EPDCCH Monitoring for MTC Bandwidth and Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LTE mobile broadband networks are overwhelmed by the increasing number of Machine-Type Communication (MTC) devices, which compete with human-operated devices for limited bandwidth, leading to power consumption and cost issues, as they were primarily designed for human-operated devices, necessitating new mechanisms for allocating and scheduling MTC device transmissions within reduced bandwidth.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH) transmission mechanisms for MTC devices, allowing them to monitor and allocate reduced bandwidth efficiently, including configuring MTC UEs to monitor only one EPDCCH-physical resource block (PRB)-set in a subframe, using a hashing function for subframe association, and supporting EPDCCH transmissions across six PRB-pairs for enhanced coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If transmission bandwidth for MTC devices is reduced to 1.4 MHz, then device costs and power consumption are reduced, but network capacity and scheduling flexibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The 1.4 MHz bandwidth is segmented into multiple MTC regions, allowing multiple MTC devices to be scheduled simultaneously within the reduced bandwidth. This segmentation enables the network to maintain capacity while devices operate in the power-efficient 1.4 MHz mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension for resource allocation by creating multiple MTC regions within the 1.4 MHz bandwidth. This allows the system to schedule multiple devices in parallel across different regions, compensating for the reduced bandwidth and maintaining network capacity.
2Productivity
If multiple MTC regions are allocated within 1.4 MHz bandwidth, then network capacity for MTC devices is improved, but device complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The eNB allocates multiple MTC regions within the 1.4 MHz bandwidth, segmenting the limited resource space. Each MTC region can be independently scheduled, allowing the system to increase network capacity while keeping individual device operations relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The MTC region allocation mechanism is designed to be universal, supporting multiple devices and services within the same 1.4 MHz bandwidth. The same EPDCCH structures and signaling mechanisms are reused across different MTC regions, reducing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If EPDCCH monitoring is configured for MTC devices in reduced bandwidth, then control channel coverage is improved, but processing overhead and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The EPDCCH monitoring configuration is optimized locally for MTC devices in reduced bandwidth. By configuring monitoring only in specific MTC regions rather than across the entire bandwidth, the patent improves coverage for target devices while reducing unnecessary processing overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
MTC devices monitor EPDCCH in a subset of subframes and specific MTC regions rather than continuously across all bandwidth. This partial monitoring approach provides sufficient coverage for reliability while significantly reducing processing overhead compared to full-bandwidth continuous monitoring.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods, systems, and storage media for monitoring enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH)-physical resource block (PRB) sets are described. In embodiments, an apparatus may determine a control channel configuration that indicates one or more EPDCCH-PRB sets to be monitored in a desired subframe. The apparatus may determine a control channel configuration that indicates an EPDCCH to be monitored for one or more EPDCCH transmissions in a non-UE-specific search space (SS) in one or more subframes. The apparatus may determine a control channel configuration that indicates a non-UE-specific search space (SS) to monitor for EPDCCH transmissions using one or more aggregation levels. The apparatus may monitor the EPDCCH according to one or more of the control channel configurations. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.