Extension of physical downlink control signaling in a communication system

• US 9,591,636 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Papasakellariou, Aris, Cho, Joon-Young, Ji, Hyoung-Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ko, Sithu
• Application Number:
  US14/810,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1861 Physical mapping arrangements for ACK signaling see also H04L5/0053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2601 Multicarrier modulation systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2602 Signal structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for the transmission of physical downlink control signaling. In one method, a User Equipment (UE) receives information associated with a physical resource block (PRB) for enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH) from a base station. Based on either first information received on physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH) or second information received on higher layer signaling, the UE determines a starting orthogonal frequency division multiple (OFDM) symbol on which EPDCCH transmission starts. The UE receives control information on the EPDDCH based on the information associated with the PRB and the determined starting OFDM symbol.

Claims

1. A method for receiving control information in a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

receiving higher layer signaling associated with a physical resource block (PRB) for enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH);

receiving the control information on the EPDCCH of which transmission starts in a first starting orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol determined by the higher layer signaling, if the first starting OFDM symbol is configured by the higher layer signaling; and

receiving the control information on the EPDCCH of which transmission starts in a second starting OFDM symbol determined by a physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), if the first starting OFDM symbol is not configured by the higher layer signaling,

wherein the control information is received by using a number of enhanced control channel elements (ECCEs) in a downlink (DL) subframe, and

wherein a search space in which the number of ECCEs are monitored is determined according to a UE-dedicated search space (UE-DSS).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) using a number of OFDM symbols.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the number of OFDM symbols is configured by the higher layer signaling.

4. A user equipment (UE) for receiving control information, the UE comprising:

a receiver;

a non-transitory computer-readable memory; and

at least one processor configured to execute instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable memory, according to which the UE;

receives higher layer signaling associated with a physical resource block (PRB) for enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH);

receives the control information on the EPDCCH of which transmission starts in a first starting orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol determined by the higher layer signaling, if the first starting OFDM symbol is configured by the higher layer signaling; and

receives the control information on the EPDCCH of which transmission starts in a second starting OFDM symbol determined by a physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), if the first starting OFDM symbol is not configured by the higher layer signaling,

wherein the control information is received by using a number of enhanced control channel elements (ECCEs) in a downlink (DL) subframe, and

wherein a search space in which the number of ECCEs are monitored is determined according to a UE-dedicated search space (UE-DSS).

5. The UE of claim 4, wherein the UE further receives a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) using a number of OFDM symbols.

6. The UE of claim 5, wherein the number of OFDM symbols is configured by the higher layer signaling.

7. A method for transmitting control information in a base station, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), higher layer signaling associated with a physical resource block (PRB) for enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH);

transmitting the control information on the EPDCCH of which transmission starts in a first starting orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol determined by the higher layer signaling, if the first starting OFDM symbol is configured by the higher layer signaling; and

transmitting the control information on the EPDCCH of which transmission starts in a second starting OFDM symbol determined by a physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), if the first starting OFDM symbol is not configured by the higher layer signaling,

wherein the control information is transmitted by using a number of enhanced control channel elements (ECCEs) in downlink (DL) subframe, and

wherein a search space in which the number of ECCEs are monitored is determined according to a UE-dedicated search space (UE-DSS).

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) using a number of OFDM symbols.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the number of OFDM symbols is configured by the higher layer signaling.

10. A base station for transmitting control information, the base station comprising:

a transmitter;

a non-transitory computer-readable memory; and

at least one processor configured to execute instructions stored in the non-transitory computer-readable memory, according to which the base station;

transmits, to a user equipment (UE), higher layer signaling associated with a physical resource block (PRB) for enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH);

transmits the control information on the EPDCCH of which transmission starts in a first starting orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol determined by the higher layer signaling, if the first starting OFDM symbol is configured by the higher layer signaling; and

transmits the control information on the EPDCCH of which transmission starts in a second starting OFDM symbol determined by a physical control format indicator channel (PCFICH), if the first starting OFDM symbol is not configured by the higher layer signaling,

wherein the control information is received by using a number of enhanced control channel elements (ECCEs) in a downlink (DL) subframe, and

wherein a search space in which the number of ECCEs are monitored is determined according to a UE-dedicated search space (UE-DSS).

11. The base station of claim 10, wherein the base station further transmit a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) using a number of OFDM symbols.

12. The base station of claim 11, wherein the number of OFDM symbols is configured by the higher layer signaling.