Method and apparatus for reliable transmission of control information in a wireless communication network

• US 9,154,260 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Wanshi, Luo, Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Chirag
• Assistant Examiner(s): REDDIVALAM, SRINIVASA R
• Application Number:
  US13/071,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20110235584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/004 by using forward error control H04L1/0618 takes precedence; coding, decoding or code conversion, for error detection or correction H03M13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/008 where the control data relates to payload of a different packet

Abstract

Techniques for reliably transmitting and receiving control information in a wireless network are described. A cell may typically send control information on a control channel and associated data (e.g., system information) on a data channel in the same subframe. This subframe may have strong interference from other cells. For cross-subframe signaling, the cell may transmit the control information in a first subframe and the associated data in a second subframe. The first subframe may be a usable subframe for the cell and may have less interference from other cells. A UE may not know the location of the first subframe and may perform window-based decoding. The UE may decode the control channel in at least one subframe within a decoding window covering the first subframe to obtain the control information. The UE may then decode the data channel in the second subframe based on the control information to obtain the data.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

configuring a size of a decoding window that covers a plurality of subframes, the size of the decoding window being configurable for different user equipment or different cells;

decoding a control channel in at least one subframe within the decoding window covering the plurality of subframes to obtain control information sent on the control channel; and

decoding, based on the control information, a data channel in a second subframe to obtain data sent on the data channel, wherein the second subframe occurs subsequent to an end of the decoding window,

wherein the at least one subframe is usable to a cell to send the control information on the control channel by having less interference than remaining subframes within the decoding window, the size of the decoding window being configurable based at least in part on a periodicity with which the at least one subframe is allocated to the cell.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the decoding the control channel comprises decoding the control channel in one subframe within the decoding window at a time, starting with an earliest subframe within the decoding window, until the control information is obtained from the control channel or all subframes within the decoding window have been considered.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data sent on the data channel comprises system information, or paging information, or both.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data sent on the data channel comprises system information block type 1 (SIB1) carrying scheduling information for system information blocks of at least one other type.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decoding the control channel in the subframe in which the data channel is decoded to obtain the control information sent on the control channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel comprises a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and the data channel comprises a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the control channel is decoded in a first subframe of the at least one subframe and within the decoding window, and wherein the data channel is decoded in the second subframe.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the size of the decoding window is configurable to be different for different user equipment or different cells.

7. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for configuring a size of a decoding window that covers a plurality of subframes, the size of the decoding window being configurable for different user equipment or different cells;

means for decoding a control channel in at least one subframe within the decoding window covering the plurality of subframes to obtain control information sent on the control channel; and

means for decoding, based on the control information, a data channel in a second subframe to obtain data sent on the data channel, wherein the second subframe occurs subsequent to an end of the decoding window,

wherein the at least one subframe is usable to a cell to send the control information on the control channel by having less interference than remaining subframes within the decoding window, the size of the decoding window being configurable based at least in part on a periodicity with which the at least one subframe is allocated to the cell.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the means for decoding the control channel comprises means for decoding the control channel in one subframe within the decoding window at a time, starting with an earliest subframe within the decoding window, until the control information is obtained from the control channel or all subframes within the decoding window have been considered.

9. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor configured to configure a size of a decoding window that covers a plurality of subframes, the size of the decoding window being configurable for different user equipment or different cells;

to decode a control channel in at least one subframe within the decoding window covering the plurality of subframes to obtain control information sent on the control channel, and

to decode, based on the control information, a data channel in a second subframe to obtain data sent on the data channel, wherein the second subframe occurs subsequent to an end of the decoding window,

wherein the at least one subframe is usable to a cell to send the control information on the control channel by having less interference than remaining subframes within the decoding window, the size of the decoding window being configurable based at least in part on a periodicity with which the at least one subframe is allocated to the cell, and a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to decode the control channel in one subframe within the decoding window at a time, starting with an earliest subframe within the decoding window, until the control information is obtained from the control channel or all subframes within the decoding window have been considered.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for wireless communication, comprising:

code for configuring a size of a decoding window that covers a plurality of subframes, the size of the decoding window being configurable for different user equipment or different cells;

code for decoding a control channel in at least one subframe within the decoding window covering the plurality of subframes to obtain control information sent on the control channel; and

code for decoding, based on the control information, a data channel in a second subframe to obtain data sent on the data channel, wherein the second subframe occurs subsequent to an end of the decoding window,

wherein the at least one subframe is usable to a cell to send the control information on the control channel by having less interference than remaining subframes within the decoding window, the size of the decoding window being configurable based at least in part on a periodicity with which the at least one subframe is allocated to the cell.

12. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

determining at least one subframe for a cell within a decoding window covering a plurality of subframes, the at least one subframe being usable to the cell to send control information on a control channel by having less interference than remaining subframes within the decoding window, one of the at least one subframe being a first subframe, a size of the decoding window being configurable based at least in part on a periodicity with which the at least one subframe is allocated to the cell;

sending the control information to a user equipment on the control channel in the first subframe within the decoding window, the size of the decoding window being configured by the user equipment, and the size of the decoding window being configurable for different user equipment or different cells; and

sending data on a data channel in a second subframe, wherein the second subframe occurs subsequent to the first subframe and subsequent to an end of the decoding window, the control information comprising at least one parameter used to decode the data channel.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selecting one of the at least one subframe within the decoding window as the first subframe in which to send the control information on the control channel.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the data sent on the data channel comprises system information, or paging information, or both.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the data sent on the data channel comprises system information block type 1 (SIB1) carrying scheduling information for system information blocks of at least one other type.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the control channel comprises a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and the data channel comprises a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

17. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for determining at least one subframe for a cell within the decoding window covering a plurality of subframes, the at least one subframe being usable to the cell to send control information on a control channel by having less interference than remaining subframes within the decoding window, one of the at least one subframe being a first subframe, a size of the decoding window being configurable based at least in part on a periodicity with which the at least one subframe is allocated to the cell;

means for sending the control information to a user equipment on the control channel in the first subframe within the decoding window, the size of the decoding window being configured by the user equipment, and the size of the decoding window being configurable for different user equipment or different cells; and

means for sending data on a data channel in a second subframe, wherein the second subframe occurs subsequent to the first subframe and subsequent to an end of the decoding window, the control information comprising at least one parameter used to decode the data channel.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for selecting one of the at least one subframe within the decoding window as the first subframe in which to send the control information on the control channel.

19. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

configuring a size of a decoding window that covers a plurality of subframes, the size of the decoding window being configurable for different user equipment or different cells;

determining a first subframe within the decoding window covering the plurality of subframes based on first information available to a UE user equipment (UE) for a cell;

decoding a control channel in the first subframe to obtain control information sent on the control channel by the cell; and

decoding, based on the control information, a data channel in a second subframe to obtain system information sent on the data channel by the cell, wherein the second subframe occurs subsequent to the first subframe and subsequent to an end of the decoding window,

wherein the first subframe is one of at least one subframe within the decoding window usable to send the control information on the control channel by having less interference than remaining subframes within the decoding window, the size of the decoding window being configurable based at least in part on a periodicity with which the at least one subframe is allocated to the cell.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

obtaining the first information based on at least one synchronization signal from the cell.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first information comprises a cell identity (ID) of the cell.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the determining the first subframe comprises:

determining a group of cell IDs including the cell ID of the cell;

determining a set of subframes associated with the group of cell IDs; and

identifying the first subframe from the set of subframes.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the control channel comprises a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and the data channel comprises a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

24. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for configuring a size of a decoding window that covers a plurality of subframes, the size of the decoding window being configurable for different user equipment or different cells;

means for determining a first subframe within the decoding window covering the plurality of subframes based on first information available to a user equipment (UE) for a cell;

means for decoding a control channel in the first subframe to obtain control information sent on the control channel by the cell; and

means for decoding, based on the control information, a data channel in a second subframe to obtain system information sent on the data channel by the cell, wherein the second subframe occurs subsequent to the first subframe and subsequent to an end of the decoding window,

wherein the first subframe is one of at least one subframe within the decoding window usable to send the control information on the control channel by having less interference than remaining subframes within the decoding window, the size of the decoding window being configurable based at least in part on a periodicity with which the at least one subframe is allocated to the cell.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the first information comprises a cell identity (ID) of the cell.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for determining the first subframe comprises:

means for determining a group of cell IDs including the cell ID of the cell;

means for determining a set of subframes associated with the group of cell IDs; and

means for identifying the first subframe from the set of subframes.

27. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

determining a first subframe within a decoding window covering a plurality of subframes based on first information for a cell, a size of the decoding window being configured by a user equipment, and the size of the decoding window being configurable for different user equipment or different cells;

sending control information on a control channel in the first subframe; and

sending system information on a data channel in a second subframe, wherein the second subframe occurs subsequent to the first subframe and subsequent to an end of the decoding window, the control information comprising at least one parameter used to decode the data channel,

wherein the first subframe is one of at least one subframe within the decoding window usable to send the control information on the control channel by having less interference than remaining subframes within the decoding window, the size of the decoding window being configurable based at least in part on a periodicity with which the at least one subframe is allocated to the cell.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

sending at least one synchronization signal comprising the first information.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the first information comprises a cell identity (ID) of the cell.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the determining the first subframe comprises:

determining a group of cell IDs including the cell ID of the cell;

determining a set of subframes associated with the group of cell IDs; and

selecting the first subframe from the set of subframes.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

sending the control information on the control channel in the second subframe.

32. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for determining a first subframe within a decoding window covering a plurality of subframes based on first information for a cell, a size of the decoding window being configured by a user equipment, and the size of the decoding window being configurable for different user equipment or different cells;

means for sending control information on a control channel in the first subframe; and

means for sending system information on a data channel in a second subframe, wherein the second subframe occurs subsequent to the first subframe and subsequent to an end of the decoding window, the control information comprising at least one parameter used to decode the data channel,

wherein the first subframe is one of at least one subframe within the decoding window usable to send the control information on the control channel by having less interference than remaining subframes within the decoding window, the size of the decoding window being configurable based at least in part on a periodicity with which the at least one subframe is allocated to the cell.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the first information comprises a cell identity (ID) of the cell.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the means for determining the first subframe comprises:

means for determining a group of cell IDs including the cell ID of the cell;

means for determining a set of subframes associated with the group of cell IDs; and

means for selecting the first subframe from the set of subframes.