Control Channel Aggregation Limiting for Decoding Complexity

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Solution Overview

Problem

In communication systems, terminals face a burdensome task in searching through signaling resources to locate their specific data allocations, especially when different payload sizes and complex signaling structures are used, which can increase decoding complexity and the number of blind decoding attempts.

Innovation Solution

Allocating differing numbers of resource elements to different control channels within a defined signaling structure, aggregating control channels based on signaling rate, and limiting selected resource payload sizes to specific aggregations to reduce decoding complexity, allowing terminals to efficiently search for and decode control channels using identifiers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple payload sizes are used for different control channels, then scheduling flexibility is improved, but terminal decoding complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescheduling flexibilityVSAvoidterminal decoding complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control channels are segmented into different aggregation levels (e.g., level 1 with 1 CCE, level 2 with 2 CCEs, level 4 with 4 CCEs, level 8 with 8 CCEs). Each aggregation level corresponds to a specific payload size, allowing terminals to efficiently search through organized segments rather than all possible sizes, thus maintaining scheduling flexibility while reducing decoding complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adapts the control channel aggregation level based on terminal needs and channel conditions. The network can flexibly assign different aggregation levels to different terminals or control channels, optimizing resource allocation while providing predictable search spaces for terminals to reduce their decoding burden.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If control channels are aggregated into various aggregations based on signaling rate, then resource allocation efficiency is improved, but the number of blind decoding attempts increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource allocation efficiencyVSAvoidblind decoding attempts

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The network pre-configures and signals the aggregation levels to terminals in advance. Terminals are provided with information about which aggregation levels to expect and where to find control channels with specific payload sizes, allowing them to perform targeted searches rather than exhaustive blind decoding across all possible aggregations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Different aggregation levels are assigned to different control channels based on local requirements. The system creates specialized search spaces for different aggregation levels, allowing terminals to focus their decoding efforts on relevant local regions of the control channel space rather than searching the entire space uniformly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2490493B1Signaling limitation of multiple payload sizes for resource assignments

Publication Date: 2018.03.07 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY

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AI summary

Introducing a set of limitations on where different payload sizes are allowed in a control channel element aggregation 'tree' is shown. Following these limitations, the network element (e.g. Node B) will have a large flexibility for scheduling users, while the terminal (e.g. User Equipment) will have an option for still keeping the number of blind decoding attempts at a quite low number.