Resource management for enhanced PDCCH

• US 9,113,463 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Wanshi, Gaal, Peter, Luo, Tao, Damnjanovic, Jelena, Geirhofer, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, CLEMENCE S
• Application Number:
  US13/666,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20130114419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 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: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for managing resources utilized for enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmissions. According to certain aspects, a method is provided for wireless communications which may be performed, for example, by a user equipment (UE). The method generally includes receiving signaling indicating a set of time and frequency resources in one or more subframes allocated for an enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), receiving a downlink transmission in a subframe, making a determination to monitor for the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe based on the signaling, and decoding the enhanced PDCCH transmitted using the set of time and frequency resources in the subframe, in response to the determination.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving signaling indicating a set of time and frequency resources in one or more subframes allocated for an enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH);

receiving a downlink transmission in a subframe;

making a determination to monitor for the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe based on the signaling; and

decoding the enhanced PDCCH transmitted using the set of time and frequency resources in the subframe, in response to the determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of resources spans a region also used for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of resources have a localized resource allocation wherein resources allocated for the enhanced PDCCH in a first half of the subframe are paired with resources in the second half of the subframe allocated for the enhanced PDCCH.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of resources have a distributed resource allocation wherein the set of resources are allocated in non-consecutive resource blocks.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of resources allocated for the enhanced PDCCH are arranged in units comprising physical resource block (PRB) pairs.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two sets of resources are configured for the enhanced PDCCH.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a message providing a configuration indicating a subset of subframes to monitor for the enhanced PDCCH.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the message is one of a unicast message and a broadcast message, and the configuration indicates the subset of subframes via a bitmap.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a legacy PDCCH in a subframe if a determination is made to not monitor the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising making a determination to monitor the enhanced PDCCH in all subframes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring of the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe comprises monitoring a search space specific to the UE.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to detecting a control format indicator channel, determining a starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH in a subframe based on the control format indicator channel.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to not detecting a control format indicator channel, determining a starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH based on a radio resource control (RRC) configuration.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a first starting symbol in a first subframe, and determining a second starting symbol, different from the first starting symbol, in a second subframe.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first subframe is a multimedia broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe and the second subframe is a non-MBSFN subframe.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH for unicast in a subframe, and determining a second starting symbol, different from the first starting symbol, of a set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH for broadcast or multicast in the same subframe.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a starting symbol for a physical downlink data shared channel (PDSCH) by utilizing a starting symbol index of the enhanced PDCCH.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically determining a starting symbol for a physical downlink data shared channel (PDSCH) scheduled by the enhanced PDCCH based on an indication in the enhanced PDCCH.

19. A method for wireless communications by a base station, said method comprising:

transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), signaling indicating a set of time and frequency resources in one or more subframes allocated for an enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH);

making a determination to transmit the enhanced PDCCH in a subframe; and

transmitting the enhanced PDCCH using the set of time and frequency resources in the subframe, in response to the determination.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of resources spans a region also used for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of resources have a localized resource allocation wherein resources allocated for the enhanced PDCCH in a first half of the subframe are paired with resources in the second half of the subframe allocated for the enhanced PDCCH.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of resources have a distributed resource allocation wherein the set of resources are allocated in non-consecutive resource blocks.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of resources allocated for the enhanced PDCCH are arranged in units comprising physical resource block (PRB) pairs.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein at least two sets of resources are configured for the enhanced PDCCH.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting a message providing a configuration indicating a subset of subframes to monitor for the enhanced PDCCH.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the message is one of a unicast message and a broadcast message, and the configuration indicates the subset of subframes via a bitmap.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting a legacy PDCCH in the subframe if a determination is made to not transmit the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the base station is allowed to make a determination to transmit an enhanced PDCCH in all subframes.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe comprises transmitting the enhanced PDCCH in a search space specific to the UE.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH in a subframe based on a control format indicator channel.

31. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transmitting, via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, a configuration indicating a starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising determining a first starting symbol in a first subframe, and determining a second starting symbol, different from the first starting symbol, in a second subframe.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the first subframe is a multimedia broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe and the second subframe is a non-MBSFN subframe.

34. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a first starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH for unicast in a subframe, and determining a second starting symbol, different from the first starting symbol, of a set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH for broadcast or multicast in the same subframe.

35. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a starting symbol for a physical downlink data shared channel (PDSCH) by utilizing a starting symbol index of the enhanced PDCCH.

36. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

dynamically indicating a starting symbol for a physical downlink data shared channel (PDSCH) scheduled by the enhanced PDCCH by providing an indication in the enhanced PDCCH.

37. An apparatus for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

means for receiving signaling indicating a set of time and frequency resources in one or more subframes allocated for an enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH);

means for receiving a downlink transmission in a subframe;

means for making a determination to monitor for the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe based on the signaling; and

means for decoding the enhanced PDCCH transmitted using the set of time and frequency resources in the subframe, in response to the determination.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the set of resources spans a region also used for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the set of resources have a localized resource allocation wherein resources allocated for the enhanced PDCCH in a first half of the subframe are paired with resources in the second half of the subframe allocated for the enhanced PDCCH.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the set of resources have a distributed resource allocation wherein the set of resources are allocated in non-consecutive resource blocks.

41. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the set of resources allocated for the enhanced PDCCH are arranged in units comprising physical resource block (PRB) pairs.

42. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein at least two sets of resources are configured for the enhanced PDCCH.

43. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for receiving a message providing a configuration indicating a subset of subframes to monitor for the enhanced PDCCH.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the message is one of a unicast message and a broadcast message, and the configuration indicates the subset of subframes via a bitmap.

45. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for monitoring a legacy PDCCH in a subframe if a determination is made to not monitor the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe.

46. The apparatus of claim 37, comprising means for making a determination to monitor the enhanced PDCCH in all subframes.

47. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the means for monitoring of the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe comprises means for monitoring a search space specific to the UE.

48. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for determining, responsive to detecting a control format indicator channel, a starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH in a subframe based on the control format indicator channel.

49. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for determining, responsive to not detecting a control format indicator channel, a starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH based on a radio resource control (RRC) configuration.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, further comprising means for determining a first starting symbol in a first subframe, and means for determining a second starting symbol, different from the first starting symbol, in a second subframe.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the first subframe is a multimedia broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe and the second subframe is a non-MBSFN subframe.

52. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for determining a first starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH for unicast in a subframe, and means for determining a second starting symbol, different from the first starting symbol, of a set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH for broadcast or multicast in the same subframe.

53. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for determining a starting symbol for a physical downlink data shared channel (PDSCH) by utilizing a starting symbol index of the enhanced PDCCH.

54. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for dynamically determining a starting symbol for a physical downlink data shared channel (PDSCH) scheduled by the enhanced PDCCH based on an indication in the enhanced PDCCH.

55. An apparatus for wireless communications by a base station, said apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), signaling indicating a set of time and frequency resources in one or more subframes allocated for an enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH);

means for making a determination to transmit the enhanced PDCCH in a subframe; and

means for transmitting the enhanced PDCCH using the set of time and frequency resources in the subframe, in response to the determination.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the set of resources spans a region also used for a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

57. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the set of resources have a localized resource allocation wherein resources allocated for the enhanced PDCCH in a first half of the subframe are paired with resources in the second half of the subframe allocated for the enhanced PDCCH.

58. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the set of resources have a distributed resource allocation wherein the set of resources are allocated in non-consecutive resource blocks.

59. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the set of resources allocated for the enhanced PDCCH are arranged in units comprising physical resource block (PRB) pairs.

60. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein at least two sets of resources are configured for the enhanced PDCCH.

61. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

means for transmitting a message providing a configuration indicating a subset of subframes to monitor for the enhanced PDCCH.

62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the message is one of a unicast message and a broadcast message, and the configuration indicates the subset of subframes via a bitmap.

63. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising means for transmitting a legacy PDCCH in the subframe if a determination is made to not transmit the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe.

64. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the base station is allowed to make a determination to transmit an enhanced PDCCH in all subframes.

65. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein means for transmitting the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe comprises transmitting the enhanced PDCCH in a search space specific to the UE.

66. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

means for determining a starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH in a subframe based on a control format indicator channel.

67. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

means for transmitting, via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, a configuration indicating a starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH.

68. The apparatus of claim 67, further comprising means for determining a first starting symbol in a first subframe, and determining a second starting symbol, different from the first starting symbol, in a second subframe.

69. The apparatus of claim 68, wherein the first subframe is a multimedia broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe and the second subframe is a non-MBSFN subframe.

70. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

means for determining a first starting symbol of the set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH for unicast in a subframe, and means for determining a second starting symbol, different from the first starting symbol, of a set of resources for the enhanced PDCCH for broadcast or multicast in the same subframe.

71. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

means for determining a starting symbol for a physical downlink data shared channel (PDSCH) by utilizing a starting symbol index of the enhanced PDCCH.

72. The apparatus of claim 55, further comprising:

means for dynamically indicating a starting symbol for a physical downlink data shared channel (PDSCH) scheduled by the enhanced PDCCH by providing an indication in the enhanced PDCCH.

73. An apparatus for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

at least one processor configured to receive signaling indicating a set of time and frequency resources in one or more subframes allocated for an enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), receive a downlink transmission in a subframe, make a determination to monitor for the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe based on the signaling, and decode the enhanced PDCCH transmitted using the set of time and frequency resources in the subframe, in response to the determination; and

a memory coupled with the at least one processor.

74. An apparatus for wireless communications by a base station, said apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to transmit, to a user equipment (UE), signaling indicating a set of time and frequency resources in one or more subframes allocated for an enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), make a determination to transmit the enhanced PDCCH in a subframe, and transmit the enhanced PDCCH using the set of time and frequency resources in the subframe, in response to the determination; and

a memory coupled with the at least one processor.

75. A computer program product for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE) comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions executable by one or more processors for:

receiving signaling indicating a set of time and frequency resources in one or more subframes allocated for an enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH);

receiving a downlink transmission in a subframe;

making a determination to monitor for the enhanced PDCCH in the subframe based on the signaling; and

decoding the enhanced PDCCH transmitted using the set of time and frequency resources in the subframe, in response to the determination.

76. A computer program product for wireless communications by a base station comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions executable by one or more processors for:

transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), signaling indicating a set of time and frequency resources in one or more subframes allocated for an enhanced physical downlink control channel (PDCCH);

making a determination to transmit the enhanced PDCCH in a subframe; and

transmitting the enhanced PDCCH using the set of time and frequency resources in the subframe, in response to the determination.