EPDCCH Detection Using Modulation Signatures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current LTE designs face challenges in efficiently detecting control channel resources, leading to high computational complexity and energy consumption at the receiver, particularly due to the need for numerous blind decoding attempts and inadequate handling of distributed EPDCCH transmission.

Innovation Solution

The method involves configuring modulation signature sequences for each receiver-specific set of PRB pairs, allowing the receiver to identify and demodulate control channel signals more efficiently by reducing the number of blind decoding attempts through targeted modulation and demodulation of DMRS signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the receiver performs numerous blind decoding attempts to detect control channel resources, then the detection reliability is improved, but the computational complexity and energy consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol channel detection reliabilityVSAvoidreceiver energy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing channel estimation and modulation signature sequence matching before blind decoding. The receiver first estimates the channel using DMRS, then matches received signals against expected modulation patterns to identify candidate EPDCCH resources. This preliminary processing filters out non-candidate resources, allowing the receiver to perform blind decoding only on identified candidates, thereby maintaining detection reliability while significantly reducing the number of full decoding attempts and associated energy consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the receiver performs numerous blind decoding attempts to detect control channel resources, then the detection reliability is improved, but the computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol channel detection reliabilityVSAvoidreceiver computational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the control channel detection process into distinct stages: channel estimation using DMRS, modulation signature sequence matching to identify candidate resources, and blind decoding only on identified candidates. This segmentation breaks down the complex detection task into manageable segments, reducing overall computational complexity while maintaining reliability by ensuring each segment is performed systematically on appropriate data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces modulation signature sequences as an intermediary mechanism between channel estimation and blind decoding. These sequences serve as a filtering layer that identifies candidate EPDCCH resources without requiring full blind decoding attempts. The intermediary matching process reduces the search space, allowing the receiver to maintain high detection reliability while performing fewer computationally intensive blind decoding operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If distributed EPDCCH transmission is used to improve reliability through frequency diversity, then the detection robustness is improved, but the resource allocation complexity and detection difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol channel transmission robustnessVSAvoidcontrol channel detection difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by associating specific modulation signature sequences with different antenna ports and PRB pairs in distributed EPDCCH transmission. Each local resource element is tagged with identifying signatures that allow the receiver to track and detect control channel elements across frequency-diverse resources. This local identification mechanism maintains detection robustness in distributed transmission while reducing overall detection difficulty through systematic resource tracking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3264656B1Transmission and reception of enhanced pdcch
Publication Date: 2019.02.13 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3264656B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2A
  • EP3264656B1 patent drawingFigure 2B
  • EP3264656B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods and nodes, for communication of a receiver-specific control channel signal within a wireless communication system (100), to be received by a receiver (120), wherein receiver-specific downlink control channel signals are scheduled for transmission over sets (240) of Physical Resource Block, PRB, pairs (250-0, 250-1, 250-2, 250-3, 250-4, 250-5).