Dynamic partitioned resource allocation in 5g networks

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to dynamic partition resource allocation in 5G networks. Disclosed herein are apparatuses, systems, and methods that use or implement dynamic resource allocation (DRA) for resources for machine-type communication (MTC) as sub-partitions within a system bandwidth. Allocations outside of the sub-partitions are configured as primary partitions for communications other than MTC. When DRA configuration information includes allocation information for the sub-partitions and the apparatus is configured for MTC, the apparatus can perform MTC communications in the sub-partitions. Additionally, if the apparatus is other than MTC, the apparatus can refrain from performing communications in the sub-partitions. Other embodiments are also described.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with international application number PCT / US2015 / 065770, international application date of December 15, 2015, entered the Chinese national phase on November 24, 2017, Chinese national application number 201580080384.5, and invention title "Dynamic Partition Resource Allocation in 5G Network".

[0002] Priority Statement

[0003] This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 184,435, filed June 25, 2015, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD ONDYNAMIC RESOURCE ALLOCATION OF PARTITIONS FOR 5G,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0004] The embodiments relate to wireless communications. Some embodiments relate to cellular communication networks including 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) networks, 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution) networks, and 3GPP LTE-A (LTE Advanced) networks, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. Some embodiments relate to 5G communications. Some embodiments relate to machine-type communications (MTC). Some embodiments relate to bandwidth partitioning between MTC and other types of communications. Background Technology

[0005] In recent years, machine-type communication (MTC) has become increasingly important, and the number of MTC devices has increased significantly. Some of these MTC devices are mission-critical and require highly reliable connectivity to support public safety applications or other applications. However, it is expected that MTC devices will communicate with infrequent, small burst transmissions, and other non-MTC devices should be able to utilize as much bandwidth as possible without interfering with MTC operation in order to provide wireless users with the desired data rate levels. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 This is a functional diagram of a 3GPP network based on some embodiments;

[0007] Figure 2 A design framework for 3GPP LTE fifth-generation flexible radio access technology (RAT) according to some embodiments is shown;

[0008] Figure 3A and 3BDynamic Resource Allocation (DRA) for Massive Machine-Type Communication (MTC) applications is illustrated according to some embodiments;

[0009] Figure 4 The configuration of resource allocation for partitions according to some carrier aggregation (CA) embodiments is shown;

[0010] Figures 5A-5C The multiplexing mechanism of the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) according to some embodiments is illustrated;

[0011] Figure 6A and 6B The diagram illustrates a self-contained resource mapping between the PDCCH and the sub-partition according to some embodiments;

[0012] Figure 7A and 7B The downlink control information (DCI) format structure according to some embodiments is shown;

[0013] Figure 8 The operation of a method for generating a dedicated control channel according to some embodiments is shown;

[0014] Figure 9 Resource mappings of dedicated control channels according to various embodiments are shown;

[0015] Figures 10A-10C Resource mappings of data and reference symbols according to various embodiments are shown;

[0016] Figure 11 Resource mappings of dedicated control channels according to various embodiments are shown;

[0017] Figure 12 This is a functional diagram of a user equipment (UE) according to some embodiments;

[0018] Figure 13 This is a functional diagram of an evolved Node B (eNB) according to some embodiments; and

[0019] Figure 14 It is a component of a machine, according to some example embodiments, capable of reading instructions from a machine-readable medium and performing any one or more methods discussed in accordance with some aspects of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The following description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to implement them. Other embodiments may include structural, logical, electronic, procedural, and other changes. Parts and features of some embodiments may be incorporated into or replaced by parts and features of other embodiments. The embodiments set forth in the claims cover all available equivalents of these claims.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a functional schematic diagram of a 3GPP network according to some embodiments. The network includes a radio access network (RAN) 100 (e.g., E-UTRAN or Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network as shown) and a core network 120 (e.g., Evolved Packet Core (EPC) as shown) coupled together via an S1 interface 115. For convenience and simplicity, only a portion of RAN 100 and core network 120 is shown.

[0022] The core network 120 includes a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 122, a Serving Gateway (Serving GW) 124, and a Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN GW) 126. The RAN 100 includes an evolved Node B (eNB) 140 for communicating with User Equipment (UE) 102 (which can function as a base station). The eNB 104 may include macro eNBs and low-power (LP) eNBs. According to some embodiments, the eNB 104 can receive uplink data packets from UE 102 over a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection between the eNB 104 and UE 102. The eNB 104 can send an RRC connection release message to UE 102 to indicate a transition of UE 102 to an RRC idle mode for the RRC connection. The eNB 104 can also receive additional uplink data packets based on stored context information.

[0023] MME 122 manages mobility aspects of access such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. Serving GW 124 terminates the interface toward RAN 10 and routes data packets between RAN 100 and core network 120. Additionally, Serving GW 124 can serve as a local mobility anchor for inter-eNB handover and can also provide anchoring for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities may include lawful interception, charging, and some policy enforcement. Serving GW 124 and MME 122 can be implemented in a single physical node or in separate physical nodes. PDN GW 126 terminates the SGi interface toward the Packet Data Network (PDN). PDN GW 126 routes data packets between EPC 120 and external PDN and can be a key node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. PDN GW 126 can also provide an anchor for mobility for non-LTE access. The external PDN can be any type of IP network and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) domain. The PDN GW126 and service GW 124 can be implemented in a single physical node or in separate physical nodes. Alternatively, the MME 122 and service GW 124 can be condensed into a single physical node, in which case messages will be transmitted with one less hop.

[0024] The eNB 104 (both macro and micro eNBs) terminates the air interface protocol and can be the first point of contact for the UE 102. In some embodiments, the eNB 104 can perform various logical functions of the RAN 100, including but not limited to RNC (Radio Network Controller) functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management. According to embodiments, the UE 102 can be configured to transmit Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communication signals with the eNB 104 on a multi-carrier communication channel using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) communication technology. The OFDM signals may include multiple orthogonal subcarriers.

[0025] S1 interface 115 separates RAN 100 and EPC 120. S1 interface 115 is divided into two parts: S1-U, which transports traffic data between eNB 104 and serving GW 124; and S1-MME, which serves as the signaling interface between eNB 104 and MME 122. The X2 interface is the interface between eNBs 104. The X2 interface consists of two parts: X2-C and X2-U. X2-C is the control plane interface between eNBs 104, and X2-U is the user plane interface between eNBs 104.

[0026] For cellular networks, LP cells are generally used to extend coverage to indoor areas where outdoor signals are not well-reached, or to increase network capacity in areas with very high telephone usage (e.g., train stations). The term "low-power (LP) eNB," as used herein, refers to any suitable, relatively low-power eNB used to implement narrower cells (narrower than macrocells), such as femtocells, picocells, or microcells. Femtocell eNBs are typically provided by mobile network operators to their residential or business customers. A femtocell is generally the size of a residential gateway or smaller and is usually connected to the user's broadband line. Once inserted, a femtocell connects to the mobile operator's mobile network and typically provides additional coverage to the residential femtocell within a range of 30 to 50 meters. Therefore, an LP eNB can be a femtocell eNB because it is coupled via a PDN GW 126. Similarly, a picocell is a wireless communication system that generally covers a small area (e.g., in buildings (offices, shopping malls, train stations, etc.) or, more recently, in aircraft). A pico cell eNB can typically connect to another eNB, such as a macro eNB, via an X2 link through its Base Station Controller (BSC) functionality. Therefore, an LP eNB can utilize a pico eNB because it is coupled to a macro eNB via an X2 interface. A pico cell eNB, or other LP eNB, can contain some or all of the functionality of a macro eNB. In some cases, this can be referred to as an access point base station or an enterprise femtocell.

[0027] In some embodiments, a downlink resource grid can be used for downlink transmissions from eNB 104 to UE 102, while uplink transmissions from UE 102 to eNB 104 can utilize a similar technique. The grid can be a time-frequency grid, referred to as a resource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which represents the physical resources in each time slot of the downlink. This time-frequency plane representation is a convention in OFDM systems, making radio resource allocation more intuitive. Each column and row of the resource grid corresponds to one OFDM symbol and one OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domain corresponds to one time slot in a radio frame. The network frame structure and specific frame information (e.g., frame number) can depend on the radio access technology (RAT) used by the UE to connect to the network. For example, communication on an LTE network can be divided into 10ms frames, each frame containing 10 1ms subframes. Each subframe in the frame can then contain two 0.5ms time slots.

[0028] The smallest time-frequency unit in a resource grid is represented as a resource element (RE). Each resource grid comprises multiple resource blocks (RBs), which describe the mapping from a specific physical channel to resource elements. Each resource block contains a set of resource elements and can represent the minimum amount of resources currently available for allocation in the frequency domain. Several different physical downlink channels exist that use such resource blocks for transmission.

[0029] The Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) delivers user data and higher-layer signaling to UE 102. The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) delivers information about resource allocation and transmission formats related to the PDSCH channel, as well as other information.

[0030] In some embodiments, UE 102 can be configured to operate according to Machine-Type Communication (MTC) or Internet of Things (IoT) modes or protocols. As part of such operation, UE 102 can exchange small amounts of data with eNB 104 (or other devices) at a relatively infrequent frequency. For example, data blocks comprising 100 bytes or less can be sent to eNB 104 at a frequency of less than once per minute. However, the block size is not limited to 100 bytes, as other block sizes such as 20, 50, 200, 1000, or other numbers of bytes can be used in some cases. The transmission frequency is not limited to less than once per minute, as other frequencies such as once per second, once every ten seconds, once every two minutes, once every ten minutes, once per hour, once per day, or once for other durations can also be used in some cases.

[0031] There has been a growing trend towards the use of MTC devices. Support for MTC is expected to be a key feature of 3GPP 5G systems and networks. MTC devices used in many applications will require low power consumption and are expected to communicate with infrequent, small bursts of data. Some MTC devices implement mission-critical applications (e.g., in public safety), thus requiring highly reliable connectivity with guaranteed low latency, service availability, and reliability. Additionally, non-MTC devices typically expect very high data rates, which is a driver for the network deployment and evolution of 5G systems.

[0032] To address these and other concerns, a structure for flexible RATs (e.g., xRATs) is proposed to define a unified framework for supporting a variety of needs, applications and services, multiple frequency bands, multiple applications / services, licensed / unlicensed frequencies, and multiple RATs.

[0033] Figure 2A design framework for a 3GPP LTE 5G xRAT according to some embodiments is illustrated. As shown, multiple RATs / sub-RATs / partitions or applications in different or identical frequency resources or bands are multiplexed in a manner of TDM, FDM, code division multiplexing (CDM), or a combination thereof. For example, a mission-critical MTC application 201 may have a short TTI in short TTI partition 201 to support low-latency utilization. Long TTIs in long TTI partition 203 can be used for large-scale MTC 202, in which a large number of MTC devices exist, but the MTC devices themselves are latency-tolerant (e.g., as mentioned above, some MTC devices may communicate only once per minute, once per hour, once per day, or even less frequently). The TTI in standard TTI partition 205 for mobile broadband application 204 is shown by comparison as being longer than TTI 201 for medium-range latency requirements (e.g., twice the length). Other partitions 207 may also exist. The embodiments described herein are not limited to... Figure 2 The partitions and TTI lengths shown are not limited to any specific number of partitions. An embodiment may include a single partition (e.g., encompassing the entire system bandwidth) or any number of partitions.

[0034] Based on the proposed xRAT framework (e.g., Figure 2 The example xRAT framework shown is advantageous for dynamically allocating resources to different partitions that can be used for different applications or services. For example, MTC usage can vary based on the time of day.

[0035] Figure 3A and 3B Dynamic Resource Allocation (DRA) for Massive Machine-Type Communication (MTC) applications is illustrated according to some embodiments. Resources or subbands can be dynamically allocated for MTC applications depending on traffic. For example, such as... Figure 3A As shown, the MTC system can be lightly loaded for a period of time (e.g., during the day), so a smaller partition 300 (e.g., a secondary partition) can be used for MTC, and the remaining bandwidth is allocated to the primary partition 302 for regular (e.g., non-MTC) communication. In contrast, as... Figure 3B As shown, during another time interval (e.g., at night), the larger subpartition 300 can be allocated to the MTC application, leaving the remaining primary partition 302 slightly smaller.

[0036] Therefore, the embodiments provide dynamic resource allocation, thereby providing sub-partitions 300 of different sizes (e.g., partitions for MTC communication) at different times to change with anticipated or observed MTC system load. For example, when a large MTC system load is anticipated or observed, the size of sub-partition 300 (e.g., in PRBs) increases. The embodiments can be used, particularly in the context of large-scale MTC, to increase the overall resource allocation for MTC applications rather than for more latency-sensitive, mission-critical MTC, but the embodiments are not limited to large-scale MTC use.

[0037] Configuration information for resource allocation for partitions

[0038] In various embodiments, the entire system bandwidth can be viewed as a candidate for partitioning into sub-partitions and primary partitions, and accordingly, UE 102 can receive (and eNB 104 can send) DRA messages for allocating sub-partitions in any portion of the entire system bandwidth. These embodiments at least provide greater flexibility in partitioning. However, this flexibility comes at the cost of greater signaling overhead, at least because no portion of the system bandwidth can be assumed to always belong to a primary partition, and signaling overhead may increase to notify UE 102 of the existence or location of sub-partitions and primary partitions.

[0039] In other embodiments, UE 102 receives configuration information from eNB 104 indicating subbands for the entire system bandwidth, and for that subband, UE 102 may receive a DRA message allocating resources of that subband to a primary partition and a secondary partition. As described above herein, in the context of the embodiments described herein, a secondary partition may include allocations for MTC, and a primary partition includes allocations for communications other than MTC. A portion of the system bandwidth other than the aforementioned subbands is allocated to the primary partition.

[0040] In addition to other mechanisms described later, UE 102 may receive configuration information in the Master Information Block (MIB), System Information Block (SIB), or Dedicated Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. eNB 104 may also indicate resource allocation for different partitions within the configured bandwidth. An example is given of a system bandwidth comprising 100 PRBs, where PRBs #0 to #24 can be allocated for Dynamic Resource Allocation (DRA) for different partitions (e.g., primary and secondary partitions), while the remaining PRBs are allocated for the primary partition. According to various embodiments, eNB 104 may use the DRA messages to dynamically adjust the resources allocated to the secondary partition within these 25 configured PRBs.

[0041] Additionally, in some embodiments, the configuration information provided in the DRA message may only include the resource allocation for the primary partition. In this case, UE 102 can decode the control channels (e.g., PDCCH, ePDCCH, xPDDCH) in the primary partition to determine the resource allocation information for the secondary partition. If UE 102 is an MTC UE, UE 102 can use the resource allocation information for the secondary partition obtained through control channel decoding to perform MTC communication in the secondary partition. These embodiments are suitable for latency-tolerant applications, such as large-scale MTC applications, at least because the MTC UE 102 in these embodiments must decode the control channels to access secondary partition resources.

[0042] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the configuration information provided in the DRA message may include, in addition to or instead of the resource allocation for the primary partition, the resource allocation for the secondary partition. At least these embodiments allow UE 102 to access the secondary partition more quickly, which is advantageous for latency-sensitive applications (e.g., mission-critical MTC such as public safety communications). At least in these embodiments, when the configuration information includes allocation information for the secondary partition, the MTC UE 102 can perform MTC communication within the secondary partition. Otherwise, if UE 102 is a UE other than an MTC UE, UE 102 can avoid performing communication in the secondary partition.

[0043] To reduce signaling overhead, resource subbands can be defined, where each resource subband includes multiple PRBs, thus eliminating the need to perform signaling on individual PRBs but only on groups of PRBs. Furthermore, the size of the resource subbands can vary depending on the system bandwidth. Table 1 shows examples of resource subband sizes. Note that other examples of resource subband sizes can be used, therefore the implementation is not limited to the subband sizes or possible system bandwidths described in Table 1.

[0044] System bandwidth or configured portion of system bandwidth Resource subband size (PRB) 10MHz 3 15MHz 4 20MHz 8

[0045] Table 1. Resource Subband Size

[0046] According to various embodiments, the eNB 104 can use various mechanisms to indicate resource allocation within the primary and secondary partitions. In one example embodiment, the eNB 104 can send a bitmap indicating resource allocation within the primary partition, secondary partition, or both. Given the system bandwidth BW and K = subband size (in PRB), the number of resource subbands NSB of a partition can be given by the following formula:

[0047] N SB =BW / K (1)

[0048] The bitmap used to express the allocation will therefore include N SBThe bits. For example, a bit has a value of "0" when the corresponding subband is allocated to a secondary partition, and a value of "1" when the corresponding subband is allocated to a primary partition. However, the embodiment is not limited to this; these bits can have opposite values ​​to represent a secondary partition or a primary partition. For example, given N SB =4, then bitmap "1101" indicates that resource subbands #0, #1, and #4 are allocated for the primary partition, while resource subband #2 is allocated for the secondary partition. Therefore, in the example shown with a 10MHz system bandwidth or a configured portion of the system bandwidth, referring to Table 1, the secondary partition will be allocated 3 PRBs (or 4 PRBs for a 15MHz system bandwidth and 8 PRBs for a 20MHz bandwidth). However, it will be understood that the embodiments are not limited to this illustrative example used to determine the size of the secondary partition or the primary partition. Additionally, in at least one embodiment, eNB 104 may send a resource subband index indicating the allocation of the partition. For example, given N... SB =4, the send bit "01" indicates that resource subband #1 is allocated for the sub-partition.

[0049] Figure 4 The diagram illustrates a configuration for resource allocation of partitions according to some carrier aggregation (CA) embodiments. In these embodiments, the allocation of partitions for component carriers (CCs) is included in signaling from, for example, eNB 104 in the primary cell (PCell). Figure 4 As shown, UE#1 obtains resource allocation information for partitions CC#0 and CC#2, while UE#2 obtains information for CC#2 and CC#3. For each UE, one or more CC indices for the DRA of a partition can be configured in a user-specific manner via dedicated RRC signaling, although the embodiments are not limited thereto.

[0050] Mechanism for indicating resource allocation in partitions

[0051] eNB 104 (or other entities) can use one or more of the various mechanisms described herein to allocate resources to partitions via signaling.

[0052] For example, as previously described herein, resource allocation for different partitions can be indicated in the MIB. After successful decoding of the MIB, UE 102 obtains the resource allocation for different partitions. In other embodiments, resource allocation for different partitions can be indicated in the SIB. At least in these embodiments, UE 102 receives updates to the DRA provided by a higher layer during the Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) modification period. Updates can be notified to UE 102 via a paging message including a SystemInfoModification flag. These embodiments are suitable when resource allocation for different partitions is updated semi-statically.

[0053] In some embodiments, resource allocation for different partitions can be indicated in the control channel (e.g., PDCCH, ePDCCH, xPDCCH, etc.). Depending on the specific multiplexing mechanism between the control channel and the shared channel, one of the different mechanisms described later herein will be used to indicate resource allocation and configuration information for DRA in the control channel.

[0054] In some embodiments, resource allocation for different partitions can be indicated in a dedicated control channel in the downlink. Because only limited information can be transmitted in a dedicated control channel, the size of the configuration information is relatively small. Therefore, the dedicated control channel can transmit configuration information for resource allocation of partitions used only for the serving cell. The design of the dedicated control channel will be described in more detail later in this document.

[0055] In some embodiments, the above mechanisms can be combined to indicate resource allocation for different partitions. In one example, eNB 104 can use a dedicated control channel to signal partial information about the partition's resource allocation, while another (e.g., non-dedicated) control channel can be used to signal the remaining information. UE 102 can first detect whether the dedicated control channel has been updated. If the information has changed, UE 102 can then decode the corresponding control channel (e.g., PDCCH, ePDCCH, xPDCCH, etc.) for detailed resource allocation of the partition.

[0056] xPDCCH design for dynamic resource allocation in partitioning

[0057] Figures 5A-5C Multiplexing mechanisms for the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) according to some embodiments are illustrated. For example... Figure 5A As shown, control channel 500 can share channel 502TDM. For example... Figure 5B As shown, control channel 500 can share channel 502FDM. (As illustrated...) Figure 5C As shown, the control channel 500 can be TDM and FDM with the shared channel (e.g., the control channel and the shared channel can be multiplexed in a hybrid mode).

[0058] In embodiments where the control channel and shared channel are multiplexed using TDM (e.g.) Figure 5A As shown in the diagram, a self-contained control channel design can be implemented to avoid conflicts between subband allocation and control channels in sub-partitions. Specifically, resources used for transmission of the self-contained control channel cannot overlap with resources used for transmission of sub-partitions.

[0059] Figure 6A and 6BThis illustrates a self-contained resource mapping of the PDCCH to the sub-partition according to some embodiments. Figure 6A In this configuration, self-contained control channels (e.g., PDCCH, ePDCCH, xPDCCH, etc.) 600 are transmitted in the central PRB within the bandwidth and span the initial OFDM symbols within a Transmission Time Interval (TTI). An example sub-partition 602 is also shown. Figure 6B In this process, self-contained control channels (e.g., PDCCH, ePDCCH, xPDCCH, etc.) 600 are distributed in the PRB of the initial OFDM symbol and avoid the sub-partition 602.

[0060] In the control channel and shared channel, FDM is used ( Figure 5B ) or mixed mode ( Figure 5C In a reused embodiment, control channels with a common search space can be used to signal configuration information for resource allocation in different partitions. Similarly, resources allocated for transmissions on control channels with a common search space (e.g., PDCCH, ePDCCH, xPDCCH, etc.) cannot overlap with resources allocated for transmissions in sub-partitions.

[0061] In these and other embodiments, a DCI format may be provided that includes at least information about the dynamic resource allocation of the primary or secondary partition. This DCI format may include other information; for example, by way of non-limiting example, the same DCI format may be used to transport dynamic DL / UL configurations or control channel common search space configurations in a TDD system.

[0062] Figure 7A and 7B The downlink control information (DCI) format structure according to some embodiments is shown. Figure 7A In this context, the bit field for dynamic resource allocation of partitions with N CCs is followed by a similar bit field for dynamic UL / DL configuration of M CCs. In contrast, in... Figure 7B In the DCI format, the bit field for UL / DL configuration and dynamic resource allocation for CC#0 is followed by the corresponding bit field for CC#1, and so on. Note that one or more CC indices for dynamic resource allocation for partition and UL / DL configuration for each UE can be signaled in a UE-specific manner via dedicated RRC signaling. Additionally, to avoid excessive blind decoding attempts, in some embodiments, zero-padding can be used to match one or more other DCI formats for the proposed DCI format. Similar design principles of the above embodiments can be extended to include additional information in the DI format, and the embodiments are not limited to those described above. Figures 7A-7B The DCI format described herein only provides DRA and dynamic UL / DL configuration.

[0063] Additionally, a Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) (e.g., DRA-RNTI) can be defined in the 3GPP LTE specifications (e.g., the 3GPP LTE 5G specifications and later versions) for the transmission of the control channel described herein, wherein the Cyclic Redundancy Code (CRC) of the control channel is scrambled using the DRA-RNTI. Therefore, UE 102 can decode the control channel using the CRC scrambled using this RNTI (e.g., DRA-RNTI). This DRA-RNTI can be predefined or configured by higher layers via MIB, SIB, dedicated RRC signaling, etc.

[0064] UE 102 can monitor control channels (e.g., PDCCH, ePDCCH, xPDCCH, etc.) in subframes specified according to periodicity parameters provided in upper-layer signaling. To control the timescale of dynamic resource allocation for different partitions, in some embodiments, the periodicity of control can be configured to include resource information for the primary or secondary partition. This timescale control also helps reduce power consumption because UE 102 will only monitor a specific subframe with a control channel that has a CRC scrambled via DRA-RNTI.

[0065] At least in these embodiments, in a TDD system, a subframe in which UE 102 will monitor a control channel with a CRC scrambled by DRA-RNTI can be defined in a downlink subframe or dedicated subframe that meets the following conditions:

[0066]

[0067] Where, n f and n s These are the radio frame number and the time slot number, respectively; N OFFSET,DRA and DRA PERIODICITY These are the subframe offset and period transmitted via the control channel with CRC scrambled by DRA-RNTI.

[0068] By way of non-limiting example, in some embodiments, the I given in Table 2 can be used as a reference. DRA To define N OFFSET,DRA and DRA PERIODICITY Additionally, the configuration index I can be configured or predefined by higher layers via MIB, SIB, or dedicated RRC signaling. DRA .

[0069]

[0070] Table 2: Period and subframe offset configuration of control channel with CRC scrambled via DRA-RNTI

[0071] In other embodiments, the period of the control channel with CRC scrambled by DRA-RNTI can be configured or predefined by a higher layer via MIB, SIB, or dedicated RRC signaling (e.g., DRA). PERIODICITY Additionally, during this configuration period, UE 102 can monitor the control channel with CRC scrambled by DRA-RNTI in a set of subframes.

[0072] For example, a subframe bitmap with parameters (e.g., “subframeBitMap”) can be transmitted by eNB 104 or other entities to signal subframes that UE 102 will monitor for a control channel with a CRC scrambled by DRA-RNTI, which can be repeated within a configured period. By way of illustrative example, the subframeBitMap can have the value “0011000011”, and the period configured in the subframe can be set to 20. In this illustrative example, the first radio frame and the second radio frame have the same subframe bitmap, and subframes #2, #3, #8, and #9 in each frame are allocated for transmission of a control channel with a CRC scrambled by DRA-RNTI. The embodiments are not limited to any particular size or configuration of the subframe bitmap or any particular period. For DRA PERIODICITY The subframeBitMap can be predefined or configured by a higher layer via MIB, SIB, or dedicated RRC signaling.

[0073] Design of a dedicated control channel for resource allocation in partitions

[0074] As described earlier in this document, it is expected that the dedicated control channel can only carry a limited amount of information. Therefore, the configuration of resource allocation for partitions provided in the dedicated control channel can include only the configuration of resource allocation for the serving cell. Figure 8 The operation of method 800 for generating a dedicated control channel is illustrated. In this example, at block 802, resource allocation (represented in bits) is provided for encoding. In block 802, the resource allocation (i.e., X bits) for a partition is block-coded. In one example, the block coding mechanism may be based on channel coding of the Control Frame Indicator (CFI) according to the current or later version of the 3GPP LTE specification (e.g., 3GPP TS36.212). In another example, the block coding mechanism may be based on Reed-Müller codes for Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) format 2.

[0075] In Operation 804, the dedicated control channel is scrambled to minimize interference. More specifically, the scrambling seed can be defined based on the physical cell ID and / or virtual cell ID and / or subframe / slot / symbol index used for transmissions on the dedicated control channel. In one example, the scrambling seed can be given by the following equation:

[0076]

[0077] Where, n s It is a time slot index. It's the community ID.

[0078] Modulation is performed at 806 (using, for example, Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) or Offset Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), but the embodiments are not limited thereto). Subsequently, in operation 808, dedicated control channel resources are mapped, as described later herein. Although in Figure 8 The example only provides resource allocation as input, but other information can be combined at the input, such as the size of the control area, the configuration of the common control channel, etc. Additionally, the period and subframes for transmission on the dedicated control channel can be configured based on the operations described earlier in this document for other control channels (e.g., non-dedicated control channels).

[0079] In at least some embodiments, a dedicated control channel is transmitted in the first symbol within the configured subframe. Assuming N is the number of modulation symbols used for the dedicated control channel, and assuming the N symbols are divided into K groups, where each group comprises M = N / K symbols or subcarriers, embodiments can employ frequency diversity by separating these K groups within the system bandwidth. For example, the frequency distance between two groups can be determined by… Given, where N SC This refers to the number of subcarriers within the system bandwidth. Furthermore, to avoid conflicts between dedicated control channel transmissions in adjacent cells, the position of these K groups in the frequency domain can be determined based on the physical layer cell identity.

[0080] Figure 9 The example method 800 is shown according to various embodiments. Figure 8 The resource mapping of the dedicated control channel generated by operation 808. Figure 9 In the example, K = 4 (e.g., there are four sets of symbols 900, 902, 904, and 906 used for the dedicated control channel). Additionally, the starting frequency position for dedicated control channel transmission can be determined based on the physical cell identifier.

[0081] It will be understood that, in order to allow UE 102 to perform proper channel estimation and coherent detection, reference symbols (RS) can be inserted in each group of transmissions used for the dedicated control channel. The RS can be based on cell-specific RS (e.g., CRS) or demodulated RS (DM-RS). Figures 10A-10C Resource mappings for data and reference symbols are shown according to various embodiments. Figures 10A-10C Various configurations using different numbers of RSs are given. For example, Figure 10A Four RS values ​​are given: 1002, 1004, 1006, and 1008. Figure 10B Gives a comparison with Figure 10A The number and grouping of different RSs (e.g., in Figure 10B The example gives 8 RS). Figure 10C Another number of RSs is shown (e.g., 6 RSs).

[0082] Alternatively, some embodiments may allow incoherent detection at UE 102. At least in these embodiments, RS may not be used or transmitted. More specifically, modulation symbols occupy all resources allocated to the dedicated control channel.

[0083] In another embodiment, a dedicated control channel is transmitted within the central PRB relative to the system bandwidth. Alternatively, the dedicated control channel can be transmitted adjacent to the PSS / SSS / PBCH. Depending on the size of the dedicated control channel's payload, the dedicated control channel can span Q symbols (e.g., 1 or 2 symbols) within a subframe.

[0084] Figure 11 Resource mappings for dedicated control channels are illustrated according to various embodiments. Figure 11 In this process, a dedicated control channel is transmitted before the PSS and SSS. Note that this can be achieved from... Figure 11 The example shown extends to other resource mapping schemes. For instance, a dedicated control channel can be sent after PSS / SSS / PBCH.

[0085] Regarding RS resource mapping, the following can be used: Figures 10A-10C The options shown are as follows. Alternatively, the UE may rely on PSS (e.g., PSS or xPSS), SSS (e.g., SSS or xSSS), and / or PBCH (e.g., PBCH or xPBCH) RS for channel estimation for the dedicated control channel. In this case, the precoder applied to the transmission of PSS / SSS and / or PBCH is the same as the precoder used for the transmission of the dedicated control channel.

[0086] apparatus for performing various embodiments

[0087] Figure 12This is a functional diagram of a user equipment (UE) 1200 according to some embodiments. The UE 1200 can be suitable for use as... Figure 1 The UE 102 is depicted in the figure. In some embodiments, the UE 1200 may include at least application circuitry 1202, baseband circuitry 1204, radio frequency (RF) circuitry 1206, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 1208, and one or more antennas 1210 coupled together as shown. In some embodiments, other circuitry or arrangements may include one or more elements and / or components of the application circuitry 1202, baseband circuitry 1204, RF circuitry 1206, and / or FEM circuitry 1208, and in some cases may also include other elements and / or components. As an example, "processing circuitry" may include one or more elements and / or components, some or all of which may be included in the application circuitry 1202 and / or baseband circuitry 1204. As another example, "transceiver circuitry" may include one or more elements and / or components, some or all of which may be included in the RF circuitry 1206 and / or FEM circuitry 1208. However, these examples are not limiting, as in some cases the processing circuitry and / or transceiver circuitry may also include other elements and / or components.

[0088] In an embodiment, the processing circuitry may configure the transceiver circuitry to receive signals from the eNB (e.g., Figure 1 The eNB (104) receives configuration information. This configuration information may indicate information about subbands of the system bandwidth for which the UE will receive DRA messages allocating resources to a primary and secondary partition. As previously described herein, the secondary partition may include allocations for MTC, and the primary partition may include allocations for purposes other than MTC. In most embodiments, portions of the system bandwidth other than the aforementioned subbands are generally allocated to the primary partition.

[0089] When the configuration information includes allocation information for the sub-partition and UE 102 is an MTC UE, the processing circuitry can configure the transceiver circuitry to perform MTC communication within the sub-partition. Alternatively, if UE 102 is a UE other than an MTC UE, the processing circuitry can configure the transceiver circuitry to avoid performing communication within the sub-partition.

[0090] The processing circuitry can configure the transceiver circuitry to receive other channels from the eNB 104, such as a downlink shared channel (e.g., PDSCH). The downlink shared channel can be coupled with a control channel (TDM). Alternatively, the downlink shared channel can also be coupled with a control channel (FDM). The processing circuitry can process the control channel and the downlink shared channel according to any method or criterion described in standards for wireless communication.

[0091] Application circuitry 1202 may include one or more application processors. For example, application circuitry 1202 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. The one or more processors may include any combination of general-purpose processors and special-purpose processors (e.g., graphics processors, application processors, etc.). The processor may be coupled to and / or include memory / storage devices, and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage devices to enable various applications and / or operating systems to run on the system.

[0092] Baseband circuit 1204 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. Baseband circuit 1204 may include one or more baseband processors and / or control logic to process baseband signals received from the receive signal path of RF circuit 1206 and generate baseband signals for the transmit signal path of RF circuit 1206. Baseband processing circuit 1204 may interface with application circuit 1202 to generate and process baseband signals and control the operation of RF circuit 1206. For example, in some embodiments, baseband circuit 1204 may include one or more other baseband processors 1204d of a second-generation (2G) baseband processor 1204a, a third-generation (3G) baseband processor 1204b, a fourth-generation (4G) baseband processor 1204c, and / or other existing, developing, or future generations (e.g., fifth-generation (5G), 6G, etc.). Baseband circuitry 1204 (e.g., one or more baseband processors 1204a-d) can control various radio control functions that enable communication with one or more radio networks via RF circuitry 1206. Radio functions may include, but are not limited to, signal modulation / demodulation, encoding / decoding, RF frequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, the modulation / demodulation circuitry of baseband circuitry 1204 may include Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), precoding, and / or constellation mapping / demapping functions. In some embodiments, the encoding / decoding circuitry of baseband circuitry 1204 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, and / or low-density parity-check (LDPC) encoder / decoder functions. Embodiments of modulation / demodulation and encoder / decoder functions are not limited to these examples, and other suitable functions may be included in other embodiments.

[0093] In some embodiments, baseband circuitry 204 may include elements of a protocol stack, such as elements of the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) protocol, including, for example, physical layer (PHY) elements, media access control (MAC) elements, radio link control (RLC) elements, packet data aggregation protocol (PDCP) elements, and / or radio resource control (RRC) elements. The central processing unit (CPU) 1204e of baseband circuitry 1204 may be configured to run elements of a protocol stack for signal transmission at the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCH, and / or RRC layers. In some embodiments, baseband circuitry may include one or more audio digital signal processors (DSPs) 1204f. One or more audio DSPs 1204f may include elements for compression / decompression and echo cancellation, and in other embodiments may include other suitable processing elements. In some embodiments, components of the baseband circuitry may be suitably integrated into a single chip, a single chipset, or may be suitably arranged on the same circuit board. In some embodiments, some or all of the constituent components of the baseband circuit 1204 and the application circuit 1202 may be implemented together on, for example, a system on a chip (SOC).

[0094] In some embodiments, baseband circuit 1204 can provide communication compatible with one or more radio technologies. For example, in some embodiments, baseband circuit 1204 can support communication with Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN) and / or other Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), and Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN). Embodiments in which baseband circuit 1204 is configured to support radio communication with more than one radio protocol may be referred to as multimode baseband circuits.

[0095] RF circuit 1206 allows communication with a wireless network via modulated electromagnetic radiation and a non-solid-state medium. In various embodiments, RF circuit 1206 may include switches, filters, amplifiers, etc., to facilitate communication with the wireless network. RF circuit 1206 may include a receive signal path that includes circuitry for down-converting RF signals received from FEM circuit 1208 and providing a baseband signal to baseband circuit 1204. RF circuit 1206 may also include a transmit signal path that includes circuitry for up-converting the baseband signal provided by baseband circuit 1204 and providing an RF output signal to FEM circuit 1208 for transmission.

[0096] In some embodiments, RF circuit 1206 may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of RF circuit 1206 may include mixer circuit 1206a, amplifier circuit 1206b, and filter circuit 1206c. The transmit signal path of RF circuit 1206 may include filter circuit 1206c and mixer circuit 1206a. RF circuit 1206 may also include synthesizer circuit 1206d for synthesizing frequencies used by mixer circuit 1206a in both the receive and transmit signal paths. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 1206a in the receive signal path may be configured to down-convert the RF signal received from FEM circuit 1208 based on the synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuit 1206d. Amplifier circuit 1206b may be configured to amplify the down-converted signal, and filter circuit 1206c may be a low-pass filter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from the down-converted signal to generate an output baseband signal. The output baseband signal can be provided to baseband circuit 1204 for further processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signal may be a zero-frequency baseband signal, but this is not required. In some embodiments, a passive mixer is used for the receiving signal path, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some embodiments, mixer circuit 1206a for the transmitting signal path can be configured to up-convert the input baseband signal based on the synthesis frequency provided by synthesizer circuit 1206d to generate an RF output signal for FEM circuit 1208. The baseband signal can be provided by baseband circuit 1204 and can be filtered by filter circuit 1206c. Filter circuit 1206c may include a low-pass filter (LPF), but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0097] In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 1206a for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 1206a for the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers, and may be arranged respectively for quadrature downconversion and / or upconversion. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 1206a for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 1206a for the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers, and may be arranged for image suppression (e.g., Hartley image suppression). In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 1206a for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 1206a for the transmit signal path may be arranged respectively for direct downconversion and / or direct upconversion. In some embodiments, the mixer circuit 1206a for the receive signal path and the mixer circuit 1206a for the transmit signal path may be configured for superheterodyne operation.

[0098] In some embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be analog baseband signals, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternative embodiments, the output baseband signal and the input baseband signal may be digital baseband signals. In these alternative embodiments, RF circuit 1206 may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry, and baseband circuit 1204 may include a digital baseband interface for communicating with RF circuit 1206. In some dual-mode embodiments, separate radio IC circuitry may be provided for each spectrum to process the signal, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.

[0099] In some embodiments, synthesizer circuit 1206d may be a fractional N-type synthesizer or a fractional N / N+1-type synthesizer, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect, as other types of frequency synthesizers are also suitable. For example, synthesizer circuit 1206d may be an incremental summation (Delta-Sigma) synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizer including a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider. Synthesizer circuit 1206d may be configured to synthesize an output frequency based on a frequency input and a frequency divider control input for use by mixer circuit 1206a of RF circuit 1206. In some embodiments, synthesizer circuit 1206d may be a fractional N / N+1-type synthesizer. In some embodiments, the frequency input may be provided by a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), but this is not required. Depending on the desired output frequency, the frequency divider control input may be provided by either baseband circuit 1204 or application processor 1202. In some embodiments, the frequency divider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a lookup table based on the channel indicated by application processor 1202.

[0100] The synthesizer circuit 1206d of the RF circuit 1206 may include a frequency divider, a delay-locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer, and a phase accumulator. In some embodiments, the frequency divider may be a dual-mode divider (DMD), and the phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal by N or N+1 (e.g., based on carry-out) to provide a fractional division ratio. In some embodiments, the DLL may include a set of cascaded tunable delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pump, and a D-type flip-flop. In these embodiments, the delay elements may be configured to split the VCO cycle into Nd equal phase packets, where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO cycle.

[0101] In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuit 1206d can be configured to generate a carrier frequency as the output frequency; however, in other embodiments, the output frequency can be a multiple of the carrier frequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrier frequency), and can be used in conjunction with a quadrature generator and a frequency divider circuit to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency that have multiple different phases relative to each other. In some embodiments, the output frequency can be the LO frequency (f LO In some embodiments, RF circuit 206 may include an IQ / polarity converter.

[0102] The FEM circuit 1208 may include a receive signal path, which may include circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or more antennas 1210, amplify the received signals, and provide the amplified version of the received signals to the RF circuit 1206 for further processing. The FEM circuit 1208 may also include a transmit signal path, which may include circuitry configured to amplify signals provided by the RF circuit 1206 for transmission by one or more of the one or more antennas 1210.

[0103] In some embodiments, FEM circuit 1208 may include a TX / RX switch for switching between transmit and receive mode operation. The FEM circuit may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path. The receive signal path of the FEM circuit may include a low-noise amplifier (LNA) to amplify the received RF signal and provide the amplified received RF signal as an output (e.g., to RF circuit 1206). The transmit signal path of FEM circuit 1208 may include a power amplifier (PA) to amplify the input RF signal (e.g., provided by RF circuit 1206), and one or more filters to generate the RF signal for subsequent transmission (e.g., to one or more antennas in one or more antennas 1210). In some embodiments, UE 1200 may include additional components such as a memory / storage device, a display, a camera, sensors, and / or input / output (I / O) interfaces.

[0104] Figure 13 This is a functional diagram of an evolved Node B (eNB) 1300 according to some embodiments. It should be noted that in some embodiments, the eNB 1300 may be a static, non-mobile device. The eNB 1300 may be suitable for use as... Figure 1The eNB 104 is depicted herein. The eNB 1300 may include physical layer circuitry 1302 and transceiver 1305, one or both of which may use one or more antennas 1301 to enable the transmission and reception of signals to and from the UE 1200, other eNBs, other UEs, or other devices. As an example, physical layer circuitry 1302 may perform various encoding and decoding functions, including forming baseband signals for transmission and decoding received signals. As another example, transceiver 1305 may perform various transmit and receive functions, such as signal conversion between baseband and radio frequency (RF) ranges. Therefore, physical layer circuitry 1302 and transceiver 1305 may be separate components or part of a combined component. Furthermore, some of the functions described herein may be performed by one, any, or a combination of components including physical layer circuitry 1302, transceiver 1305, and other components or layers. In some embodiments, transceiver 1305 can identify the load conditions of machine-type communication (MTC) in the cell served by eNB 1300. In some embodiments, transceiver 1305 can send configuration information to UE 102 indicating the size of a subband in the system bandwidth used for at least one component carrier (CC), for which UE 102 will receive a DRA message allocating resources of the subband to a primary partition and a secondary partition. The size of the secondary partition or primary partition in the subband (and other parameters) can be determined based on the load conditions of MTC in the cell served by eNB 104 or by other cells. Transceiver circuitry 1305 can send information to UE (e.g., Figure 1 UE 102) transmits a control channel occupying an initial number of OFDM symbols in a downlink subframe. By way of non-limiting example, the value of the initial number of OFDM symbols may be transmitted to the UE via signaling in one or more of the MIB or SIB, or in RRC signaling, or in PCFICH.

[0105] The eNB 1300 may also include Media Access Control (MAC) layer circuitry 1404 for controlling access to the wireless medium. The eNB 1300 may also include processing circuitry 1406 and memory 1408 arranged to perform the operations described herein. The eNB 1300 may also include one or more interfaces 1410 that enable communication with other eNBs 104 (…). Figure 1 Components in EPC 120 Figure 1 Communication with other components, including network components, is also possible. Additionally, interface 1410 can enable communication with... Figure 1 Communication with other components, including those outside the network (not shown). Interface 1410 can be wired, wireless, or a combination thereof.

[0106] Antennas 1210 and 1301 may include one or more directional or omnidirectional antennas, including, for example, dipole antennas, monopole antennas, patch antennas, loop antennas, microstrip antennas, or other types of antennas suitable for transmitting RF signals. In some multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) embodiments, antennas 1210 and 1301 may be effectively separated to take advantage of the resulting spatial diversity and different channel characteristics.

[0107] In some embodiments, the UE 1200 or eNB 1300 may be a mobile device and a portable wireless communication device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop or laptop computer with wireless communication capabilities, a network tablet, a cordless phone, a smartphone, a wireless headset, a pager, an instant messaging device, a digital camera, an access point, a television set, a wearable device such as a medical device (e.g., a heart rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, etc.), or other devices capable of wirelessly receiving and / or transmitting signals. In some embodiments, the UE 1200 or eNB 1300 may be configured to operate according to 3GPP standards, but the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some embodiments, the mobile device or other device may be configured to operate according to other protocols or standards, including IEEE 802.11 or other IEEE standards. In some embodiments, the UE 1200, eNB 1300, or other device may include a keyboard, a display, a non-volatile memory port, multiple antennas, a graphics processor, an application processor, a speaker, and one or more other mobile device elements. The display may be an LCD screen including a touchscreen.

[0108] Figure 14A block diagram of an example machine 1400 capable of performing one or more of the techniques (e.g., methods) discussed herein is shown. In alternative embodiments, machine 1400 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, machine 1400 may operate as a server machine, a client machine, or both in a server-client network environment. In one example, machine 1400 may act as a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. Machine 1400 may be a UE, eNB, MME, personal computer (PC), tablet PC, set-top box (STB), personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, smartphone, network application, network router, switch, or bridge, or any machine capable of (sequentially or otherwise) executing instructions specifying actions to be taken by that machine. Additionally, although only a single machine is shown, the term "machine" should also be understood to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or more sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein (e.g., cloud computing, Software as a Service (SaaS), other computer cluster configurations).

[0109] The examples discussed herein may include logic, or components, modules, or mechanisms, or entities that may run on such logic, components, modules, or mechanisms. A module is a tangible entity (e.g., hardware) capable of performing a specified operation and that can be configured or arranged in a certain way. In the examples, circuitry may be arranged as a module in a specified way (e.g., within or relative to external entities such as other circuitry). In the examples, all or part of one or more computer systems (e.g., standalone client or server computer systems) or one or more hardware processors may be configured by firmware or software (e.g., instructions, application portions, or applications) to operate to perform the specified operation. In one example, the software may reside on a machine-readable medium. In one example, the software, when executed by the underlying hardware of the module, causes the hardware to perform the specified operation.

[0110] Therefore, the term "module" will be understood to cover part or all of a tangible entity (which may be a physically constructed entity) that is specifically configured (e.g., hardwired) or temporarily (i.e., provisionally) configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a specified manner or perform any of the operations described herein. Consider examples of modules that are provisionally configured, where each module does not need to be instantiated at any given time. For example, in the case where these modules include a general-purpose hardware processor configured using software, the general-purpose hardware processor can be configured as a different module at different times. The software can accordingly configure the hardware processor to, for example, constitute a particular module at one time instance and a different module at another time instance.

[0111] Machine (e.g., computer system) 1400 may include a hardware processor 1402 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), main memory 1401, and static memory 1406, some or all of which may communicate with each other via interconnection (e.g., bus) 1408. Machine 1400 may also include a display unit 1410, an alphanumeric input device 1412 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 1414 (e.g., a mouse). In one example, the display unit 1410, the input device 1412, and the UI navigation device 1414 may be a touchscreen display. Machine 1400 may also include a storage device (e.g., a drive unit) 1416, a signal generation device 1418 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 1420, and one or more sensors 1421 (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensors). Machine 1400 may include output controller 1428, for example, to communicate or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., printer, card reader, etc.) via serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB)), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connections.

[0112] Storage device 1416 may include machine-readable medium 1422 on which one or more sets of data structures or instructions 1424 (e.g., software) embody or be utilized by one or more technologies or functions described herein. Instructions 1424 may also reside wholly or at least partially within main memory 1404, static memory 1406, or hardware processor 1402 during execution by machine 1400. In one example, one or any combination of hardware processor 1402, main memory 1404, static memory 1406, or storage device 1416 may constitute the machine-readable medium.

[0113] Although machine-readable medium 1422 is shown as a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" can include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 1424. When machine 1400 operates as a UE, machine-readable medium 1422 can: instruct one or more processors of the UE to access the eNB (e.g., Figure 1The eNB 104 receives configuration information indicating the size (in physical resource blocks (PRBs)) and location of the subband within the system bandwidth. This configuration information is taken into account when dynamically allocating resources (DRA) of the subband to a sub-partition configured to support machine-type communication (MTC). The portion of the subband outside the sub-partition is allocated to the primary partition for communication other than MTC. When the configuration information includes allocation information for the sub-partition and the UE is an MTC UE, MTC communication is performed within the sub-partition; otherwise, when the UE is a UE other than an MTC UE, communication is avoided in the sub-partition.

[0114] The term "machine-readable medium" can include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions executable by machine 1400 and causing machine 1400 to perform any one or more of the techniques of this disclosure, or a medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable media can include solid-state memory, as well as optical and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine-readable media can include: non-volatile memory (e.g., semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) and flash memory devices), magnetic disks (e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks), magneto-optical disks, random access memory (RAM), and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. In some examples, machine-readable media can include non-transitory machine-readable media. In some examples, machine-readable media can include machine-readable media that are not transient propagating signals.

[0115] It is also possible to use any of several transport protocols (e.g., frame delay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.) to send or receive instructions 1424 on the communication network 1426 via the network interface device 1420 using the transport medium. Example communication networks may include local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), packet data networks (e.g., the Internet), mobile phone networks (e.g., cellular networks), conventional telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., referred to as wireless networks). The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards, known as The network interface device 1420 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or telephone jacks) or one or more antennas to connect to the communication network 1426. In some examples, the network interface device 1420 may include multiple antennas to perform wireless communication using at least one of single-input multiple-output (SIMO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), or multiple-input single-output (MISO) technologies. In some examples, the network interface device 1420 may use multi-user MIMO technology for wireless communication. The term "transmission medium" will be considered to include any intangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by machine 1400, and includes digital or analog communication signals or other intangible media that facilitate communication of such software.

[0116] To better illustrate the apparatuses, systems, and methods disclosed herein, a non-limiting list of examples is provided below:

[0117] In Example 1, an apparatus for a user equipment (UE) includes transceiver circuitry and hardware processing circuitry, the hardware processing circuitry configuring the transceiver circuitry to: receive configuration information from an evolved Node B (eNB), the configuration information indicating information about subbands for the system bandwidth; the UE receives a Dynamic Resource Allocation (DRA) message for allocating resources of the subband to a primary partition and a secondary partition, the secondary partition including allocations for a first communication type, the primary partition including allocations for a second communication type, and wherein a portion of the system bandwidth other than the subbands is allocated to the primary partition; and when the configuration information includes allocation information for the secondary partition and the UE is configured for the first communication type, perform communication of the first communication type within the secondary partition.

[0118] In Example 2, the subject of Example 1 may optionally include, wherein the first communication type is machine-type communication and the second communication type is communication other than MTC.

[0119] In Example 3, the subject matter of Example 2 may optionally include, wherein the hardware processing circuitry also configures the transceiver circuitry to: avoid performing communication in the sub-partition when the UE is a UE other than MTC; and decode the control channel in the primary partition to determine the resource allocation information of the sub-partition, and perform MTC communication in the sub-partition using the resource allocation information of the sub-partition when the UE is an MTC UE, wherein there is no resource allocation information for the configuration information of the subband.

[0120] In Example 4, the subject matter of any of Examples 1-2 may optionally include, wherein the hardware processing circuitry is further configured to decode the control channel using a cyclic redundancy code (CRC) scrambled with a DRA-specific radio network temporary identifier (DRA-RNTI).

[0121] In Example 5, the subject matter of any of Examples 1-4 may optionally include, wherein the hardware processing circuitry is configured to monitor the control channel in a subframe specified according to periodic parameters provided in the upper-layer signaling.

[0122] In Example 6, the subject of any of Examples 1-5 may optionally be included, wherein configuration information is received in the System Information Block (SIB).

[0123] In Example 7, the subject of Example 6 may optionally include, wherein the hardware processing circuitry also configures the transceiver circuitry to receive updates of the DRA during the Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) modification period.

[0124] In Example 8, the subject of any of Examples 1-7 may optionally include, wherein configuration information is received in UE-specific Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[0125] In Example 9, the subject of any of Examples 1-8 may optionally be included, wherein configuration information is received in the Master Information Block (MIB).

[0126] In Example 10, the subject of any of Examples 1-9 may optionally include, wherein the UE receives a DRA message for allocating a sub-partition in any portion of the entire system bandwidth.

[0127] In Example 11, the subject matter of any of Examples 1-10 may optionally include, wherein the hardware processing circuitry also configures the transceiver circuitry to: receive allocation information that allocates at least one set of physical resource blocks (PRBs) within a subband to the sub-partition.

[0128] In Example 12, the subject matter of any one of Examples 1-11 may optionally include, wherein the hardware processing circuitry also configures the transceiver circuitry to: receive a downlink shared channel of time division multiplexing (TDM) or frequency division multiplexing (FDM) with the control channel, wherein the control channel includes at least the initial orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol of the subframe, and wherein the control channel is outside the sub-partition; and process the downlink shared channel to receive data other than MTC data.

[0129] In Example 13, the subject of any of Examples 1-12 may optionally include, wherein the configuration information includes configuration information for partitions of multiple component carriers (CCs).

[0130] In Example 14, a machine-readable medium stores instructions that are executable by one or more processors to perform operations for communication by a user equipment (UE). The operations configure one or more processors to: receive configuration information from an evolved Node B (eNB) indicating the size and location of a subband in the system bandwidth in terms of physical resource blocks (PRBs); to take into account the configuration information when dynamically allocating resources (DRA) of the subband to a sub-segment configured to support machine-type communication (MTC); to allocate portions of the subband outside the sub-segment to a primary partition for communication other than MTC; and to perform MTC communication within the sub-segment when the configuration information includes allocation information for the sub-segment and the UE is an MTC UE, and to avoid performing communication in the sub-segment if the UE is a non-MTC UE.

[0131] In Example 15, the subject matter of Example 14 may optionally include, wherein the operation further configures one or more processors to: receive allocation information for allocating at least one set of PRBs within a subband to a sub-partition, wherein the set of PRBs includes a number of PRBs limited by the size of the system bandwidth.

[0132] In Example 16, the subject matter of Example 15 may optionally include, wherein the operation further configures one or more processors to: receive allocation information for multiple groups of PRBs within a subband, wherein the number of groups in the multiple groups is based on the size of the system bandwidth and the number of PRBs in each group, and wherein the allocation information includes a bitmap indicating which groups in the multiple groups are allocated to the sub-partition and which groups in the multiple groups are allocated to the primary partition.

[0133] In Example 17, the subject matter of any one of Examples 14-16 may optionally include, wherein: the configuration information does not include identification information for the resource allocation of the sub-partition, and the operation also configures one or more processors to decode the control channel in the primary partition to determine the resource allocation information of the sub-partition, and to perform MTC communication in the sub-partition using the resource allocation information of the sub-partition when the UE is an MTC UE.

[0134] In Example 18, the subject matter of any one of Examples 14-17 may optionally include, wherein the hardware processing circuitry also configures the transceiver circuitry to: receive a downlink shared channel for time division multiplexing (TDM) of the control channel, wherein the control channel includes at least the initial orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols of the subframe, and wherein the control channel includes a dedicated control channel for providing resource allocation to the primary and secondary partitions; and process the downlink shared channel and the dedicated control channel.

[0135] Example 19 includes an apparatus for an evolved Node B (eNB), the apparatus including hardware processing circuitry and transceiver circuitry, the hardware processing circuitry configuring the transceiver circuitry to: identify machine-type communication (MTC) load conditions in a cell served by the eNB; send configuration information to a user equipment (UE) indicating the size of a subband of system bandwidth for at least one component carrier (CC), the UE receiving a Dynamic Resource Allocation (DRA) message for allocating resources of the subband to a primary partition and a secondary partition, the secondary partition including allocations for MTC, the primary partition including allocations for communications other than MTC, and wherein a portion of the system bandwidth other than the subband is allocated to the primary partition, the size of which is determined based on the load conditions for MTC in the cell; send control channels to the UE at least in the primary partition; and send data to MTC UEs in the secondary partition and to non-MTC UEs in the primary partition.

[0136] In Example 20, the subject of Example 19 may optionally include, wherein the configuration information further includes resource allocation information for the primary partition, the configuration information does not include resource allocation information for the secondary partition, and the hardware processing circuitry is further configured to send a control channel in the primary partition, wherein the control channel includes allocation information for the secondary partition.

[0137] In Example 21, the subject matter of any of Examples 19-20 may optionally include, wherein the hardware processing circuitry is configured to detect the load conditions of the MTC; and in response to detecting a change in the load conditions, the transceiver circuitry is configured to transmit configuration information that modifies the size of the subband.

[0138] In Example 22, the subject of any of Examples 19-21 may optionally include, wherein configuration information is sent in the System Information Block (SIB).

[0139] In Example 23, the subject of Example 22 may optionally include, wherein the hardware processing circuitry also configures the transceiver circuitry to send updates to the DRA during the Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) modification period.

[0140] In Example 24, the subject of any of Examples 19-23 may optionally include, wherein configuration information is sent in UE-specific Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling.

[0141] In Example 25, the subject of any of Examples 19-24 may optionally include, wherein configuration information is sent in the Master Information Block (MIB).

[0142] The accompanying drawings and the foregoing description provide examples of this disclosure. Although depicted as multiple distinct functional items, those skilled in the art will understand that one or more of these elements can be readily combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be divided into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. For example, the order of processes described herein may be altered and is not limited to the manner described herein. Moreover, the actions of any flowchart need not be performed in the order shown; and not all actions are required to be performed. Additionally, actions independent of other actions may be performed in parallel with other actions. However, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to these specific examples. Various variations (whether or not explicitly given in the specification) such as differences in structure, size, and materials used are possible. The scope of this disclosure is at least as broad as given by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising: by a base station: transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), configuration information indicating a configuration of a plurality of frequency partitions of a system bandwidth, wherein the plurality of frequency partitions includes a primary partition and a secondary partition, wherein the primary partition includes a first allocation of one or more first resources and the secondary partition includes a second allocation of one or more second resources; transmitting, to the UE, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration for monitoring of PDCCHs, wherein the PDCCH configuration includes a parameter indicating a periodicity and an offset in time for monitoring of PDCCHs by the UE; and transmitting, to the UE, a PDCCH in the primary partition, wherein the PDCCH is time-division multiplexed and frequency-division multiplexed with a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information indicates a size of a sub-band of the system bandwidth for at least one component carrier, the size being determined based on a loading condition in a cell served by the base station, wherein a portion of the system bandwidth outside the sub-band is allocated to the primary partition, wherein the configuration information includes resource allocation information of the primary partition, wherein the configuration information does not include resource allocation information of the secondary partition, wherein the PDCCH includes allocation information of the secondary partition.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising: detecting a change in the loading condition; and transmitting, in response to detecting the change in the loading condition, configuration information modifying the size of the sub-band.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter indicates the periodicity by indicating a row in a configuration table.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is transmitted in UE-specific radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information is transmitted in a master information block (MIB).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes configuration information of partitions for a plurality of component carriers (CCs).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter specifies one or more subframes for PDCCH monitoring by the UE.

9. A method for wireless communication, comprising: by a user equipment (UE) device: receiving, from a base station, configuration information, wherein the configuration information indicates a configuration of a plurality of frequency partitions of a system bandwidth, wherein the plurality of frequency partitions includes a primary partition and a secondary partition, wherein the primary partition includes a first allocation of one or more first resources and the secondary partition includes a second allocation of one or more second resources; receiving, from the base station, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration, wherein the PDCCH configuration includes a parameter indicating a periodicity and an offset in time for monitoring of PDCCHs by the UE device; monitoring the PDCCHs according to the periodicity and the offset in time; and ​ ​ receiving the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) in the primary partition, wherein the PDCCH is time division multiplexed and frequency division multiplexed with a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the PDCCH includes resource allocation information for the secondary partition, wherein the method further comprises: performing communications with the base station in the secondary partition using the resource allocation information for the secondary partition, wherein the configuration information does not include resource allocation information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the parameter indicates the periodicity by indicating a row in a configuration table.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuration information is received in UE-specific radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising: decoding the PDCCH with a cyclic redundancy code (CRC) scrambled by a dynamic resource allocation-specific radio network temporary identifier (DRA-RNTI).

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising: monitoring the PDCCH in one or more subframes designated according to the parameter.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the configuration information includes configuration information for partitions of multiple component carriers (CCs).

16. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: at least one processor configured to cause a base station to perform the method of any of claims 1-8.

17. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: at least one processor configured to cause a user equipment (UE) device to perform the method of any of claims 9-15.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising: a radio transceiver coupled to the at least one processor; and one or more antennas coupled to the radio transceiver.

19. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising computer instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a base station to perform the steps of the method of any of claims 1-8.

20. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising computer instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a user equipment (UE) to perform the steps of the method of any of claims 9-15.

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