Control indicator for power saving in mobile wireless communication devices

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to control indicators for power saving in mobile wireless communication devices. The present disclosure provides a wireless communication device (UE) that can receive control indicator information (CII) indicating whether one or more candidate physical control channels (PCCs) are available for the UE to decode. If the CII indicates that the one or more candidate PCCs are available, the UE can perform a corresponding blind decoding to decode a corresponding PCC intended for the UE. The UE can receive the CII in the same time slot as the PCC is transmitted, or can receive the CII in another time slot, which can be a narrowband time slot. The UE can receive the PCC in the same time slot as a corresponding physical data channel (PDC) is transmitted, or can receive the PCC in another time slot, such as the time slot immediately preceding the time slot in which the corresponding PDC is transmitted. By eliminating unnecessary blind decodings and receiving the CII on a narrowband, the power consumption of the UE can be greatly reduced.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of PCT International Application No. 201880014900.8, filed on February 28, 2018, entitled "Control Indicator for Power Saving in Mobile Wireless Communication Devices," which has entered the Chinese national phase. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to wireless communication and wireless communication devices, and more specifically, to the use of power-saving control indicators in wireless communication devices during, for example, 5G New Radio (5G-NR) communication. Background Technology

[0003] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone calls, many mobile devices now offer access to the internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and can operate complex applications that utilize these capabilities.

[0004] Long Term Evolution (LTE) has become the technology of choice for most wireless network operators worldwide, providing their user base with mobile broadband data and high-speed internet access. LTE defines multiple downlink (DL) physical channels, classified as transport or control channels, to carry blocks of information received from the MAC layer and higher layers. LTE also defines three physical layer channels for uplink (UL).

[0005] The Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) is a DL transport channel that is a primary data bearer channel allocated to users on a dynamic and opportunistic basis. The PDSCH carries data in transport blocks (TBs) corresponding to Media Access Control Protocol Data Units (MAC PDUs), which are passed from the MAC layer to the physical (PHY) layer once every transmission time interval (TTI). The PDSCH is also used to transmit broadcast information such as System Information Blocks (SIBs) and paging messages.

[0006] The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) is a DL control channel that carries the UE's resource allocation contained in the Downlink Control Information (DCI) message. Multiple PDCCHs can be transmitted in the same subframe using Control Channel Elements (CCEs), each consisting of nine groups of four resource elements called Resource Element Groups (REGs). The PDCCH uses Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) modulation, where four QPSK symbols are mapped to each REG. Furthermore, depending on channel conditions, 1, 2, 4, or 8 CCEs can be used for the UE to ensure sufficient robustness.

[0007] The Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) is a UL channel shared by all devices (User Equipment) in a radio cell to transmit user data to the network. Scheduling of all UEs is under the control of the LTE base station (Enhanced Node B or eNB). The eNB uses an uplink scheduling grant (DCI format 0) to inform the UE of resource block (RB) allocations and the modulation and coding schemes to be used. The PUSCH typically supports QPSK and Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). In addition to user data, the PUSCH also carries any control information required for decoding, such as transport format indicators and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) parameters. Control data is multiplexed with information data before the Digital Fourier Transform (DFT) expansion.

[0008] The Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH) is the DL control channel carrying Control Format Indicators (CFI), which includes the number (typically 1, 2, or 3) of Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols used for control channel transmission in each subframe. The 32-bit CFI is mapped to 16 resource elements in the first OFDM symbol of each downlink frame using QPSK modulation.

[0009] Therefore, as mentioned above, during data communication via LTE, DL uses the Physical Channel PDSCH, while UL uses the UL Channel PUSCH. Also as mentioned above, in addition to some MAC control and system information, both channels also transmit data transport blocks. To support the transmission of DL and UL transport channels, downlink shared channel (DLSCH) and uplink shared channel (UL-SCH) control signaling are required. This control information is transmitted in the PDCCH and contains DL resource allocation and UL grant information. The PDCCH is transmitted at the beginning of each subframe in the first OFDM symbol. Depending on the robustness level required by the NW and the PDCCH system capacity (the number of users simultaneously serving in the TTI), the PDCCH will be transmitted in the first 1, 2, 3, or 4 OFDM symbols of the subframe. The number of OFDM symbols used in the PDCCH is signaled in the PCFICH. To improve the operation of range-constrained devices and / or devices operating in weak coverage areas, blind decoding of the PDCCH has been developed as a possible mechanism to mitigate the negative impact of poor PCFICH reception.

[0010] The next telecommunications standard proposed to surpass the current International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) standard is called 5G mobile network or 5G radio system, or simply 5G (for 5G New Radio, it is also called 5G-NR, or simply NR). Compared to the current LTE standard, 5G-NR offers higher capacity for higher density mobile broadband users, while supporting ultra-reliable and massive machine-type communication between devices, as well as lower latency and lower battery consumption. Therefore, ongoing development of 5G-NR is underway to reduce blind decoding attempts by mobile devices, thereby achieving additional power savings. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The embodiments described herein relate to user equipment (UE), base stations and / or relay stations, and associated methods for providing control indicators to wireless communication devices to achieve power savings during wireless communication, such as during 5G-NR (NR) wireless communication and transmission.

[0012] In some implementations, an indication indicating the presence of a PDCCH for a UE can be transmitted to the UE (e.g., via a base station or gNB), allowing unscheduled UEs to avoid performing unnecessary blind decoding. Depending on the design, the indication can be transmitted per UE or per group. If the indication is transmitted per UE, each UE in the cell receives one indication indicating the presence of a PDCCH for that UE. All unscheduled UEs that correctly decode the indication information avoid unnecessary blind decoding. If the indication is transmitted per group (group size of at least two UEs), all UEs in the group can perform blind decoding when they receive an indication indicating the presence of a PDCCH for the group. In the case of a group-based indication, there may be UEs that have not received a PDCCH but have still received the indication. If the indication indicates that there is no PDCCH for the group, the UEs in the group can stop decoding and enter a sleep state for the remaining duration of that time slot. The group size and the number of groups can be configurable.

[0013] As described above, in some implementations, UEs can be organized into groups (e.g., via a gNB) to indicate the presence or availability of a PDCCH for each group. When a PDCCH is scheduled for any UE in a group, the gNB can indicate the presence or availability of the PDCCH to the group of UEs. The size and number of groups can be configurable.

[0014] Several options exist for the physical channel structure carrying control indicator information. For example, one or more existing PDCCH structures can be reused. The control indicator information can be transmitted via an existing PDCCH in a common control search space monitored by all UEs. Another option is to use an existing group common PDCCH. The control indicator information can be carried in the group common PDCCH to carry common information for the UE group. Since the group common PDCCH is transmitted in the first OFDM symbol (e.g., in the first time slot), it may be effective in preventing the UE from performing further processing. Yet another option includes specifying a new physical channel for transmitting control indicator information.

[0015] Based on the timing of the control indicator information and NR-PDCCH relative to each other, and the timing of NR-PDCCH and NR-PDSCH relative to each other, the transmission of control indicator information can be performed according to multiple different scenarios. In some implementations, the control indicator information and NR-PDCCH can be transmitted in the same time slot, while NR-PDCCH and NR-PDSCH are transmitted according to a same-slot schedule. In some other implementations, the control indicator information and NR-PDCCH can be transmitted in the same time slot, while NR-PDCCH and NR-PDSCH are transmitted according to a cross-slot schedule. In other implementations, the control indicator information and NR-PDCCH can be transmitted in different time slots, while NR-PDCCH and NR-PDSCH are transmitted according to a same-slot schedule. Finally, the control indicator information and NR-PDCCH can be transmitted in different time slots, while NR-PDCCH and NR-PDSCH are transmitted according to a cross-slot schedule.

[0016] As described above, a wireless communication device (UE) can achieve considerable power savings during wireless communication. As part of the wireless communication, the UE may receive control indicator information indicating whether one or more candidate physical control channels are available for decoding. If the control indicator information received by the UE indicates that a candidate physical control channel is available, the UE may perform blind decoding on the candidate physical control channel to detect the appropriate physical control channel intended for use by the UE. If the control indicator information received by the UE indicates that no candidate physical control channel is available for decoding, the UE does not perform blind decoding and may enter a sleep state until the next time slot when the UE can be rescheduled.

[0017] The UE can receive control indicator information in a time slot other than the corresponding time slot for transmitting the physical control channel. In this case, the time slot for receiving control indicator information can be a narrowband time slot to achieve further power savings. Alternatively, the UE can receive control indicator information in the same time slot for transmitting the physical control channel. Typically, the UE can receive control indicator information through a channel that also includes other information, or through a channel dedicated to carrying control indicator information. The dedicated channel for carrying control indicator information can be a narrowband channel, which allows for additional power savings for the UE.

[0018] Upon detecting a corresponding physical control channel intended for use by the UE, the UE may decode the corresponding physical data channel corresponding to the detected decoded physical control channel. In this case, the UE may receive the corresponding physical control channel in a time slot other than the corresponding time slot in which the corresponding physical data channel is transmitted, or it may receive the corresponding physical control channel in the same time slot in which the corresponding physical data channel is transmitted. The UE may be part of a designated group of devices, wherein the control indicator information received by the UE is applied to all devices in the designated group.

[0019] The present invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subjects described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are merely illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or essence of the subjects described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subjects described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 Exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication systems according to some implementation schemes are shown;

[0021] Figure 2 A base station communicating with a wireless user equipment (UE) according to some implementation schemes is shown;

[0022] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a UE according to some implementation schemes is shown;

[0023] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a base station according to some implementation schemes is shown;

[0024] Figure 5 Block diagrams are shown according to some implementation schemes, illustrating simultaneous time-slot scheduling and cross-time-slot scheduling;

[0025] Figure 6 An exemplary timing diagram according to some implementations is shown, illustrating the transmission of control indicator information in simultaneous time slot scheduling, wherein the control indicator information and the physical control channel are transmitted in the same time slot;

[0026] Figure 7 An exemplary timing diagram according to some implementations is shown, illustrating the transmission of control indicator information in cross-timeslot scheduling, wherein the control indicator information and the physical control channel are transmitted in the same time slot;

[0027] Figure 8 An exemplary timing diagram according to some implementations is shown, illustrating the transmission of control indicator information in simultaneous time slot scheduling, wherein the control indicator information and the physical control channel are transmitted in different time slots;

[0028] Figure 9 Exemplary timing diagrams according to some implementations are shown, illustrating the transmission of control indicator information in cross-timeslot scheduling, wherein the control indicator information and the physical control channel are transmitted in different time slots; and

[0029] Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating a method for a wireless communication device to perform blind decoding of a physical control channel is shown, according to some implementation schemes.

[0030] While the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments thereof are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit this document to the specific forms disclosed, but rather are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0031] acronym

[0032] Various acronyms are used throughout this application. The definitions of the most prominent acronyms that may appear throughout this application are as follows:

[0033] • ACK: Confirmation

[0034] •ARQ: Automatic Retransmission Request (also known as Automatic Retransmission Queries)

[0035] ·BPSK: Binary Phase Shift Keying

[0036] ·BS: Base Station

[0037] • CCE: Control Channel Element

[0038] • CFI: Control Format Indicator

[0039] • CQI: Channel Quality Indicator

[0040] • CRC: Cyclic Redundancy Check

[0041] • DCI: Downlink Control Information

[0042] •DL: Downlink (from BS to UE)

[0043] • DL-SCH: Downlink Shared Channel

[0044] • FDD: Frequency Division Duplex

[0045] • FEC: Forward Error Correction

[0046] GPS: Global Positioning System

[0047] GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications

[0048] HARQ: Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request

[0049] LTE: Long Term Evolution

[0050] • MAC: Media Access Control (layer)

[0051] MIMO: Multiple Input Multiple Output

[0052] • NACK: Negative Acknowledgment

[0053] NW: Network

[0054] • OFDM: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing

[0055] PCFICH: Physical Control Format Indicator Channel

[0056] • PDCCH: Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0057] • PDSCH: Physical Downlink Shared Channel

[0058] • PDU: Protocol Data Unit

[0059] • PHICH: Physical HARQ indicator channel

[0060] • PUSCH: Physical Uplink Shared Channel

[0061] • PHY: Physical (layer)

[0062] QPSK: Quadrature Phase Shift Keying

[0063] REG: Resource Element Group

[0064] • RNTI: Temporary Identifier for Radio Networks

[0065] •RRC: Radio Resource Control

[0066] • RSRP: Reference Signal Received Power

[0067] • RSSI: Reference Signal Strength Indicator

[0068] ·RX: Receive

[0069] • SINR: Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio

[0070] ·TB: Transport Block

[0071] • TDD: Time Division Duplex

[0072] • TTI: Transmission Time Interval

[0073] TX: Transmission

[0074] UE: User Equipment

[0075] • UL: Uplink (from UE to BS)

[0076] • ULSCH: Uplink Shared Channel

[0077] UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

[0078] the term

[0079] The following is a glossary of terms that will appear in this application:

[0080] Memory media—any of various types of memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory media" is intended to include mounting media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-transitory memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, such as hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers, or other similar types of memory elements, etc. Memory media may also include other types of memory or combinations thereof. Furthermore, memory media may reside in a first computer system executing a program, or may reside in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In a later example, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer system for execution. The term "memory media" may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations on different computer systems, for example, connected via a network.

[0081] Carrier media—memory media as described above, and physical transmission media such as buses, networks, and / or other physical transmission media that transmit signals such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals.

[0082] Computer system (or computer) — any of the various types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, network devices, internet devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations thereof. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0083] A user device (UE) (or “UE equipment”) is any of a variety of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communications. Examples of UE equipment include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhones). TM Based on Android TM Telephones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS) TM PlayStation Portable TM Gameboy Advance TM iPhone TM ), laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable internet devices, music players, data storage devices, or other handheld devices, etc. Generally speaking, the term "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic device, computing device, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) that is easily transmitted and capable of wireless communication by a user.

[0084] Base station (BS) — The term “base station” has the full range of its common meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed in a fixed location and is used for communication as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system.

[0085] Processing element—refers to various elements or combinations of elements capable of performing functions in a device (such as a user equipment device or a cellular network device). Processing elements may include, for example: processors and associated memory, portions or circuitry of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, processor arrays, circuitry such as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), programmable hardware elements such as Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), and any combination thereof.

[0086] Automatic—refers to actions or operations performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuits, programmable hardware components, ASICs, etc.) without requiring direct user input to specify or perform the actions or operations. Therefore, the term "automatic" contrasts with actions performed or specified manually by the user, where the user provides input to directly perform the action. An automatic process can be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, selecting a radio component, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) which analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without any user input specifying answers for the fields. As indicated above, the user can invoke the automatic filling of the form but does not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify answers for the fields, but they are completed automatically). This manual provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0087] DCI refers to Downlink Control Information. Various DCI formats exist for LTE within the PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel). The DCI format is a predefined format in which downlink control information is packaged / formed and transmitted within the PDCCH.

[0088] Figure 1 and Figure 2 —Communication System

[0089] Figure 1 An exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication system is shown. Note that... Figure 1 The system described herein is merely one example of a possible system, and the implementation can be carried out in any of a variety of systems as needed. As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102 that communicates with one or more user equipments 106A to 106N via a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to herein as a “user device” (UE) or a UE device. Therefore, user equipments 106A-106N are referred to as UEs or UE devices. Furthermore, when referring to a single UE, the user equipment is also referred to herein as UE 106 or simply UE.

[0090] Base station 102 may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site, and may include hardware to enable wireless communication with UEs 106A to 106N. Base station 102 may also be equipped to communicate with network 100 (e.g., the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet, and various other possibilities). Therefore, base station 102 facilitates communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a “cell.” As used herein, in relation to a UE, sometimes a base station may be considered to represent the network, taking into account both the UE’s uplink and downlink communication. Therefore, a UE communicating with one or more base stations in the network may also be interpreted as a UE communicating with the network. It should also be noted that “cell” can also refer to a logical identity for a given coverage area at a given frequency. Typically, any independent cellular wireless coverage area can be referred to as a “cell.” In such a case, the base station may be located at a specific intersection of three cells. In this uniform topology, the base station can serve three 120-degree beamwidth areas referred to as cells. Furthermore, for carrier aggregation, small cells, relays, etc., can all represent cells. Therefore, especially in carrier aggregation, there can be primary and secondary cells that serve at least partially overlapping coverage areas but operate on different corresponding frequencies. For example, a base station can serve any number of cells, and the cells served by the base station can be arranged side-by-side or not (e.g., at a remote radio head).

[0091] Base station 102 and user equipment can be configured to communicate via a transmission medium using any of a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (WCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), Wi-Fi, WiMAX, etc. In some embodiments, base station 102 communicates with at least one UE or a group of UEs using control indicators for the physical control channel (or associated therewith) as disclosed herein.

[0092] UE 106 is capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, UE 106 can be configured to communicate using any or both of 3GPP cellular communication standards (such as LTE) or 3GPP2 cellular communication standards (such as cellular communication standards in the CDMA2000 series of cellular communication standards), or newer communication standards such as 5G-NR (NR). In some embodiments, UE 106 can be configured to communicate with base station 102 using control indicators for (or corresponding to / associated with) the physical control channel as described herein. Base station 102 and other similar base stations operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as one or more cell networks that can provide continuous or near-continuous overlapping services to UE 106 and similar devices over a wide geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0093] UE 106 can also be configured, or alternatively configured, to communicate using WLAN, Bluetooth, one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, such as GPS or GLONASS), one and / or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H). Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0094] Figure 2 An exemplary system is illustrated in which a user device 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicates with a base station 102. The UE 106 may be a device with wireless network connectivity, such as a mobile phone, handheld device, wearable device, computer, or tablet, or substantially any type of wireless device. The UE 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. The UE 106 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, the UE 106 may include programmable hardware elements such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) configured to perform any embodiment of the method embodiments described herein that provide control indicators for (or corresponding to / associated with) a physical control channel, or any portion thereof. The UE 106 may be configured to communicate using any of a plurality of wireless communication protocols. For example, UE 106 can be configured to communicate using two or more of CDMA2000, LTE, LTE-A, WLAN, 5G-NR (NR), or GNSS. Other combinations of wireless communication standards are also possible.

[0095] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols. In some embodiments, UE 106 may share one or more portions of a receive chain and / or a transmit chain among multiple wireless communication standards. The shared radio components may include a single antenna, or may include multiple antennas for performing wireless communication (e.g., for MIMO). Alternatively, UE 106 may include independent transmit chains and / or receive chains (e.g., including independent antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate using it. As another alternative, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components uniquely used by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include components for communicating using either LTE or CDMA2000 1xRTT or 5G-NR (NR) and / or using Wi-Fi and BLUETOOTH. TM Each of the radio circuits used for communication. Other configurations are also possible.

[0096] Figure 3 —Exemplary block diagram of UE

[0097] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of UE 106 is shown. As shown, UE 106 may include a System-on-Chip (SOC) 300, which may include components for various purposes. For example, as shown, SOC 300 may include one or more processors 302 capable of executing program instructions for UE 106, and display circuitry 304 capable of performing graphics processing and providing display signals to display 360. The one or more processors 302 may also be coupled to a Memory Management Unit (MMU) 340, which may be configured to receive addresses from the one or more processors 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310) and / or other circuitry or devices, such as display circuitry 304, radio components 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360. MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, MMU 340 may be included as part of one or more processors 302.

[0098] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 can be coupled to various other circuits of the UE 106. For example, the UE 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), connector interface 320 (e.g., for coupling to a computer system), display 360, and wireless communication circuitry 330 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, 5G-NR (NR), CDMA2000, BLUETOOTH). TM (e.g., Wi-Fi, GPS, etc.). UE device 106 may include at least one antenna 335, and may include multiple antennas 335, for performing wireless communication with base stations and / or other devices. For example, UE device 106 may use antenna 335 to perform wireless communication. As described above, in some embodiments, the UE may be configured to use multiple wireless communication standards for wireless communication.

[0099] As further described herein, both UE 106 and base station 102 may include hardware and software components for providing control indicators for (or corresponding to or associated with) physical control channels to a wireless communication implementation (e.g., 5G-NR (NR) communication). For example, processor 302 of UE device 106 may be configured, for example, to execute some or all of the methods described herein for providing control indicators for (or corresponding to or associated with) physical control channels to a wireless communication implementation, such as by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). In other embodiments, processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Furthermore, according to the various embodiments disclosed herein, processor 302 may be coupled to, for example, Figure 3 Other components of the radio component 330 shown and / or interoperating with it are used to provide control indicators for (or corresponding to or associated with) the physical control channel.

[0100] Figure 4 —Exemplary block diagram of a base station

[0101] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of base station 102 is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 4 The base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, base station 102 may include one or more processors 404 capable of executing program instructions specific to base station 102. One or more processors 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 (which may be configured to receive addresses from one or more processors 404 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450)) or other circuitry or devices.

[0102] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to be coupled to a telephone network and provide access rights as described above. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The telephone network described herein includes multiple devices such as UE device 106. Network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to be coupled to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to the multiple devices such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be coupled to the telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide the telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by a cellular service provider). The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to the multiple devices such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be coupled to the telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide the telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by a cellular service provider).

[0103] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly multiple antennas 434. One or more antennas 434 may be configured to operate as radio transceivers and may also be configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio component 430. Antennas 434 communicate with radio component 430 via communication link 432. Communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both (e.g., a transceiver). Radio component 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless telecommunication standards, including but not limited to LTE, LTE-A, WCDMA, CDMA2000, 5G-NR (NR), etc. Therefore, base station 102 may be an eNB, gNB, etc. One or more processors 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement some or all of the methods described herein for providing control indicators for (or corresponding to or associated with) physical control channels, for example by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, one or more processors 404 may be configured as programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits) or combinations thereof. In general, the components of BS 102 (460, 450, 440, 404, 430, 432, 470, and 434) are interoperable to implement at least some or all of the methods described herein for providing control indicators for (or corresponding to / associated with) physical control channels.

[0104] Blind Decoding in Wireless Communication (e.g., NR Communication)

[0105] As previously mentioned, efforts are underway to reduce blind decoding attempts by wireless communication devices (UEs) to conserve UE power during the proposed transition to NR communications. A typical UE using applications such as text messaging, video streaming, and web browsing (to name just a few) consumes a significant amount of time and power to decode the PDCCH without actually receiving data. The amount of time / power used for data reception is relatively small compared to the time used solely for PDCCH decoding. For example, a large portion of battery power is used to decode the PDCCH without subsequently decoding the PDSCH. Therefore, the large number of blind decoding attempts that a UE may make is a contributing factor to the high power consumption of the UE.

[0106] The impact of downlink (DL) receive energy consumption can be considered within the context of the UE's total power consumption. For example, the UE's power consumption can be considered in the following contexts:

[0107] • Decoding power consumption in the physical layer used for DL ​​control of blind decoding does not generate authorization;

[0108] • Decoding power consumption in time slots containing data;

[0109] • Decoding power consumption during data reception;

[0110] • Decoding power consumption during measurement;

[0111] • Decoding power consumption in the search space (SS).

[0112] Efforts are also underway to reduce blind decoding attempts in group common PDCCH designs. The fact that group common PDCCH can carry information shared by multiple UEs can help reduce potential blind decoding attempts by UEs.

[0113] The PDCCH can be transmitted in the common search space and / or the UE-specific search space. Common control information for all UEs is transmitted via the PDCCH in the common search space. UE-specific control information is transmitted via the PDCCH in the UE-specific search space. When the UE is in connected mode (e.g., with / without connected mode discontinuous reception or C-DRX, communication), it is expected that the UE will monitor the PDCCH in each time slot to check for the existence of a corresponding PDSCH. That is, the UE may monitor the PDCCH in each time slot to determine whether there is a corresponding PDSCH that the UE needs to decode (e.g., the PDSCH corresponding to the UE or the PDSCH associated with the UE). Monitoring the PDCCH requires the UE to perform blind decoding in the common space and the UE-specific search space (where the UE-specific search space corresponds to the UE performing the decoding or is associated with the UE performing the decoding). The UE may perform a specified number (e.g., a specified maximum number) of blind decoding attempts, which can result in the UE consuming a large amount of power (never receiving any data) if there is actually no PDCCH scheduled for the UE.

[0114] Therefore, this paper discloses various methods to reduce the probability (or simply reduce the number of times the UE performs blind decoding of PDCCH) without scheduling PDCCH / PDSCH for the UE. This reduces power consumption and increases the battery life of the battery (or multiple batteries) powering the UE.

[0115] Time slot scheduling

[0116] The various embodiments disclosed herein can utilize different time slot scheduling mechanisms to reduce unnecessary blind decoding performed by the UE. In cellular radio communications, signal and data transmission can be organized according to designated time units for specific durations of individual transmissions. For example, in LTE, transmissions are divided into radio frames, each with an equal (time) duration (e.g., each radio frame lasts 10 ms). Each radio frame in LTE can be further divided into ten subframes, each with an equal duration, and the subframe is designated as a minimum (or minimum value) scheduling unit, or a designated time unit for transmission. Similarly, the minimum (or minimum value) scheduling unit, or the designated time unit for 5G-NR (NR) transmission, is referred to as a “time slot.” Therefore, as used herein, the term “time slot” is used to refer to the minimum (or minimum value) scheduling time unit or designated time unit for transmissions in the described wireless communications. However, as mentioned above, such scheduling time units can be named differently in different communication protocols (e.g., “subframe” in LTE), and furthermore, such scheduling time units can be more generally referred to as transmission time intervals (TTI).

[0117] Figure 5Block diagrams according to some embodiments are shown, illustrating simultaneous time-slot scheduling 152 and cross-time-slot scheduling 154 for PDCCH and PDSCH transmission. In the case of simultaneous time-slot scheduling 152, PDCCH 110 and its corresponding or associated PDSCH 112 are transmitted in the same time slot (or during the same time slot). In the case of cross-time-slot scheduling 154, each PDCCH (114, 118, and 122) is transmitted before its corresponding or associated PDSCH (120, 124, and not shown respectively). Figure 5 As shown, PDSCH 116 is associated with the PDCCH transmitted in the previous time slot (i.e., time slot n-2). Therefore, PDCCH 114 is transmitted in time slot n-1, while its associated PDSCH 120 is transmitted in time slot n, and similarly, PDCCH 118 is transmitted in time slot n, while its associated PDSCH 124 is transmitted in time slot n+1. The PDSCH corresponding to PDCCH 122 and the PDCCH corresponding to PDSCH 116 are not shown.

[0118] For cross-slot scheduling 154, the UE can reduce its PDCCH monitoring bandwidth (BW), which may save UE power due to reduced sampling rate and processing overhead. When receiving a PDSCH, the UE can receive data within a specified (e.g., maximum) radio frequency (RF) bandwidth to achieve high data rate transmission / reception (TX / RX). PDCCHs are typically transmitted in narrow bandwidth or narrow band (NB), while PDSCHs are transmitted in wide bandwidth or wide band (WB) to support higher data rates. By reducing the bandwidth (BW) used for monitoring the PDCCH, the UE can save power. Cross-slot scheduling allows the UE to monitor the PDCCH in the NB because if an associated PDSCH exists, the PDSCH is transmitted in the next time slot. If there is no associated PDSCH for a given decoded PDCCH, the UE can continue operating in the NB, thus saving power. If an associated PDSCH exists, the BW can be widened to receive the PDSCH. Opening the BW takes some time and may be difficult to achieve within a single time slot. However, for cross-slot scheduling, the UE can open BW in a slot after the slot where the PDSCH is about to be decoded and the PDCCH has been decoded.

[0119] PDCCH indication

[0120] As previously mentioned, if no PDCCH is scheduled for an LTE UE, the UE may make many unnecessary blind decoding attempts. The number of decoding attempts for PDCCH candidates (e.g., up to 44) and the corresponding computational overhead can vary depending on the communication level / channel conditions and the presence (or availability) of the PDCCH. If a PDCCH intended for the UE is transmitted, the UE may perform blind decoding on available candidate PDCCHs one at a time until a PDCCH associated with the UE (intended for or corresponding to the UE) is detected. Therefore, if no PDCCH is transmitted for the UE, the UE makes a specified number (e.g., a maximum number) of possible blind decoding attempts because it cannot identify whether a PDCCH intended for the UE has been transmitted, and those blind decoding attempts performed by the UE are considered unnecessary.

[0121] Therefore, in NR communication, one objective is to reduce unnecessary blind decoding attempts. In some implementations, unnecessary blind decoding attempts by the UE can be avoided by introducing a certain type of signal from the base station (e.g., from the gNB) to the UE indicating the presence of a PDCCH scheduled for the UE in that time slot, such as a PDCCH intended for the UE. Thus, if the UE recognizes an indicator associated with (or corresponding to) the UE indicating the presence of a PDCCH for the UE in the time slot, the UE can perform blind decoding to detect any PDCCH among different PDCCH candidates in (or during) the time slot. If the UE finds that the indicator actually indicates the absence of a PDCCH for the UE, the UE can stop decoding and / or enter a sleep state until the next time slot when the UE can be rescheduled. Using this method, the UE can avoid unnecessary PDCCH decoding attempts, thereby saving energy.

[0122] Indications (or indicators) can be transmitted by the base station per UE or per group. If the indication (or indicator) is transmitted per UE, each UE in the cell receives an indicator indicating the presence (or absence) of a PDCCH for that UE. Therefore, all non-scheduled UEs (UEs for which no PDCCH was transmitted) that correctly decode the indication information (or indicator) can avoid unnecessary blind decoding. If the indication (or indicator) is transmitted per group (where the group includes at least two UEs), UEs in the group can perform blind decoding upon receiving an indication (or indicator) indicating the presence of a PDCCH for that group. Because this indicator is a group indicator, some UEs in the group may receive control information even if no PDCCH was transmitted for those UEs. If the indicator indicates (or suggests) that there is no PDCCH for that group, UEs in that group can stop decoding and / or enter a sleep state for the remainder of the time slot.

[0123] Therefore, in some implementations, UEs communicating with the network can be arranged in groups, for example via a base station (such as a gNB), where each group may include one or more UEs. In each time slot, control indicator information may be transmitted to each group (e.g., via the gNB), whereby the control indicator information indicates the presence (or absence) of a PDCCH in the associated time slot for any UE in a given group. If a UE determines that the indicator for its group indicates the presence of a PDCCH, the UE may perform a blind decoding attempt in the associated time slot. If a given (or corresponding) UE identifier is intended for a given UE's PDCCH, the given UE may decode the corresponding or associated PDSCH (a PDSCH associated with or corresponding to the decoded PDCCH). If a UE determines that the indicator for its group indicates the absence of a PDCCH in the associated time slot, the UE may skip blind decoding in the associated time slot.

[0124] Bearer (transmitter) control indicator information

[0125] Several options are possible and considered for the physical channel structure carrying control indicator information during transmission. In some implementations, control indicator information (bits) can be added to information already included in one or more pre-existing (other) channels. For example, the "Group Common PDCCH" (GCP) is a separate channel transmitted on pre-configured time-frequency resources. The GCP carries slot format indicator information, and because it is decoded by all UEs before the UE decodes other channels, it may be feasible to include control indicators in this channel.

[0126] In some implementations, a separate channel can be designated to carry control indicator information. For example, a channel structure like the PDCCH can be used, which can be monitored by all UEs. In some implementations, an entire new channel can be designed and transmitted over a narrowband (NB). The newly designed channel can be transmitted in the same time slot as the PDCCH or in a different time slot. If the new channel is transmitted over the NB in ​​a time slot different from (or separate from) the time slot used to transmit the PDCCH, the UE can receive the narrowband signal in a separate time slot and determine whether to continue receiving the PDCCH in the next time slot. This not only allows the UE to avoid unnecessary blind decoding but also allows the UE to save power by minimizing the monitoring BW utilized by the UE. In some implementations, the UE can have a dedicated circuit for monitoring the NB to further save power.

[0127] Control indicator information transmission options

[0128] In some implementations, at least four different transmission schemes or options can be defined and used to transmit control indicator information. The transmission schemes or options can be based on the timing of the control indicator information and the physical control channel (e.g., NR-PDCCH) relative to each other, and the timing of the physical control channel (e.g., NR-PDCCH) and the physical data channel (e.g., NR-PDCCH) relative to each other. Therefore, four transmission options can be defined:

[0129] Option 1: Control indicator information and physical control channels are transmitted in the same time slot, and the physical control channel and physical data channel are transmitted according to a simultaneous time slot schedule (e.g., according to...). Figure 6 )

[0130] Option 2: Control indicator information and physical control channels are transmitted in the same time slot, and physical control channels and physical data channels are transmitted according to cross-time slot scheduling (e.g., according to...). Figure 7 )

[0131] Option 3: Control indicator information and physical control channels are transmitted in different time slots, and the physical control channel and physical data channel are transmitted according to a simultaneous time slot schedule (e.g., according to...). Figure 8 )

[0132] Option 4: Control indicator information and physical control channels are transmitted in different time slots, and the physical control channel and physical data channel are transmitted according to cross-time slot scheduling (e.g., according to...). Figure 9 ).

[0133] Option 1

[0134] Figure 6 Exemplary timing diagrams according to some implementations are shown, illustrating the transmission of control indicator information in simultaneous time-slot scheduling, where the control indicator information and the physical control channel are transmitted in the same time slot. Figure 6 As shown, for example, the UE has been arranged into three groups. In other words, in Figure 6 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the network can currently include three groups of UEs: Group A = {UE1, UE2}, Group B = {UE5}, and Group C = {UE10}. Figure 6As shown, data from UE1, UE2, and UE5 is scheduled (e.g., by the network or base station) in time slot n (202). The corresponding PDCCHs for UE1, UE2, and UE5 are transmitted in the control resource set (part 204) of time slot 202. Control indicator information for groups A, B, and C is set to ON, ON, and OFF, respectively. In other words, control indicator information for groups A and B indicates the presence of a PDCCH for that group, while control indicator information for group C indicates the absence of a PDCCH for that group. UE1 and UE2 detect that the corresponding indicator for group A (or corresponding to group B, which is part of UE1 and UE2) is ON, and similarly, UE5 also detects that the corresponding indicator for group B (or corresponding to group B, which is part of UE5) is ON. Therefore, UE1, UE2, and UE5 all perform blind decoding to receive their respective PDCCHs. On the other hand, UE10 detects that the indicator for group C (or corresponding to group C, which is part of UE10) is OFF, thereby avoiding unnecessary blind decoding. UE10 can enter sleep mode until the next time slot when UE10 may be scheduled again. Also, Figure 6 As shown, all UEs use a broadband filter in each time slot. Furthermore, as... Figure 6 As shown, after performing blind decoding and receiving their corresponding PDCCH, UE1, UE2, and UE5 can subsequently decode their corresponding (associated) PDSCH in the data area (part 206) of time slot 202. Also as... Figure 6 As shown, example physical channels capable of carrying indicator information may include a group common PDCCH, an NR-PDCCH, and / or a newly designated channel specifically for carrying indicators (information). The example physical channels also apply to... Figures 7-9 The scenarios shown below will be described in further detail.

[0135] Option 2

[0136] Figure 7 An exemplary timing diagram according to some embodiments is shown, illustrating the transmission of control indicator information in cross-timeslot scheduling, wherein the control indicator information and the physical control channel are transmitted in the same timeslot 702. Since the control channel and data channel are transmitted according to cross-timeslot scheduling (or within cross-timeslot scheduling), the data area (part 708) of timeslot 702 does not contain the transmission corresponding to the illustrated control channel. Figure 7As shown, by way of example, the UEs have been arranged into three groups again. That is, the network may again include three groups of UEs. Group A = {UE1, UE2}, Group B = {UE5}, and Group C = {UE10}. PDCCHs for UE1, UE2, and UE5 are transmitted in time slot n (702) of the control resource set (part 706) of time slot 702 using narrowband BW2 (e.g., via the network or base station). Therefore, the control indicator information for Group A, Group B, and Group C is set to ON, ON, and OFF in time slot n (702), respectively. In other words, the control indicator information for Group A and Group B indicates the presence of a PDCCH for that group, while the control indicator information for Group C indicates the absence of a PDCCH for that group.

[0137] In time slot n+K 704 (where K = 1, 2, 3, etc.), the corresponding PDSCHs for UE1, UE2, and UE5 are transmitted. Similarly, UE1 and UE2 detect that the corresponding indicator for (or corresponding to) group A, which is part of UE1 and UE2, is ON, and similarly, UE5 also detects that the corresponding indicator for (or corresponding to) group B, which is part of UE5, is ON. Therefore, UE1, UE2, and UE5 all perform blind decoding to receive their corresponding PDCCHs. On the other hand, UE10 detects that the indicator for (or corresponding to) group C, which is part of UE10, is OFF, thus avoiding unnecessary blind decoding. UE10 can re-enter sleep mode until the next time slot when UE10 may be scheduled again. Furthermore, UE10 saves additional power by receiving the signal carrying control indicator information with a narrow bandwidth (BW2). Additionally, as... Figure 7 As shown, after performing blind decoding and receiving its corresponding PDCCH, UE1, UE2, and UE5 can subsequently decode their corresponding (associated) PDSCH in the data area (part 712) of the next time slot 704. Figure 7 As shown, no transmission occurs in the control resource set (part 710) of time slot 704.

[0138] Option 3

[0139] Figure 8 Exemplary timing diagrams according to some implementations are shown, illustrating the transmission of control indicator information in simultaneous time-slot scheduling, where the control indicator information and the physical control channel are transmitted in different time slots. Figure 8As shown, by way of example, the UEs are again arranged into three groups. That is, the network may again include three groups of UEs. Group A = {UE1, UE2}, Group B = {UE5}, and Group C = {UE10}. In time slot n 804, more specifically, in the data area (part 808) of time slot n 804 (e.g., by the network or base station), data for UE1, UE2, and UE5 is scheduled. The corresponding PDCCH for UE1, UE2, and UE5 is transmitted in the control resource set (part 806) of time slot n 804. However, in time slot n-1 802, that is, in time slot 802 (outside of or independently of the time slot (804) for transmitting PDCCH), control indicator information is transmitted. Therefore, control indicator information for groups A, B, and C (set to ON, ON, and OFF, respectively) is transmitted via narrowband (bandwidth BW1). In some implementations, the control indicator information may take the form of a sequence of energy detection or control information with a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) in a small number of subcarriers. Each UE can know the precise narrowband location of bandwidth BW1 where its control indicators are transmitted. Each UE can use a corresponding narrowband filter to filter out the narrowband of its bandwidth BW1 and thus receive the control indicator information of its corresponding group.

[0140] Similarly, UE1 and UE2 detect that the corresponding indicator for (or corresponding to) group A, which is part of UE1 and UE2, is ON, and similarly, UE5 also detects that the corresponding indicator for (or corresponding to) group B, which is part of UE5, is ON. That is, U1, U2, and U5 detect that the control indicator information for their respective groups indicates the presence of a PDCCH for that group. Therefore, UE1, UE2, and UE5 all perform blind decoding to receive their respective PDCCHs. On the other hand, UE10 detects that the indicator for (or corresponding to) group C, which is part of UE10, is OFF. That is, U10 detects that the control indicator information for its corresponding group indicates the absence of a PDCCH for that group, thus avoiding unnecessary blind decoding. Therefore, UE10 can enter sleep mode until the next time slot when UE10 may be scheduled again. Figure 8 As shown, BW1 is less than or equal to BW3. Therefore, in addition to avoiding unnecessary blind decoding, UE10 can also achieve better performance by using a narrower frequency band (BW1 bandwidth is greater than BW3). Figure 7 The narrower BW2 (as shown in option 2) receives signals to save extra power.

[0141] Option 4

[0142] Figure 9An exemplary timing diagram according to some embodiments is shown, illustrating the transmission of control indicator information in cross-timeslot scheduling, wherein the control indicator information and the physical control channel are transmitted in different time slots. Since the control channel and data channel are transmitted according to cross-timeslot scheduling (or within cross-timeslot scheduling), the data area (part 510) of time slot 504 does not contain the transmission corresponding to the illustrated control channel. Figure 9 As shown, by way of example, the UEs have been arranged into three groups again. That is, the network may again include three groups of UEs. Group A = {UE1, UE2}, Group B = {UE5}, and Group C = {UE10}. The PDCCH for UE1, UE2, and UE5 is transmitted in the control resource set (part 508) of time slot n 504. In time slot nL 502 (where L = 1, 2, 3, etc.), that is, in time slot (502) outside (or independently of) the time slot (504) for transmitting PDCCH and different from the time slot (506) for transmitting the corresponding PDSCH (or data), control indicator information is transmitted. As shown, the corresponding PDSCH for UE1, UE2, and UE5 is transmitted in time slot n+K 506 (where K = 1, 2, 3, etc.).

[0143] The control indicator information for groups A, B, and C is set to ON, ON, and OFF, respectively. That is, the control indicator information for groups A and B indicates the presence of a PDCCH for that group, while the control indicator information for group C indicates the absence of a PDCCH for that group. Similarly, UE1 and UE2 detect that the corresponding indicator for group A (or corresponding to group A, which is part of UE1 and UE2) is ON, and similarly, UE5 also detects that the corresponding indicator for group B (or corresponding to group B, which is part of UE5) is ON. Therefore, UE1, UE2, and UE5 all perform blind decoding to receive their respective PDCCHs. On the other hand, UE10 detects that the indicator for group C (or corresponding to group C, which is part of UE10) is OFF, thereby avoiding unnecessary blind decoding.

[0144] During time slot nL 502, each UE can receive a narrower bandwidth (BW1) signal to receive control indicator information. During time slot n 504, each UE can receive a narrowband (BW2) signal to receive the PDCCH. During time slot n+K (specifically within / during data area portion 514), each UE can receive a full bandwidth signal (BW3) to receive the PDSCH. Figure 9 As shown, BW1 <= BW2 <= BW3. Therefore, UE10, which does not schedule any PDCCH / PDSCH, can minimize power consumption by avoiding unnecessary blind decoding while operating within a narrower bandwidth (bandwidth BW1). Figure 9As shown, no transmission occurs in the control resource set (part 512) of time slot 506.

[0145] It should also be noted that the above methods and options are applicable to UEs operating in IDLE mode and UEs operating in connected DRX mode. Although Figures 6 to 9 The control indicator is shown as being transmitted within the bandwidth where the UE may receive data, but the methods and options described above are also applicable to situations where the bandwidth used for transmitting potential control indicators does not overlap with the bandwidth used for transmitting potential data.

[0146] Wireless communication devices that perform blind decoding

[0147] Based on the above, Figure 10 A flowchart illustrating a method for a wireless communication device to perform blind decoding of a physical control channel is shown according to some embodiments. A wireless communication device communicating according to any of various wireless communication standards (e.g., according to the NR cellular standard) may, for example, receive control indicator information from a base station indicating whether one or more candidate physical control channels are available for decoding by the wireless communication device (1002). If the received control indicator indicates that one or more candidate physical control channels are available (taking a "yes" branch at 1004), the wireless communication device may perform blind decoding of the candidate physical control channels to detect and receive the corresponding physical control channel intended for use by the wireless communication device (1006). If the received control indicator indicates that no candidate physical control channel is available (taking a "no" branch at 1004), the wireless communication device does not perform blind decoding of the candidate physical control channels (1008) and may enter a sleep state until the next time slot when the wireless communication device can be rescheduled (1010).

[0148] Embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, in some embodiments, the invention can be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable storage medium, or a computer system. In other embodiments, the invention can be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. In still other embodiments, the invention can be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0149] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory memory element) may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein if the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system performs a method, such as any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets.

[0150] In some implementations, a device (e.g., a UE) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium (or memory element), wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read from and execute the program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method implementations described herein (or any combination of the method implementations described herein, or any subset or combination of any such subset of any method implementations described herein). The device may be implemented in any of the various forms.

[0151] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising: Processor, the processor being configured to: This enables wireless devices to communicate wirelessly over a network; The wireless device receives control indicator information in a first time slot as part of the wireless communication. The control indicator information indicates whether the wireless device wants to perform blind decoding on one or more candidate physical control channels in subsequent time slots after the first time slot. When the control indicator information instructs the device to perform the blind decoding, the blind decoding is performed on the one or more candidate physical control channels; as well as When the control indicator information indicates that the device does not perform the blind decoding, the blind decoding is not performed on the one or more candidate physical control channels.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: As part of performing the blind decoding, the first physical control channel intended for the wireless device is decoded.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to: In response to decoding the first physical control channel, the corresponding physical data channel corresponding to the first physical control channel is also decoded.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to cause the wireless device to receive the corresponding physical data channel in one of the following ways: A third time slot that is different from the subsequent time slot; or The subsequent time slot.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is part of a designated group of wireless devices, and wherein the control indicator information applies to all wireless devices in the designated group.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the wireless device to receive the control indicator information by one of the following: It also includes channels for other information; or A channel dedicated to carrying the control indicator information.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to cause the wireless device to receive, via narrowband, the channel dedicated to carrying the control indicator information.

8. A wireless device, the wireless device comprising: A radio circuit configured to enable the wireless device to communicate wirelessly over a network; and A processor, communicatively coupled to the radio circuit and configured to cooperate with the radio circuit to: In a first time slot that is part of the wireless communication, control indicator information is received, which indicates whether the wireless device should perform blind decoding on one or more candidate physical control channels in subsequent time slots after the first time slot. When the control indicator information instructs the device to perform the blind decoding, the blind decoding is performed on the one or more candidate physical control channels; as well as When the control indicator information indicates that the device does not perform the blind decoding, the blind decoding is not performed on the one or more candidate physical control channels.

9. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to further cooperate with the radio circuitry to: As part of performing the blind decoding, the first physical control channel intended for the wireless device is decoded.

10. The wireless device of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to further cooperate with the radio circuitry to: decode a corresponding physical data channel corresponding to the first physical control channel in response to decoding the first physical control channel.

11. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to further cooperate with the radio circuitry to receive the corresponding physical data channel in one of the following ways: A third time slot that is different from the subsequent time slot; or The subsequent time slot.

12. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the wireless device is part of a designated group of wireless devices, and wherein the control indicator information applies to all wireless devices in the designated group.

13. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to further cooperate with the radio circuitry to receive the control indicator information by one of the following: It also includes channels for other information; or A channel dedicated to carrying the control indicator information.

14. The wireless device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to further cooperate with the radio circuitry to receive, via narrowband, the channel dedicated to carrying the control indicator information.

15. A non-transitory memory element for storing programming instructions, said programming instructions being executable by a processor to: This enables wireless devices to communicate wirelessly over a network; The wireless device receives control indicator information in a first time slot as part of the wireless communication. The control indicator information indicates whether the wireless device wants to perform blind decoding on one or more candidate physical control channels in subsequent time slots after the first time slot. When the control indicator information instructs the device to perform the blind decoding, the blind decoding is performed on the one or more candidate physical control channels; as well as When the control indicator information indicates that the device does not perform the blind decoding, the blind decoding is not performed on the one or more candidate physical control channels.

16. The non-transitory memory element of claim 15, wherein the programming instructions are further executable by the processor to: As part of performing the blind decoding, the first physical control channel intended for the wireless device is decoded.

17. The non-transitory memory element of claim 16, wherein the programming instructions are further executable by the processor to: in response to decoding the first physical control channel, decode a corresponding physical data channel corresponding to the first physical control channel.

18. The non-transitory memory element of claim 17, wherein the programming instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the wireless device to receive the corresponding physical data channel in one of the following situations: A third time slot that is different from the subsequent time slot; or The subsequent time slot.

19. The nontransitory memory element of claim 15, wherein the wireless device is part of a designated group of wireless devices, and wherein the control indicator information applies to all wireless devices in the designated group.

20. The non-transitory memory element of claim 15, wherein the programming instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the wireless device to receive the control indicator information by one of the following: It also includes channels for other information; or A narrowband channel dedicated to carrying the control indicator information.

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