NPDCCH Search Space Configuration for NB-IoT Multicast
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) terminals in 3GPP Release-13 lack support for multicast transmission, which is essential for efficient wireless access in IoT applications, due to the absence of defined methods for configuring downlink control channels for multicasting control channel transmission.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced to configure a separate NPDCCH search space for NB-IoT terminals to receive and transmit multicasting control channel scheduling information, using higher layer signaling to set up the necessary search spaces and transmit control information, enabling the support of multicasting control channel transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multicast transmission is not supported in NB-IoT terminals, then device complexity is reduced and power consumption is lowered, but adaptability and versatility are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the downlink control channel search space into multiple distinct search spaces, each dedicated to specific functions. A separate search space is configured for multicast control channel scheduling information, distinct from search spaces used for unicast communications. This segmentation allows NB-IoT terminals to support multicast functionality without requiring complex integration with existing unicast protocols, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a separate NPDCCH search space is configured for multicasting control channel, then multicasting capability is improved, but downlink control channel complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the multicast control channel scheduling information transmission function from the general downlink control channel framework and places it in a dedicated separate NPDCCH search space. This extraction allows the multicast functionality to operate independently with its own configuration parameters, reducing the complexity burden on the overall system while enabling robust multicasting support.
3Adaptability or versatility
If higher layer signaling is used to transmit search space configuration information, then configuration flexibility is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes existing higher layer signaling mechanisms already present in the NB-IoT system for transmitting search space configuration information. By leveraging the universal RRC signaling framework that is already employed for other configuration purposes, the system can configure multicast search spaces without introducing entirely new signaling protocols, thereby maintaining configuration flexibility while minimizing additional signaling overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a method of supporting Single Cell Point-to-Multi-point (SC-PTM) for a Bandwidth reduced Low complexity/Coverage Enhancement (BL/CE) terminal or an NB-IoT terminal, which are for a Machine Type Communication (MTC) application defined in a 3GPP LTE/LTE-A system. The method may include receiving configuration information relating to an NPDCCH search space from a base station wherein the NPDCCH search space is separately configured to receive scheduling control information for the multicasting control channel; receiving the scheduling control information for the multicasting control channel through the NPDCCH search space configured based on the configuration information; and receiving the multicasting control channel based on the scheduling control information, wherein the configuration information is received through higher layer signaling.