Control and data signaling in heterogeneous wireless communication networks

• US 8,340,676 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nory, Ravikiran, Kuchibhotla, Ravi, Liu, Jialing, Love, Robert T., Nimbalker, Ajit, Stewart, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu X
• Application Number:
  US12/767,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20100331030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 455/432.1, 455/452.2, 455/456.6, 455/104, 455/102, 455/101, 455/450, 370/329
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 between access points

Abstract

A wireless communication device receives control signaling from a base station in a control region of a downlink carrier spanning a first bandwidth, signaling message from the base station indicating a second bandwidth, and a first control message within the control region using a first Downlink Control Information (DCI) format size, wherein the first DCI format size is based on the first bandwidth. The device also receives a second control message within the control region using a second DCI format size, the second DCI format size based on the second bandwidth, wherein the second bandwidth is distinct from the first bandwidth and the first and second control messages indicate downlink resource assignments for the downlink carrier.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the device, control signaling from a wireless base station in a control region of a downlink carrier, the control region spanning a first bandwidth,

a first control message within the control region decoded using a first Downlink Control Information (DCI) format size, the first DCI format size based on the first bandwidth;

receiving, at the device a signaling message from the base station indicating a second bandwidth,

a second control message within the control region decoded using a second DCI format size, the second DCI format size based on the second bandwidth,

the second bandwidth is distinct from the first bandwidth and the first and second control messages indicate downlink resource assignments for the downlink carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling message from the base station is a broadcast message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling message is a dedicated Radio Resource Configuration (RRC) message.

4. The method of claim 1, the first control message is a broadcast message and the second control message is a dedicated message addressed to the wireless communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, the first control message is received in a common search space within the control region, the second control message is received within a wireless_communication device specific search space within the control region, wherein the wireless communication device specific search space is based on a wireless communication device specific identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control message is a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message and the second control message is PDCCH message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first bandwidth and second bandwidth share at least one subcarrier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to receive signals on the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second bandwidth includes the first bandwidth.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication device has one 20 MHz receiver.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control message and the second control message are received in a common sub-frame.

12. A wireless communication device comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive control signaling from a wireless base station in a control region of a downlink carrier, the control region spanning a first bandwidth,

the transceiver configured to receive a signaling message from the wireless base station indicating a second bandwidth;

a processor coupled to the transceiver;

the processor configured to decode a first control message within the control region using a first Downlink Control Information (DCI) format size, the first DCI format size based on the first bandwidth,

the processor configured to decode a second control message within the control region using a second DCI format size, the second DCI format size based on the second bandwidth,

the second bandwidth is distinct from the first bandwidth, and the first and second control messages indicate downlink resource assignments for the downlink carrier.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the signaling message is a broadcast message.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the signaling message is a dedicated Radio Resource Configuration (RRC) message.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the first control message is a broadcast message and the second control message is a dedicated message addressed to the wireless communication device.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the first control message is received in a common search space within the control region, the second control message is received within a dedicated search space within the control region wherein the dedicated search space is based on a wireless communication device specific identifier.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the first control message is a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message and the second control message is PDCCH message.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the first bandwidth and second bandwidth share at least one subcarrier.

19. The device of claim 12, wherein the device is configured to receive signals on the first bandwidth and second bandwidth.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein the second bandwidth includes the first bandwidth.

21. The device of claim 12, wherein the transceiver includes a 20 MHz receiver.

22. The device of claim 12, wherein the first control message and the second control message are received in a common sub-frame.