System and method for determining a search space in carrier aggregation in LTE-A

• US 9,706,528 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fong, Mo-Han, Heo, Youn Hyoung, McBeath, Sean Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Clawson, Stephen J
• Application Number:
  US14/531,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20150139123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 370311
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0053 specially adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2647 Arrangements specific to the receiver only equalisation H04L27/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0005 Time-frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/248 where transmission power control commands are generated based on a path parameter
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/40 during macro-diversity or soft handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software can be used to process a control channel at a user agent (UA) within a wireless communication system. In some aspects, the method includes identifying one carrier as an anchor carrier and at least one other carrier as a non-anchor carrier; for each carrier: determining a location of a UA specific search space including one or more control channel candidates for the carrier based on a linear congruential random number; and attempting to decode each of the control channel candidates in the UA specific search space to identify at least one of an uplink or a downlink grant associated with the carrier.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium for processing a control channel at a user agent (UA) within a wireless communication system, the computer readable medium storing instructions to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying one carrier as an anchor carrier and at least one other carrier as a non-anchor carrier, the anchor carrier and the at least one non-anchor carrier compatible with Long Term Evolution (LTE) carrier aggregation operations;

for each carrier;

determining a location of a UA specific search space including one or more control channel candidates for the carrier based on a linear congruential random number and a carrier index of the carrier, wherein each control channel candidate comprises at least one control channel element (CCE); and

attempting to decode each of the control channel candidates in the UA specific search space to identify at least one of an uplink or a downlink grant associated with the carrier.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the linear congruential random number is based on the carrier index.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, the instructions further comprising where a control channel candidate is successfully decoded, using the grant to facilitate communication.

4. A non-transitory computer readable medium for processing a control channel at an access device within a wireless communication system for transmission to a user agent, the computer readable medium storing instructions to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

identifying one carrier as an anchor carrier and at least one other carrier as a non-anchor carrier, the anchor carrier and the at least one non-anchor carrier compatible with Long Term Evolution (LTE) carrier aggregation operations; and

for each carrier;

determining a location of a UA specific search space including one or more control channel candidates for the carrier based on a linear congruential random number and a carrier index of the carrier, wherein each control channel candidate comprises at least one control channel element (CCE); and

transmitting at least one of an uplink grant or a downlink grant to a UA using at least one of the control channel candidates.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein the linear congruential random number is based on the carrier index.

6. An access device for processing a control channel within a wireless communication system for transmission to a user agent, the access device comprising:

a linear congruential random number generator; and

one or more processors configured to;

identify one carrier as an anchor carrier and at least one other carrier as a non-anchor carrier, the anchor carrier and the at least one non-anchor carrier compatible with Long Term Evolution (LTE) carrier aggregation operations; and

for each carrier;

determine a location of a UA specific search space including one or more control channel candidates for the carrier based on a linear congruential random number and a carrier index of the carrier, wherein each control channel candidate comprises at least one control channel element (CCE); and

transmit at least one of an uplink grant or a downlink grant to a UA using at least one of the control channel candidates.

7. The access device of claim 6, wherein the linear congruential random number is based on the carrier index.

8. A method for processing a control channel at a user agent (UA) within a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

identifying one carrier as an anchor carrier and at least one other carrier as a non-anchor carrier, the anchor carrier and the at least one non-anchor carrier compatible with Long Term Evolution (LTE) carrier aggregation operations;

for each carrier;

determining a location of a UA specific search space including one or more control channel candidates for the carrier based on a linear congruential random number and a carrier index of the carrier, wherein each control channel candidate comprises at least one control channel element (CCE); and

attempting to decode each of the control channel candidates in the UA specific search space to identify at least one of an uplink or a downlink grant associated with the carrier.

9. An apparatus for processing a control channel at a user agent (UA) within a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a linear congruential random number generator; and

a processor that is programmed to perform the steps of;

identifying one carrier as an anchor carrier and at least one other carrier as a non-anchor carrier, the anchor carrier and the at least one non-anchor carrier compatible with Long Term Evolution (LTE) carrier aggregation operations; and

for each carrier;

determining a location of a UA specific search space including one or more control channel candidates for the carrier based on a carrier index of the carrier and a linear congruential random number generated by the linear congruential random number generator, wherein each control channel candidate comprises at least one control channel element (CCE); and

attempting to decode each of the control channel candidates in the UA specific search space to identify at least one of an uplink or a downlink grant associated with the carrier.