EXTENSION OF PHYSICAL DOWNLINK CONTROL SIGNALING IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20120320846A1
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: PAPASAKELLARIOU, Aris, CHO, Joon-Young, JI, Hyoung-Ju
• Granted Patent: US 8,923,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure
• 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 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for a User Equipment (UE) to receive over a first set of resources a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) of a first type including Control Channel Elements (CCEs) of a first type, to receive over a second set of resources a PDCCH of a second type including CCEs of a second type, and to determine a resource for transmitting an acknowledgement signal in response to detecting the PDCCH of the first type or in response to detecting the PDCCH of the second type.

Claims

1. A method for a User Equipment (UE) to decode a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) of a first type that is transmitted within a first set of resources over an aggregation level from a first set of aggregation levels, of Control Channel Elements (CCEs) of a first type, and to decode a PDCCH of a second type that is transmitted within a second set of resources over an aggregation level from a second set of aggregation levels, of CCEs of a second type, the method comprising the steps of:

decoding, within the first set of resources, a first number of candidate PDCCHs of the first type with respective aggregation levels of the CCEs of the first type from the first set of aggregation levels; and

decoding, within the second set of resources, a second number of candidate PDCCHs of the second type with respective aggregation levels of the CCEs of the second type from the second set of aggregation levels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first number of candidate PDCCHs of the first type for the respective aggregation levels of the CCEs of the first type or the second number of candidate PDCCHs of the second type for the respective aggregation levels of the CCEs of the second type is predefined or informed to the UE through higher layer signaling.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of resources is over an entire operating bandwidth and over a first number of transmission symbols in time,

wherein the second set of resources is over a subset of the operating bandwidth and over a second number of transmission symbols in time, and

wherein the second number of transmission symbols follows the first number of transmission symbols within a same transmission time interval.

4. A method for transmitting a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) or a Physical Downlink Shared Data CHannel (PDSCH) in a Physical Resource Block (PRB) over an operating bandwidth and over a transmission time interval, wherein the PRB includes a number of Resource Elements (REs) for transmitting a Reference Signal (RS), the method comprising the steps of:

assigning a first number of REs in the PRB for transmitting data information, when the PRB conveys the PDSCH; and

assigning a second number of REs in the PRB for transmitting control information, when the PRB conveys the PDCCH,

wherein the second number of REs is smaller than the first number of REs.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein REs used for transmitting the data information in the PRB conveying the PDSCH that are not used for transmitting the control information in the PRB conveying the PDCCH are used for transmitting the RS or are empty.

6. A method for transmitting a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) of a first type within a first set of resources and transmitting a PDCCH of a second type within a second set of resources, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting the PDCCH of the first type including a first maximum number of Control Channel Elements (CCEs) of a first type; and

transmitting the PDCCH of the second type including a second maximum number of CCEs of a second type,

wherein the second maximum number is larger than the first maximum number.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first maximum number of CCEs of the first type is 1, 2, 4, or 8, and

wherein the second maximum number of CCEs of the second type is 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16.

8. A method for a User Equipment (UE) to receive a Physical Downlink Shared CHannel (PDSCH), in response to detecting a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) of a first type, or in response to detecting a PDCCH of a second type, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the PDSCH over a first number of transmission symbols within a Transmission Time Interval (TTI), in response to detecting the PDCCH of the first type; and

receiving the PDSCH over a second number of transmission symbols within a TTI, in response to detecting the PDCCH of the second type,

wherein the second number is smaller than the first number.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when the PDSCH is received in response to detecting the PDCCH of the first type, transmission symbols of the PDSCH are different than the transmission symbols of the PDCCH of the first type, and

wherein the PDSCH is received in response to detecting the PDCCH of the second type, the transmission symbols of the PDSCH are identical to transmission symbols of the PDCCH of the second type.

10. A method for a User Equipment (UE) to transmit an acknowledgement signal in a Physical Uplink Control CHannel (PUCCH) in response to detecting a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) of a first type including Control Channel Elements (CCEs) of a first type or in response to detecting a PDCCH of a second type including CCEs of a second type, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a PUCCH resource based on a first offset and an index of a first CCE from the CCEs of the first type including the PDCCH of the first type, when the acknowledgement signal is in response to detecting the PDCCH of the first type; and

determining the PUCCH resource based on a second offset and an index of a first CCE from the CCEs of the second type including the PDCCH of the second type, when the acknowledgement signal is in response to detecting the PDCCH of the second type.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first offset or the second offset is signaled to the UE from a transmission point.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second offset is determined from the first offset and a Physical Control Format Indicator CHannel (PCFICH) informing of a total number of the CCEs of the first type.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the second offset is determined from the first offset and a PUCCH resource index field additionally included in information provided by the PDCCH of the second type, relative to information provided by the PDCCH of the first type.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second offset is determined from the first offset by adding a number equal to a maximum number of the CCEs of the first type used in a respective transmission time interval for transmitting the PDCCH of the first type.

15. A User Equipment (UE) apparatus for decoding a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) of a first type that is transmitted within a first set of resources over an aggregation level from a first set of aggregation levels, of Control Channel Elements (CCEs) of a first type, and decoding a PDCCH of a second type that is transmitted within a second set of resources over an aggregation level from a second set of aggregation levels, of CCEs of a second type, the apparatus comprising:

a searcher for identifying locations of candidate PDCCHs of the first type for respective aggregation levels of the CCEs of the first type within the first set of resources and for identifying locations for candidate PDCCHs of the second type for respective aggregation levels of the CCEs of the second type within the second set of resources; and

a decoder for decoding a first number of the candidate PDCCHs of the first type with the respective aggregation levels of the CCEs of the first type from the first set of aggregation levels and for decoding a second number of the candidate PDCCHs of the second type with the respective aggregation levels of the CCEs of the second type from the second set of aggregation levels.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first number of the candidate PDCCHs of the first type for the respective aggregation levels of the CCEs of the first type or the second number of the candidate PDCCHs of the second type for the respective aggregation levels of the CCEs of the second type is predefined or informed to the UE through higher layer signaling.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first set of resources is over an entire operating bandwidth and over a first number of transmission symbols in time and the second set of resources is over a subset of the operating bandwidth and over a second number of transmission symbols in time,

wherein the second number of transmission symbols follows the first number of transmission symbols within a same transmission time interval.

18. A User Equipment (UE) apparatus for receiving a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) or a Physical Downlink Shared Data CHannel (PDSCH), which is transmitted in a Physical Resource Block (PRB) over an operating bandwidth and over a transmission time interval, wherein the PRB includes a number of Resource Elements (REs) for transmitting a Reference Signal (RS), the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving data information over a first number of REs in the PRB, when the PRB conveys the PDSCH; and

a receiver for receiving control information over a second number of REs in the PRB, when the PRB conveys the PDCCH,

wherein the second number of REs is smaller than the first number of REs.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein REs used for receiving the data information in the PRB conveying the PDSCH that are not used for receiving the control information in the PRB conveying the PDCCH are used for receiving the RS or are discarded.

20. A User Equipment (UE) apparatus for receiving within a first set of resources a first type of Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) including a first type of Control Channel Element (CCE) or for receiving within a second set of resources a second type of PDCCH including a second type of CCE, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving the PDCCH of the first type including a first maximum number of CCEs of the first type; and

a receiver for receiving the PDCCH of the second type including a second maximum number of CCEs of the second type,

wherein the second maximum number is larger than the first maximum number.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first maximum number of CCEs of the first type is 1, 2, 4, or 8 and the second maximum number of CCEs of the second type is 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16.

22. A User Equipment (UE) apparatus for receiving a Physical Downlink Shared CHannel (PDSCH) in response to detecting a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) of a first type or in response to detecting a PDCCH of a second type, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver for receiving the PDSCH over a first number of transmission symbols within a Transmission Time Interval (TTI), in response to detecting the PDCCH of the first type; and

a receiver for receiving the PDSCH over a second number of transmission symbols within a TTI, in response to detecting the PDCCH of the second type,

wherein the second number is smaller than the first number.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein when receiving the PDSCH is in response to detecting the PDCCH of the first type, transmission symbols of the PDSCH are different than transmission symbols of the PDCCH of the first type,

wherein when receiving the PDSCH is in response to detecting the PDCCH of the second type, the transmission symbols of the PDSCH are identical to transmission symbols of the PDCCH of the second type.

24. A User Equipment (UE) apparatus for transmitting an acknowledgement signal in a Physical Uplink Control CHannel (PUCCH) in response to detecting a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) of a first type including Control Channel Elements (CCEs) of a first type or in response to detecting a PDCCH of a second type including CCEs of a second type, the apparatus comprising:

a selector for selecting a PUCCH resource based on a first offset and an index of a first CCE from the CCEs of the first type including the PDCCH of the first type, when the acknowledgement signal is in response to detecting the PDCCH of the first type, and for selecting a PUCCH resource based on a second offset and an index of a first CCE from the CCEs of the second type including the PDCCH of the second type, when the acknowledgement signal is in response to detecting the PDCCH of the second type; and

a transmitter for transmitting the acknowledgement signal in the selected PUCCH resource.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first offset or the second offset is signaled to the apparatus from a transmission point.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the second offset is determined from the first offset and a Physical Control Format Indicator CHannel (PCFICH) informing of a total number of the CCEs of the first type.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the second offset is determined from the first offset and a PUCCH resource index field additionally included in information provided by the PDCCH of the second type relative to information provided by the PDCCH of the first type.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the second offset is determined from the first offset by adding a number equal to a maximum number of CCEs used in a transmission time interval for transmitting the PDCCH of the first type.