LTE Control Channel Detection in PDCCH and E-PDCCH Regions
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In LTE communication systems, especially in non-evolved releases (R8/9/10), the limited PDCCH region resources lead to low resource utilization due to the need for user equipment to detect multiple control channel types, resulting in inefficient spectrum usage and increased blind detection complexity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where user equipment detects control channels of different types within both the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and evolved physical downlink control channel (E-PDCCH) regions, allowing scheduling information to be sent in both regions, thereby reducing the number of control channel detections required and optimizing resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If user equipment detects control channels in both PDCCH and E-PDCCH regions, then resource utilization is improved, but blind detection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control channel detection into two distinct types: PDCCH detection and E-PDCCH detection. By dividing the detection process into separate segments with different characteristics, the system allows user equipment to efficiently search both regions without requiring a single unified detection mechanism, thus improving resource utilization while managing complexity through structured segmentation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic adaptability by allowing the system to flexibly configure whether E-PDCCH is present and how many blind detections should be performed in each region. This dynamic approach enables the user equipment to adapt its detection behavior based on system configuration, balancing resource utilization improvements with acceptable blind detection complexity
2Device complexity
If the PDCCH region is limited to three OFDM symbols, then time division multiplexing is simplified, but spectrum efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from purely time-division multiplexing to a two-dimensional approach by introducing frequency-division multiplexing for E-PDCCH. While PDCCH occupies the first N OFDM symbols in the time dimension, E-PDCCH utilizes resources in the frequency domain within the PDSCH region, thereby improving spectrum efficiency without significantly increasing time division multiplexing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the downlink subframe structure universal by enabling it to support both traditional PDCCH operations and extended E-PDCCH operations. This multi-functional design allows the same subframe structure to accommodate different system configurations and requirements, achieving improved spectrum efficiency while maintaining compatibility with existing time division multiplexing mechanisms
3Adaptability or versatility
If E-PDCCH region is introduced, then support for more user equipments is improved, but control channel detection overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameters by introducing separate blind detection configuration for E-PDCCH, including the number of maximum blind detections and search space definitions. This parameter-based approach allows the system to support more user equipments through E-PDCCH while controlling detection overhead through configurable parameters rather than fixed structures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces search space concepts as intermediaries between the physical resources and the detection process. By defining common and user-specific search spaces with specific CCE aggregation levels, the system provides a structured intermediary layer that enables efficient detection of multiple user equipments without requiring exhaustive search of all possible control channel locations
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention disclose methods and apparatuses for receiving and sending a control channel, and are applicable to the field of communications technologies. In the embodiments of the present invention, a base station carries scheduling information of a user equipment of an R11 system in both the PDCCH region and the E-PDCCH region of a downlink subframe. In this way, the user equipment needs to detect the control channel within the PDCCH region and the E-PDCCH region, so that resources of the two regions are available to the user equipment of the R11 system. Moreover, the user equipment detects only the control channel of the first type in the PDCCH region, and detects control channels of the other type in the E-PDCCH region. The method in the embodiments of the present invention does not increase the number of control channel detections.