EPDCCH Antenna Port Allocation for Blind Decoding

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication systems, when two or more Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (EPDCCH) candidates are allocated to the same resource, user equipment (UE) faces challenges in performing blind decoding, leading to reduced blind decoding times due to self-blocking issues.

Innovation Solution

The method involves using the EPDCCH candidate index and/or EPDCCH PRB set index to determine a representative antenna port for each EPDCCH candidate, allowing different antenna ports to be allocated for EPDCCH candidates sharing the same resources, thereby preventing self-blocking and ensuring adequate blind decoding times.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple EPDCCH candidates are allocated to the same resource, then resource utilization is improved, but self-blocking occurs reducing blind decoding times

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource utilizationVSAvoidblind decoding times
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different antenna ports to different EPDCCH candidates based on their candidate indices. Specifically, when multiple EPDCCH candidates are allocated to the same resource, each candidate is associated with a different antenna port (e.g., candidate 0 with port 107, candidate 1 with port 108). This local differentiation in antenna port assignment prevents self-blocking while maintaining resource utilization, as each candidate can be decoded independently through its designated antenna port.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If multiple EPDCCH candidates share the same resource, then resource efficiency is improved, but self-blocking issues arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource efficiencyVSAvoidblind decoding reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements local quality by differentiating antenna port assignments for individual EPDCCH candidates within the same resource allocation. Each candidate index maps to a specific antenna port, ensuring that even when candidates share resources, they maintain distinct reception paths. This resolves self-blocking issues while preserving resource efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new dimension (antenna port dimension) to differentiate EPDCCH candidates that share the same time-frequency resources. By adding the antenna port as an additional degree of freedom, the system can accommodate multiple candidates on the same resource without interference, thus maintaining both resource efficiency and decoding reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP2897435B1Method and apparatus for receiving downlink signal in wireless communication system
Publication Date: 2019.11.06 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP2897435B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(b)
  • EP2897435B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2897435B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method by which a terminal receives a downlink signal through an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH) in a wireless communication system. The method includes the steps of: receiving one or more EPDCCH physical resource block (PRB) sets; and blind decoding EPDCCH candidates for each set level from among the one or more EPDCCH PRB sets, wherein one or more of EPDCCH candidate indexes and EPDCCH PRB indexes are used for determining an antenna port related to the EPDCCH candidates.