Downlink Control Structure for Multi-Carrier Resource Allocation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The use of multiple component carriers in wireless communication systems, such as LTE, leads to wasteful power consumption in mobile stations due to blind decoding of PDCCH across multiple carriers, which is inefficient and consumes unnecessary power.

Innovation Solution

A method where a downlink control structure in a first carrier indicates the location and size of control information on a second carrier, allowing the mobile station to decode the control information without blind decoding, using an extended PDCCH (E-PDCCH) and a primary PDCCH to specify resource allocation and other control-related aspects, thereby reducing power consumption and improving spectral efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If blind decoding of PDCCH is performed in multiple component carriers, then control information can be found, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol information retrievalVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

A downlink control structure acts as an intermediary that provides guidance information about the location of control information in a second carrier. This intermediary structure enables the mobile station to avoid blind decoding by directly navigating to the control information position, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining reliable control information retrieval

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Area of stationary object

If multiple component carriers are aggregated, then bandwidth increases, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebandwidthVSAvoidcontrol channel management
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control information is segmented across multiple carriers, with a downlink control structure in a first carrier providing guidance to control information in a second carrier. This segmentation allows the system to manage complex multi-carrier operations by dividing control functions across carriers while maintaining organized and manageable structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3780828B1Providing a downlink control structure in a first carrier to indicate control information in a second, different carrier
Publication Date: 2024.12.25 APPLE INC
  • EP3780828B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3780828B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3780828B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A mobile station receives a downlink control structure in a first carrier, where the downlink control structure indicates that control information for the mobile station is on a second, different carrier. The mobile station decodes the control information in the second carrier, where the control information specifies resource allocation of a wireless link for the mobile station. More specifically, according to some implementations, the control channel in the first carrier specifies the resource allocation for an extended control channel in the second carrier, where the extended control channel specifies the resource allocation for traffic data of a wireless link for the mobile station.