Method For Signaling The Overlap Of Downlink Control And Data Channels

• US 20130044693A1
• Filed: 08/16/2011
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lindh, Lars E., Hugl, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 8,917,679 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0016 Time-frequency-code
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0026 Division using four or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0051 of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal
• 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 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02

Abstract

A network signals an allocation (PDCCH) for a downlink shared channel (PDSCH); and also signals an indication (reference signal RS) whether a resource block (PRB) comprising the allocated downlink shared channel is used for a control channel transmission (E-PDCCH). Examples include the E-PDCCH being time or frequency multiplexed with the PDSCH; and the indication being a different RS sequence (at least one element being phase shifted) than an original RS sequence used if the PRB were not used for the E-PDCCH. The UE tests for the phase shift by blind decoding. If the phase shift is present the UE a) decodes a portion of the PRB for data if the network is using TDM for its E-PDCCH/PDSCH multiplexing, orb) decodes the full PRB only for the E-PDCCH if the network is using FDM for its E-PDCCH/PDSCH multiplexing.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

in which the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor and in response to execution of the computer program code, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

signal an allocation for a downlink shared channel; and

signal an indication whether a resource block comprising the allocated downlink shared channel is used for a control channel transmission.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

for the case the control channel transmission is time division multiplexed with the allocated downlink shared channel, the indication indicates whether a portion of the resource block is used for the control channel transmission;

or

for the case the control channel transmission is frequency division multiplexed with the allocated downlink shared channel, the indication indicates whether the full resource block is used for the control channel transmission.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which the indication whether the resource block is used for a control channel transmission comprises a different reference signal sequence than an original reference signal sequence used if the resource block were not used for the control channel transmission.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, in which the different reference signal sequence comprises an orthogonal version with respect to the original reference signal sequence used if the resource block were not used for the control channel transmission.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, in which the different reference signal sequence comprises a partially phase shifted version of the original reference signal sequence used if the resource block were not used for the control channel transmission.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, in which the different reference signal sequence is a dedicated, “

UE-specific”

reference signal having at least one element shifted 180 degrees as compared to the original reference signal sequence; and

the indication is disposed in a first slot of the resource block.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which the apparatus comprises an eNodeB operating in a LTE system, the allocation is signaled in a PDCCH or E-PDCCH which allocates a PDSCH, and the indication indicates whether there is an E-PDCCH present in the resource block.

8. A method comprising:

signaling by an apparatus an allocation for a downlink shared channel; and

signaling by the apparatus an indication whether a resource block comprising the allocated downlink shared channel is used for a control channel transmission.

10. The method according to claim 8, in which the indication whether the resource block is used for a control channel transmission comprises a different reference signal sequence than a reference signal sequence used if the resource block were not used for the control channel transmission.

11. The method according to claim 10, in which the different reference signal sequence comprises a partially phase shifted version of the original references signal sequence used if the resource block were not used for the control channel transmission.

9. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:

code for signaling an allocation for a downlink shared channel; and

code for signaling an indication whether a resource block comprising the allocated downlink shared channel is used for a control channel transmission.

15. (canceled)

16. (canceled)

17. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

in which the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor and in response to execution of the computer program code, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

determine whether a resource block received on an allocated downlink shared channel comprises an indication that the resource block is used for a control channel transmission; and

decode the resource block for data according to whether or not the indication is present.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, in which the indication whether the resource block is used for a control channel transmission comprises a different reference signal sequence than an original reference signal sequence used if the resource block were not used for the control channel transmission.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, in which the different reference signal sequence comprises a partially phase shifted version of the original reference signal sequence used if the resource block were not used for the control channel transmission.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18, in which the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to determine as said by comparing channel estimates of two candidate references signal sequences of the resource block and if there is a phase shift detected then to conclude that a portion of or the full resource block is used for a control channel transmission.

21. The apparatus according to claim 17, in which the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured with the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to decode the resource block according to whether the indication is present by:

decoding the resource block for data for the case the indication is not present; and

one of

decoding a portion of the resource block for data for the case the indication is present and the control channel transmission is time division multiplexed with the allocated downlink shared channel;

or

decoding the full resource block only for the control channel transmission for the case the indication is present and the control channel transmission is frequency division multiplexed with the allocated downlink shared channel.

22. (canceled)

23. A method comprising:

determining whether a resource block received on an allocated downlink shared channel comprises an indication that the resource block is used for a control channel transmission; and

decoding the resource block for data according to whether the indication is present.

24. The method according to claim 23, in which the indication whether the resource block is used for a control channel transmission comprises a different reference signal sequence than an original reference signal sequence used if the resource block were not used for the control channel transmission.

26. The method according to claim 23, in which decoding the resource block according to whether the indication is present comprises:

decoding the resource block for data for the case the indication is not present; and

one of

decoding a portion of the resource block for data for the case the indication is present and the control channel transmission is time division multiplexed with the allocated downlink shared channel;

or

decoding the full resource block only for the control channel transmission for the case the indication is present and the control channel transmission is frequency division multiplexed with the allocated downlink shared channel.

25. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising:

code for determining whether a resource block received on an allocated downlink shared channel comprises an indication that the resource block is used for a control channel transmission; and

code for decoding the resource block for data according to whether or not the indication is present.

29-32. -32. (canceled)