MITIGATION OF CONTROL CHANNEL INTERFERENCE

• US 20160183235A1
• Filed: 02/29/2016
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: TESANOVIC, Milos, MOULSLEY, Timothy James
• Granted Patent: US 10,123,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0062 Avoidance of ingress interference, e.g. ham radio channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for operating a network comprising a first primary station and a second primary station, wherein the first primary station serves a first cell including at least one first secondary station communicating with the first primary station and wherein the second primary station serves a second cell including at least one second secondary station communicating with the second primary station, the method comprising the steps of

(a) the first primary station and the second primary station transmitting payloads in a synchronous manner on at least one set of resources,
(b) the first and the second primary stations transmitting control data on the at least one set of resources respectively to the first secondary station and to the second secondary station, wherein the method further comprises (c) at least the first primary station rendering the transmission of control data to the first secondary station orthogonal to the transmission of control data from the second primary station.

Claims

1. A primary station comprising:

a transmitter configured for transmitting control data in a signal to a secondary station according to at least one of the group of;

a subset of a set of resources, a search space, and a spreading code, while a further transmitter of a further primary station is allowed to transmit further control data in a further signal using a further subset of the same set of resources, at a time overlapping a time that the control data is being transmitted, resulting is simultaneous transitions of the control data with the further control data.

2. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the subset of the set of resources comprises a subset of a plurality of Resource Blocks; and

the subset of the plurality of Resource Blocks comprises one Resource block every M Resource Blocks of the plurality of Resource Blocks, where M is an integer.

3. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the subset of the set of resources comprises a subset of a plurality of Resource Blocks; and

the subset of the plurality of Resource Blocks comprises one resource block every M Resource Blocks of the plurality of Resource Blocks, where M equals 3 or 6.

4. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the subset and further subset of the set of resources comprises respective subsets of a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein the orthogonal transmission comprises;

the primary station transmitting control data using the subset of the plurality of subcarriers, and the further primary station transmitting further control data using the further subset of the plurality of carriers; and

the subset and the further subset are different subsets of the plurality of subcarriers, such that, the primary station transmits control data using the subset of the set of subcarriers synchronously with the further primary station transmitting the further control data using the further subset of the set of subcarriers.

5. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the subset and further subset of the set of resources comprises respective subsets of a plurality of subcarriers, and

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station transmitting control data using the subset of the plurality of subcarriers, and the further primary station transmitting further control data using a further subset of the plurality of subcarriers; and

the subset and further subset are different subsets of the plurality of subcarriers, such that, the further primary station uses the further subset of subcarriers for transmitting further control data; and

the respective subsets of the plurality of subcarriers comprise one subcarrier every M subcarriers of the plurality of subcarriers, where M is an integer.

6. The primary station of claim 1, wherein the subset of the set of resources is determined by an indication of an identity of the cell of the primary station.

7. The primary station of claim 1, wherein an indication of the subset of the set of resources is signaled by the primary station to the further primary station.

8. The primary station of claim 1, wherein an indication of the subset of the set of resources is signaled by the primary station to the secondary station.

9. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the secondary station searches for control data in messages that it receives from the primary station by decoding messages potentially included in a search space; and

the further secondary station searches for the further control data in further messages that it receives, by decoding all the further messages potentially included in a further search space, and

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station configuring the search space of the secondary station, such that, at least one piece of resource of the search space of the secondary station is not included in the further search space of the further secondary station.

10. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the secondary station searches in messages that it receives for control data by decoding messages potentially included in a search space of the secondary station; and

the search space is determined from an indication of an identifier of the cell of the primary station.

11. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the secondary station searches in messages that it receives from the primary station for control data by decoding messages potentially included in a search space of the secondary station; and

an indication of the search space is signaled by the primary station to the further primary station.

12. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the secondary station searches in messages that it receives from the primary station for control data by decoding the messages potentially included in a search space of the secondary station; and

an indication of the search space is signaled by the primary station to the secondary station.

13. The primary station of claim 1, wherein the orthogonal transmission comprises:

the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of control data from the primary station; and

the spreading code being orthogonal to a further spreading code applied to the further transmission of further control data from the further primary station.

14. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of control data in a signal from the primary station to the secondary station; and

the spreading code is determined from an indication of an identity of the cell of the secondary station.

15. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of control data from the primary station to the secondary station; and

an indication of the spreading code is signaled by the primary station to the further primary station.

16. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of control data from the primary station to the secondary station; and

an indication of the spreading code is signaled by the primary station to the secondary station.

17. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

both control data and further control data are transmitted in respective signals to both the secondary station and the further secondary station; and

the secondary station discards further control data and the further secondary station discards control data.

18. The primary station of claim 1, wherein the transmitter of the primary station is configured for preventing transmission of control data in a signal from the primary station to the secondary station using the subset of the set of resources during the transmission synchronous with and orthogonal to the further transmission, for enabling the further transmitter of the further primary station to further transmit further control data in the further signal using the subset of the set of resources during the transmission synchronous with and orthogonal to the further transmission.

19. The primary station of claim 1, wherein:

the primary station and the further primary station are included in a same single base station;

the set of resources comprising a plurality of one of the group of;

subcarriers; and

Resource Blocks; and

the transmitter is configured for preventing transmission of control data in the signal from the primary station to the secondary station using the subset of the set of resources during the transmission synchronous with and orthogonal to the further transmission, for enabling the further transmitter of the further primary station to further transmit further control data in the further signal using the subset of the set of resources during the transmission synchronous with and orthogonal to the further transmission.

20. A primary station comprising:

a transmitter configured for transmitting control data in a signal using a subset of a set of resources to a secondary station, while a further transmitter of a further primary station is allowed to transmit further control data in a further signal using a further subset of the same set of resources at a time overlapping with a time that the control data is being transmitted, resulting is simultaneous transmissions of the control data with the further control data; and

the transmitter is configured for arranging the control data transmission to be orthogonal to transmission of the further control data from the further primary station to a further secondary station.

21. The primary station of claim 20, wherein:

the subset of the set of resources comprises a subset of a plurality of Resource Blocks; and

the subset of the plurality of Resource Blocks comprises one Resource block every M Resource Blocks of the plurality of Resource Blocks, where M is an integer.

22. The primary station of claim 20, wherein:

the subset and further subset of the set of resources comprises respective subsets of a plurality of subcarriers, and wherein the orthogonal transmission comprises;

the primary station transmitting control data using the subset of the plurality of subcarriers, and the further primary station transmitting further control data using the further subset of the plurality of carriers; and

the subset and the further subset are different subsets of the plurality of subcarriers, such that, the primary station transmits control data using the subset of the set of subcarriers synchronously with the further primary station transmitting the further control data using the further subset of the set of subcarriers.

23. The primary station of claim 20, wherein:

the subset and further subset of the set of resources comprises respective subsets of a plurality of subcarriers, and

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station transmitting control data using the subset of the plurality of subcarriers, and the further primary station transmitting further control data using a further subset of the plurality of subcarriers; and

the subset and further subset are different subsets of the plurality of subcarriers, such that, the further primary station uses the further subset of subcarriers for transmitting further control data; and

the respective subsets of the plurality of subcarriers comprise one subcarrier every M subcarriers of the plurality of subcarriers, where M is an integer.

24. The primary station of claim 20, wherein an indication of the subset of the set of resources is signaled by the primary station to one of the further primary station and the secondary station.

25. The primary station of claim 20, wherein:

the secondary station searches for control data in messages that it receives from the primary station by decoding messages potentially included in a search space; and

the further secondary station searches for the further control data in further messages that it receives, by decoding all the further messages potentially included in a further search space, and

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station configuring the search space of the secondary station, such that, at least one piece of resource of the search space of the secondary station is not included in the further search space of the further secondary station.

26. The primary station of claim 20, wherein:

the secondary station searches in messages that it receives from the primary station for control data by decoding messages potentially included in a search space of the secondary station; and

an indication of the search space is signaled by the primary station to the further primary station.

27. The primary station of claim 20, wherein:

the secondary station searches in messages that it receives from the primary station for control data by decoding the messages potentially included in a search space of the secondary station; and

an indication of the search space is signaled by the primary station to the secondary station.

28. The primary station of claim 20, wherein the orthogonal transmission comprises:

the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of control data from the primary station; and

the spreading code being orthogonal to a further spreading code applied to the further transmission of further control data from the further primary station.

29. The primary station of claim 20, wherein:

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of control data from the primary station to the secondary station; and

an indication of the spreading code is signaled by the primary station to one of the further primary station and the secondary station.

30. The primary station of claim 20, wherein the transmitter of the primary station is configured for preventing transmission of control data in a signal from the primary station to the secondary station using the subset of the set of resources during the transmission synchronous with and orthogonal to the further transmission, for enabling the further transmitter of the further primary station to further transmit further control data in the further signal using the subset of the set of resources during the transmission synchronous with and orthogonal to the further transmission.

31. The primary station of claim 20, wherein:

the primary station and the further primary station are included in a same single base station;

the set of resources comprising a plurality of one of the group of;

subcarriers; and

Resource Blocks; and

the transmitter is configured for preventing transmission of control data in the signal from the primary station to the secondary station using the subset of the set of resources during the transmission synchronous with and orthogonal to the further transmission, for enabling the further transmitter of the further primary station to further transmit further control data in the further signal using the subset of the set of resources during the transmission synchronous with and orthogonal to the further transmission.

32. A secondary station comprising:

a receiver configured to receive control data in a signal from the primary station according to at least one of the group of;

a subset of a set of resources, a search space, and a spreading code, while a further primary station is allowed to transmit further control data in a further signal, at a time that overlaps a time that the receiver is receiving transmitted control data, resulting is simultaneous transmissions of the control data with the further control data.

33. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein the secondary station and the further secondary station are the same secondary station.

34. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein the orthogonal transmission of control data to the secondary station is orthogonal in the frequency domain to the transmission of further control data to the further secondary station.

35. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the orthogonal transmission comprises;

the primary station transmitting control data using a subset of the set of resources, and the further primary station transmitting further control data using a further subset of the set of resources; and

the subset and further subset are different subsets of the set of resources.

36. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the subset of the set of resources comprises a subset of a plurality of Resource Blocks; and

the orthogonal transmission comprises;

the primary station transmitting control data using a subset of the plurality of Resource Blocks, and the further primary station transmitting further control data using a further subset of the plurality of Resource Blocks; and

the subset and further subset are different subsets of the plurality of Resource Blocks.

37. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the subset of the set of resources comprises a subset of a plurality of Resource Blocks; and

the subset of the set of Resource Blocks comprises one Resource block every M Resource Blocks of the plurality of Resource Blocks, where M is an integer.

38. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the subset of the set of resources comprises a subset of a plurality of Resource Blocks; and

the subset of the plurality of Resource Blocks comprises one Resource block every M Resource Blocks of the plurality of Resource Blocks, where M equals 3 or 6.

39. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the subset and the further subset of the set of resources comprises respective subsets of a plurality of subcarriers, and

the orthogonal transmission comprises;

the primary station transmitting control data in a signal using the subset of the plurality of subcarriers, and the further primary station transmitting further control data in a further signal using a further subset of the plurality of subcarriers; and

the subset and further subset are different subsets of the plurality of subcarriers, such that, the primary station transmits the data signal in the signal using the subset of carriers synchronously with the further primary station transmitting the further control data in a further signal using the further subset of subcarriers.

40. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the subset and further subset of the set of resources comprises respective subsets of a plurality of subcarriers; and

wherein the orthogonal transmission comprises;

the primary station transmitting control data in a signal using a subset of the plurality of subcarriers; and

the further primary station transmitting the further control data in a signal using a further subset of the plurality of subcarriers; and

the subset and further subset are different subsets of the plurality of subcarriers, such that, the further primary station uses the subset of the plurality of subcarriers for transmitting control data, and the respective subsets of the plurality of subcarriers comprise one subcarrier every M subcarriers of the plurality of subcarriers, where M is an integer.

41. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein an indication of the subset of the set of resources is signaled by the primary station to the further primary station.

42. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein an indication of the subset of the set of resources is signaled by the primary station to the secondary station.

43. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the secondary station searches for control data in messages that it receives from the primary station, by decoding the messages potentially included in a search space; and

the further secondary station searches for the further control data in further messages that it receives, by decoding all the further messages potentially included in a further search space; and

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station configuring the search space of the secondary station, such that, at least one piece of resource of the search space of the secondary station is not included in the further search space of the further secondary station.

44. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the secondary station searches in messages that it receives for control data by decoding messages potentially included in a search space of the secondary station; and

the search space is determined from an indication of an identifier of the cell of the secondary station.

45. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the secondary station searches in messages that it receives from the primary station for control data by decoding messages potentially included in a search space of the secondary station; and

an indication of the search space is signaled by the primary station to the further primary station.

46. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the secondary station searches in messages that it receives from the primary station for control data by decoding the messages potentially included in a search space of the secondary station; and

an indication of the search space is signaled by the primary station to the secondary station.

47. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein the orthogonal transmission comprises:

the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of control data in a signal from the primary station to the secondary station; and

the spreading code being orthogonal to a further spreading code applied to the further transmission of further control data in a further signal from the further primary station to the further secondary station.

48. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of the control data in a signal from the primary station to the secondary station; and

the spreading code is determined from an indication of an identity of the cell of the secondary station.

49. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of control data from the primary station to the secondary station; and

an indication of the spreading code is signaled by the primary station to the further primary station.

50. The secondary station of claim 32, wherein:

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of control data from the primary station to the secondary station; and

an indication of the spreading code is signaled by the primary station to the secondary station.

51. A secondary station comprising:

a receiver configured for receiving control data in a signal using a subset of a set of resources, from a primary station, while a further primary station is allowed to transmit further control data in a further signal using a further subset of the same set of resources at a time overlapping with a time that the receiver is receiving the control data, resulting is simultaneous transmissions of the control data with the further control data; and

the receiver configured for receiving the control data signal that is orthogonal to the further signal of further control data.

52. The secondary station of claim 51, wherein:

the primary station is located at the further primary station.

53. The secondary station of claim 51, wherein:

the orthogonal transmission comprises;

the primary station transmitting control data using a subset of the set of resources, and the further primary station transmitting further control data using a further subset of the set of resources; and

the subset and further subset are different subsets of the set of resources.

54. The secondary station of claim 51, wherein:

the subset of the set of resources comprises a subset of a plurality of Resource Blocks; and

the orthogonal transmission comprises;

the primary station transmitting control data using a subset of the plurality of Resource Blocks, and the further primary station transmitting further control data using a further subset of the plurality of Resource Blocks; and

the subset and further subset are different subsets of the plurality of Resource Blocks.

55. The secondary station of claim 51, wherein:

the subset of the set of resources comprises a subset of a plurality of Resource Blocks; and

the subset of the set of Resource Blocks comprises one Resource block every M Resource Blocks of the plurality of Resource Blocks, where M is an integer.

56. The secondary station of claim 51, wherein:

the subset of the set of resources comprises a subset of a plurality of Resource Blocks; and

the subset of the plurality of Resource Blocks comprises one Resource block every M Resource Blocks of the plurality of Resource Blocks, where M equals 3 or 6.

57. The secondary station of claim 51, wherein:

the subset and the further subset of the set of resources comprises respective subsets of a plurality of subcarriers, and the orthogonal transmission comprises;

the primary station transmitting control data in a signal using the subset of the plurality of subcarriers, and the further primary station transmitting further control data in a further signal using a further subset of the plurality of subcarriers; and

the subset and further subset are different subsets of the plurality of subcarriers, such that, the primary station transmits the data signal in the signal using the subset of carriers synchronously with the further primary station transmitting the further control data in a further signal using the further subset of subcarriers.

58. The secondary station of claim 51, wherein:

the subset and further subset of the set of resources comprises respective subsets of a plurality of subcarriers; and

wherein the orthogonal transmission comprises;

the primary station transmitting control data in a signal using a subset of the plurality of subcarriers; and

the further primary station transmitting the further control data in a signal using a further subset of the plurality of subcarriers; and

the subset and further subset are different subsets of the plurality of subcarriers, such that, the further primary station uses the subset of the plurality of subcarriers for transmitting control data, and the respective subsets of the plurality of subcarriers comprise one subcarrier every M subcarriers of the plurality of subcarriers, where M is an integer.

59. The secondary station of claim 51, wherein:

the secondary station searches in messages that it receives from the primary station for control data by decoding messages potentially included in a search space of the secondary station; and

an indication of the search space is signaled by the primary station to the further primary station.

60. The secondary station of claim 51, wherein:

the secondary station searches in messages that it receives from the primary station for control data by decoding the messages potentially included in a search space of the secondary station; and

an indication of the search space is signaled by the primary station to the secondary station.

61. The secondary station of claim 51, wherein:

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of control data from the primary station to the secondary station; and

an indication of the spreading code is signaled by the primary station to the further primary station.

62. The secondary station of claim 51, wherein:

the orthogonal transmission comprises the primary station applying a spreading code to the transmission of control data from the primary station to the secondary station; and

an indication of the spreading code is signaled by the primary station to the secondary station.

63. A method for operating a primary station comprising:

transmitting control data via a transmitter in a signal to a secondary station according to at least one of the group of;

a subset of a set of resources, a search space, and a spreading code, while a further transmitter of a further primary station is allowed to transmit further control data in a further signal using a further subset of the same set of resources, at a time overlapping the a time that control data is being transmitted, resulting is simultaneous transitions of the control data and further control data.

64. A method of operating a secondary station comprising:

receiving via a receiver, control data transmissions in a signal from the primary station according to at least one of the group of;

a subset of a set of resources, a search space, and a spreading code, while a further primary station is allowed to transmit further control data in a further signal, at a time that overlaps a time that the receiver is receiving the control data, resulting is simultaneous transmissions of control data and further control data.

65. A tangible computer-readable storage-medium that is not a transitory propagating signal or wave, encoded with control information including instructions, for operating a primary station in a network, according to a method comprising:

transmitting control data via a transmitter in a signal to a secondary station according to at least one of the group of;

a subset of a set of resources, a search space, and a spreading code, while a further transmitter of a further primary station is allowed to transmit further control data in a further signal using a further subset of the same set of resources, at a time overlapping the a time that control data is being transmitted, resulting is simultaneous transitions of the control data with the further control data.

66. A tangible computer-readable storage-medium that is not a transitory propagating signal or wave, encoded with control information including instructions, for a operating a secondary station in a network, according to a method comprising:

receiving via a receiver, control data transmissions in a signal from the primary station according to at least one of the group of;

a subset of a set of resources, a search space, and a spreading code, while a further primary station is allowed to transmit further control data in a further signal, at a time that overlaps a time that the receiver is receiving the control data, resulting is simultaneous transmissions of control data and further control data.

67. A network comprising:

A primary station configured to communicate with a first secondary station and to communicate with a second secondary station, the primary station including a transmitter configured for sending first control data to the first secondary station in a first subset of a set of resources and wherein a transmitter of the primary station is configured for sending second control data to the second secondary station in a second subset of the set of resources, wherein the first subset of resources is sent from the primary station synchronous with and orthogonal to the second subset of resources.

68. A network according to claim 67, wherein the first and second secondary stations are a single secondary station.

69. A network according to claim 67, wherein the first and second subset of resources are orthogonal in the frequency domain.

70. A network according to claim 67, wherein the first and second subset of resources are orthogonal in the time domain.

71. A network according to claim 70, wherein the orthogonality is achieved by puncturing at least one of the first and second control data.

72. A network according to claim 67, wherein the first and second control data is sent from the primary station according to at least one of the group of a subset of a set of resources, a search space, and a spreading code.

73. A network according to claim 67, wherein the subset of the set of resources comprises a subset of a plurality of resource blocks, and

the subset of the plurality of Resource Blocks comprises one Resource block every M Resource Blocks of the plurality of Resource Blocks, where M is an integer.

74. A network according to claim 67, wherein the subset and the further subset of the set of resources comprises respective subsets of a plurality of subcarriers, and

the orthogonal transmission comprises:

the primary station transmitting control data in a signal using the subset of the plurality of subcarriers, and transmitting further control data in a further signal using a further subset of the plurality of subcarriers; and

the subset and further subset are different subsets of the plurality of subcarriers, such that, the primary station transmits the data signal in the signal using the subset of carriers synchronously with the transmission of the further control data in a further signal using the further subset of subcarriers.