Wireless device capability and enhanced control channel

• US 8,526,459 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ofinno Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Dinan, Esmael Hejazi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mui, Gary
• Application Number:
  US13/791,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20130195057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 179 Days
• Field of Search: 370/208, 370/252, 370/253, 370/310, 370/474, 370/475
• US Class Current: 370/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0005 Control or signalling for completing the hand-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A base station receives a first radio resource control (RRC) message comprising parameter(s) indicating whether a wireless device supports an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH). The base station transmits a second RRC message causing configuration of first radio resources of a first ePDCCH and second radio resources of a first data channel. The second RRC message indicates a frequency allocation for the first ePDCCH in terms of resource blocks in a subset of subframes. The base station transmits scheduling information on the first ePDCCH in a first subframe.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) receiving, by a base station, a first radio resource control (RRC) message from a wireless device on a primary carrier in a plurality of carriers, said first RRC message comprising one or more parameters indicating whether said wireless device supports an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH);

b) transmitting, by said base station, selectively and if said one or more parameters indicates support of said ePDCCH, at least one second RRC message configured to cause, in said wireless device, configuration of;

i) first radio resources of a first ePDCCH of a first carrier, said first radio resources comprising one or more sets of resource blocks in a subset of subframes in a plurality of subframes, said at least one second RRC message indicating;

(1) a starting OFDM symbol of said first ePDCCH in said subset of subframes;

(2) a frequency allocation for said first ePDCCH in terms of resource blocks in said subset of subframes; and

(3) a configuration of said subset of subframes in which said first radio resources of said first ePDCCH are configured; and

ii) second radio resources of a first data channel of said first carrier to start from said starting OFDM symbol in said subset of subframes;

c) transmitting first transmission format and scheduling information by said base station on said first ePDCCH in a first subframe of said subset of subframes, said first transmission format and said scheduling information being for one or more first data packets transmitted on said first data channel of said first carrier; and

d) transmitting said one or more first data packets by said base station to said wireless device on said first data channel in said first subframe according to said first transmission format and said scheduling information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one second RRC message is configured to cause said wireless device to set up or modify at least one radio bearer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said at least one second RRC message is configured to cause said wireless device to configure at least one of a physical layer parameter, a medium access control layer parameter and a radio link control layer parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of carriers comprise:

a) at least one backward compatible carrier; and

b) at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a first common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier being substantially lower than a second common reference signal overhead of each of said at least one backward compatible carrier.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, transmitting by said base station a common reference signal on a pre-configured OFDM resource region of said at least one non-backward compatible carrier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a) said primary carrier is a backward compatible carrier; and

b) said first carrier is a non-backward compatible carrier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before said at least one second RRC message is transmitted:

a) encrypting said at least one second RRC message; and

a) protecting said at least one second RRC message by an integrity header.

9. A wireless device comprising:

a) one or more communication interfaces;

b) one or more processors; and

c) memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause said wireless device to;

i) transmit a first radio resource control (RRC) message to a base station, said first RRC message comprising one or more parameters indicating whether said wireless device supports an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH);

ii) receive at least one second RRC message causing, in said wireless device, configuration of;

(1) first radio resources of a first ePDCCH of a first carrier, said first radio resources comprising one or more sets of resource blocks in a subset of subframes in a plurality of subframes, said at least one second RRC message indicating;

(a) a starting OFDM symbol of said first ePDCCH in said subset of subframes;

(b) a frequency allocation for said first ePDCCH in terms of resource blocks in said subset of subframes; and

(c) a configuration of said subset of subframes in which said first radio resources of said first ePDCCH are configured; and

(2) second radio resources of a first data channel of said first carrier to start from said starting OFDM symbol in said subset of subframes;

iii) receive first transmission format and scheduling information from said base station on said first ePDCCH in a first subframe of said subset of subframes, said first transmission format and said scheduling information being for one or more first data packets transmitted on said first data channel of said first carrier; and

iv) receive said one or more first data packets from said base station on said first data channel in said first subframe employing said first transmission format and said scheduling information.

10. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein said instructions, when executed, further cause said wireless device to receive downlink control information from said base station, said wireless device configured to communicate employing a plurality of carriers, said downlink control information:

a) received on a second carrier in said plurality of carriers starting from the first OFDM symbol in a plurality of OFDM symbols of a second subframe in a plurality of subframes of said second carrier; and

b) providing second transmission format and second scheduling information for a second plurality of data packets received on a second data channel of said second carrier.

11. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein said instructions, when executed, further cause said wireless device to receive third transmission format and third scheduling information from said base station on said first ePDCCH, said third transmission format and said third scheduling information being for one or more third data packets transmitted on an uplink carrier corresponding to said first carrier.

12. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein one of said at least one second RRC message comprises radio link configuration information comprising uplink channel configuration parameters and handover parameters.

13. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein said at least one second RRC message is configured to cause said wireless device to set up or modify at least one radio bearer.

14. A base station comprising:

a) one or more communication interfaces;

b) one or more processors; and

c) memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause said base station to;

i) receive a first radio resource control (RRC) message from a wireless device, said first RRC message comprising one or more parameters indicating whether said wireless device supports an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH);

ii) transmit, selectively and if said one or more parameters indicates support of said ePDCCH, at least one second RRC message configured to cause, in said wireless device, configuration of;

(1) first radio resources of a first ePDCCH of a first carrier, said first radio resources comprising one or more sets of resource blocks in a subset of subframes in a plurality of subframes, said at least one second RRC message indicating a frequency allocation for said first ePDCCH in terms of resource blocks in said subset of subframes; and

(2) second radio resources of a first data channel, said first radio resources and said second radio resources starting from the same OFDM symbol of each subframe in said subset of subframes;

iii) transmit scheduling information on said first ePDCCH in a first subframe of said subset of subframes, said scheduling information being for one or more first data packets transmitted on said first data channel of said first carrier; and

iv) transmit said one or more first data packets to said wireless device on said first data channel in said first subframe according to said scheduling information.

15. The base station of claim 14, wherein said at least one second RRC message further indicates:

a) said starting OFDM symbol of said first ePDCCH and said first data channel in said subset of subframes; and

b) a configuration of said subset of subframes in which said first radio resources of said first ePDCCH are configured.

16. The base station of claim 14, wherein said at least one second RRC message is configured to cause said wireless device to set up or modify at least one radio bearer.

17. The base station of claim 14, wherein one of said at least one second RRC message is configured to cause said wireless device to configure at least one of a physical layer parameter, a medium access control layer parameter and a radio link control layer parameter.

18. The base station of claim 14, wherein said instructions, when executed, further cause said base station to transmit third transmission format and third scheduling information from said base station on said first ePDCCH, said third transmission format and said third scheduling information being for one or more third data packets received on an uplink carrier corresponding to said first carrier.

19. The base station of claim 14, wherein one of said at least one second RRC message comprises radio link configuration information comprising uplink channel configuration parameters and handover parameters.

20. The base station of claim 14, wherein one of said at least one second RRC message comprises radio link configuration information comprising uplink channel configuration parameters and handover parameters.