel extends over a number n of multicarrier symbols; and

a transmitter configured to transmit information via a portion of the sub-carrier resources, wherein the transmitted information is indicative of at least one property of the at least one control channel.

37. An apparatus as in claim 36, wherein the at least one property comprises the number n of multicarrier symbols used for the control channel.

38. An apparatus as in claim 36, wherein the information is indicative of resource allocations applied in a current sub-frame.

39. An apparatus as in claim 36, wherein the information comprises at least one of a number of multicarrier symbols to be searched for the at least one control channel, an automatic repeat-request acknowledgement list, an effective code rate set for the control channel, a paging indicator, a random access channel response indicator, and an error detection code.

40. An apparatus as in claim 36, wherein the apparatus comprises a node within an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network.

41. An apparatus as in claim 36, wherein the apparatus comprises a base station.

42. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive information via at least one control channel, wherein the at least one control channel utilizes at least one set of subcarrier resources and extends over a number n of multicarrier symbols; and

a processor configured to use the received information to determine at least one property of the at least one control channel.

43. An apparatus as in claim 42, wherein the at least one property comprises the number n of multicarrier symbols used for the control channel.

44. An apparatus as in claim 42, wherein the information is indicative of resource allocations applied in a current sub-frame.

45. An apparatus as in claim 42, wherein the information comprises at least one of a number of multicarrier symbols to be searched for the at least one control channel, an automatic repeat-request acknowledgement list, an effective code rate set for the control channel, a paging indicator, a random access channel response indicator, and an error detection code.

46. An apparatus as in claim 42, wherein the apparatus comprises a node within an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network.

47. An apparatus as in claim 42, wherein the apparatus comprises a mobile device.