Balanced eCCE Mapping in LTE Control Channel Transmission

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Solution Overview

Problem

In LTE systems, the imbalanced size of enhanced control channel elements (eCCEs) due to varying valid resource elements after overhead deductions leads to performance imbalance and increased implementation complexity for schedulers during ePDCCH transmission.

Innovation Solution

A method for controlling channel transmission that involves determining physical resource block pairs, grouping resource elements, calculating valid resource elements, and mapping eCCEs onto these elements to ensure balanced sizes and performance, using techniques such as grouping into eREG groups and cyclic shifts to achieve balanced eCCE sizes and simplify scheduler implementation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If eCCEs are mapped onto eREGs using fixed continuous mapping, then mapping simplicity is improved, but eCCE size balance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemapping simplicityVSAvoideCCE size balance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the mapping parameter from fixed continuous indexing to selective indexing based on valid RE counts. Instead of mapping eCCE#n to eREGs [nM, nM+1, ..., nM+M-1], the system calculates valid RE counts for each eREG and selects eREGs that provide balanced eCCE sizes, thus resolving the contradiction between mapping simplicity and size balance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary calculation of valid RE counts for all eREGs before mapping eCCEs. By pre-calculating which eREGs have how many valid REs (after扣除 overheads like CRS, PDCCH, etc.), the system can then select eREGs that ensure balanced eCCE sizes, avoiding the need for complex real-time adjustments during mapping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If eREGs with varying valid REs are used, then resource utilization flexibility is improved, but demodulation performance balance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilization flexibilityVSAvoiddemodulation performance balance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the selection criterion for eREGs from fixed indexing to valid RE count-based indexing. By selecting eREGs with appropriate valid RE counts, the system ensures that each eCCE receives a balanced number of valid REs for demodulation, thus maintaining performance balance while still allowing flexible resource utilization through the ability to skip eREGs with insufficient valid REs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If valid RE calculation for each eREG is performed, then eCCE size balance is improved, but scheduler complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveeCCE size balanceVSAvoidscheduler complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs the complex calculation of valid RE counts for all eREGs in advance, before the actual eCCE mapping process. This preliminary action separates the complex calculation phase from the simple selection phase, allowing the scheduler to use pre-computed valid RE count information to make simple selection decisions, thus reducing real-time scheduling complexity while maintaining eCCE size balance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3890234B1Control channel reception method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2024.03.27 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3890234B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3890234B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3890234B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention relate to the communications field and provide a control channel transmission method and apparatus, which can ensure a balance between actual sizes of eCCEs mapped from control channels, further ensure a performance balance when demodulating each eCCE, and reduce implementation complexity of a scheduler. The method includes: grouping REs excluding a DMRS in each physical resource block pair of L determined physical resource block pairs used to transmit a control channel into N eREGs, and calculating the number of valid REs excluding other overheads in each eREG of the N eREGs; and then mapping each of the eCCEs onto M eREGs according to the number of valid REs included in each eREG of the N eREGs of each physical resource block pair, and sending the eCCE by using the resource elements included in the eREG.