Methods, Network Nodes and User Equipments in a Wireless Network for Communicating an EPDCCH

• US 20140092826A1
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Eriksson, Erik, Frenne, Mattias, Hammarwall, David, Jngren, George
• Granted Patent: US 9,913,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• 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 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A method performed by a network node of a wireless communication network is provided for communicating an enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel, ePDCCH, to a user equipment, UE. The method comprises transmitting (606) a configuration message to the UE. The configuration message comprises an indication of a first mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to a first ePDCCH set, where the resource elements of the first ePDCCH set are different from resource elements used for a first type of signal. The method further comprises an indication of a second mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to a second ePDCCH set, where the resource elements of the second ePDCCH set are different from resource elements used for a second type of signal, thereby enabling dynamically mapping ePDCCH to the resource elements of the first ePDCCH set or the second ePDCCH set. Further methods, UEs and computer programs are provided for communicating an ePDCCH between a network node and a UE.

Claims

1-36. -36. (canceled)

37. A method, performed by a network node of a wireless communication network, for communicating an enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (ePDCCH) to a user equipment (UE), the method comprising

transmitting a configuration message to the UE, the configuration message comprising:

an indication of a first mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to a first ePDCCH set, where the resource elements of the first ePDCCH set are different from resource elements used for a first type of signal, and

an indication of a second mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to a second ePDCCH set, where the resource elements of the second ePDCCH set are different from resource elements used for a second type of signal;

thereby enabling dynamically mapping ePDCCH to the resource elements of the first ePDCCH set or the second ePDCCH set.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

performing the first mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to the first ePDCCH set; and

performing the second mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to the second ePDCCH set.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the configuration message comprises an indication of an ePDCCH start symbol for the first ePDCCH set and an indication of an ePDCCH start symbol for the second ePDCCH set.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the indicated ePDCCH start symbol is the same start symbol as scheduled for a Packet Data Shared Channel (PDSCH) to be transmitted by the network node.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein one or more of the following configuration parameters are shared between the ePDCCH and a Packet Data Shared Channel (PDSCH):

a number of Cell-specific Reference Signal (CRS) antenna ports, a CRS frequency shift, a start position, a Multicast/Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe configuration, a Zero Power Channel State Information Reference Signal resource configuration, and a CSI-RS resource configuration.

42. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

selecting one of the first ePDCCH set or the second ePDCCH set for transmission of the ePDCCH to the The UE of a criterion;

allocating the ePDCCH to resource elements according to the selected set; and

transmitting the allocated ePDCCH to the UE.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the first type of signal is a signal from a first network node, and the second type of signal is a signal from a second network node, and wherein the selecting criterion is which of the signal from the first network node and the signal from the second network node that has the highest signal strength.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the first network node is the network node performing the method and the second network node is an interfering network node.

45. The method of claim 37, wherein the first type of signal and the second type of signal is a Cell-specific Reference Signal (CRS).

46. The method of claim 37, wherein the resource elements of the first ePDCCH set carry information of uplink grants and the resource elements of the second ePDCCH set carry information of downlink assignments.

47. The method of claim 37, wherein the configuration message is transmitted in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

48. A network node of a wireless communication network, configured for communicating an enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (ePDCCH) to a user equipment (UE), the network node comprising

a transmitting unit adapted to transmit a configuration message to the UE, the configuration message comprising:

an indication of a first mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to a first ePDCCH set, where the resource elements of the first ePDCCH set are different from resource elements used for a first type of signal; and

an indication of a second mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to a second ePDCCH set, where the resource elements of the second ePDCCH set are different from resource elements used for a second type of signal;

thereby enabling dynamically mapping ePDCCH to the resource elements of the first ePDCCH set or the second ePDCCH set.

49. The network node of claim 48, further comprising a performing unit adapted to perform the first mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to the first ePDCCH set and to perform the second mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to the second ePDCCH set.

50. The network node of claim 48, wherein the configuration message comprises an indication of an ePDCCH start symbol for the first ePDCCH set and an indication of an ePDCCH start symbol for the second ePDCCH set.

51. The network node of claim 50, wherein the indicated ePDCCH start symbol is the same start symbol as scheduled for a Packet Data Shared Channel (PDSCH) to be transmitted by the network node.

52. The network node of claim 48, wherein one or more of the following configuration parameters are shared between the ePDCCH and a Packet Data Shared Channel (PDSCH):

a number of Cell-specific Reference Signal (CRS) antenna ports, a CRS frequency shift, a start position, a Multicast/Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe configuration, a Zero Power Channel State Information Reference Signal resource configuration, and a CSI-RS resource configuration.

53. The network node of claim 48, further comprising:

a selecting unit adapted to select one of the first ePDCCH set or the second ePDCCH set for transmission of the ePDCCH to the The UE of a criterion; and

an allocating unit adapted to allocate the ePDCCH to resource elements according to the selected set; and

wherein the transmitting unit is further arranged to transmit the allocated ePDCCH to the UE.

54. The network node of claim 53, wherein the first type of signal is a signal from a first network node, and the second type of signal is a signal from a second network node, and wherein the selecting criterion is which of the signal from the first network node and the signal from the second network node that has the highest signal strength.

55. A method, performed by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network, for communicating an enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (ePDCCH) with a network node, the method comprising:

receiving a configuration message from the network node, the configuration message comprising;

an indication of a first mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to a first ePDCCH set, where the resource elements of the first ePDCCH set are different from resource elements used for a first type of signal, and

an indication of a second mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to a second ePDCCH set, where the resource elements of the second ePDCCH set are different from resource elements used for a second type of signal.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the configuration message comprises an indication of an ePDCCH start symbol for the first ePDCCH set and an indication of an ePDCCH start symbol for the second ePDCCH set.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the indicated ePDCCH start symbol is the same start symbol as scheduled for a Packet Data Shared Channel (PDSCH) to be transmitted by the network node.

58. The method of claim 55, wherein one or more of the following configuration parameters are shared between the ePDCCH and a Packet Data Shared Channel (PDSCH):

a number of Cell-specific Reference Signal (CRS) antenna ports, a CRS frequency shift, a start position, a Multicast/Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe configuration, a Zero Power Channel State Information Reference Signal resource configuration, a CSI-RS resource configuration.

59. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

receiving a message from the network node comprising the ePDCCH allocated to a selected one of the first ePDCCH set and the second ePDCCH set;

decoding ePDCCH candidates according to the first mapping and decoding ePDCCH candidates according to the second mapping;

detecting whether the ePDCCH was allocated to the first ePDCCH set or the second ePDCCH set.

60. The method of claim 55, wherein the resource elements of the first ePDCCH set comprises information of uplink grants and the resource elements of the second ePDCCH set comprises information of downlink assignments.

61. The method of claim 55, wherein the configuration message is received in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

62. A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network, configured for communicating an enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (ePDCCH) with a network node, the UE comprising:

a receiving unit adapted to receive a configuration message from the network node, the configuration message comprising an indication of a first mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to a first ePDCCH set, where the resource elements of the first ePDCCH set are different from resource elements used for a first type of signal, and an indication of a second mapping of the ePDCCH to resource elements belonging to a second ePDCCH set, where the resource elements of the second ePDCCH set are different from resource elements used for a second type of signal.

63. The UE of claim 62, wherein the configuration message comprises an indication of an ePDCCH start symbol for the first ePDCCH set and an indication of an ePDCCH start symbol for the second ePDCCH set.

64. The UE of claim 63, wherein the indicated ePDCCH start symbol is the same start symbol as scheduled for a Packet Data Shared Channel (PDSCH) to be transmitted by the network node.

65. The UE of claim 62, wherein one or more of the following configuration parameters are shared between the ePDCCH and a Packet Data Shared Channel (PDSCH):

a number of Cell-specific Reference Signal (CRS) antenna ports, a CRS frequency shift, start position, a Multicast/Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe configuration, a Zero Power Channel State Information Reference Signal resource configuration, and a CSI-RS resource configuration.

66. The UE of claim 62, wherein the receiving unit is further arranged to receive a message from the network node comprising the ePDCCH allocated to a selected one of the first ePDCCH set and the second ePDCCH set, the UE further comprising:

a decoding unit adapted to decode ePDCCH candidates according to the first mapping and to decode ePDCCH candidates according to the second mapping; and

a detecting unit adapted to detect whether the ePDCCH was allocated to the first ePDCCH set or to the second ePDCCH set.

67. The UE of claim 62, wherein the resource elements of the first ePDCCH set carry information of uplink grants and the resource elements of the second ePDCCH set carry information of downlink assignments.

68. The UE of claim 62, wherein the receiving unit is further arranged to receive the configuration message in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.