NR Control Channel Detection Using DMRS to Reduce Blind Decoding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face significant power consumption issues during blind decoding of downlink control channels, particularly in idle mode and connected modes, leading to reduced battery life in user equipment devices.

Innovation Solution

Implementing methods that utilize the presence of DMRS-specific to a UE in NR systems to reduce blind decoding by selectively performing channel estimation and decoding only on groups of CCEs where DMRS is detected, thereby conserving power and resources.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If blind decoding is performed on all CCEs in NR systems, then control channel detection reliability is improved, but power consumption increases significantly

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

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and utilizes DMRS (Demodulation Reference Signal) as a indicator to identify which CCE groups actually contain PDCCH transmissions. By taking out the DMRS detection step as a separate filtering mechanism, the system can identify relevant CCE groups without performing full blind decoding on all CCEs, thus reducing power consumption while maintaining detection reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs DMRS detection as a preliminary action before blind decoding. This preliminary detection of DMRS presence in CCE groups allows the system to pre-identify which groups warrant further decoding processing, eliminating the need for exhaustive blind decoding across all CCEs and significantly reducing computational power requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If blind decoding is performed on all CCEs to ensure accurate signal reception, then communication accuracy is improved, but battery life is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal reception accuracyVSAvoidbattery life
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts DMRS detection as a separate preliminary step that filters out CCE groups without PDCCH transmissions. This extraction allows accurate signal reception to be focused only on relevant CCE groups identified by DMRS presence, rather than wasting battery power on exhaustive decoding of all CCEs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

By performing DMRS detection as a preliminary action before blind decoding, the system accurately identifies which CCE groups contain actual control information. This preliminary filtering ensures that subsequent decoding operations are performed only where necessary, maintaining signal reception accuracy while extending battery life through reduced processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If comprehensive blind decoding is performed across all CCE groups, then control information detection completeness is improved, but processing resources are wasted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection completenessVSAvoidprocessing resource waste
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts DMRS presence detection as a filtering mechanism that identifies CCE groups containing PDCCH transmissions. This extraction enables the system to achieve detection completeness by focusing blind decoding only on DMRS-positive CCE groups, eliminating processing resource waste on CCE groups that contain no control information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements DMRS detection as a preliminary action that precedes blind decoding. This preliminary step ensures detection completeness by identifying all CCE groups that may contain control information, while simultaneously reducing processing resource waste by eliminating unnecessary decoding operations on empty CCE groups.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4131833B1NR control channel element detections to reduce blind demodulation and decoding
Publication Date: 2025.07.09 APPLE INC
  • EP4131833B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4131833B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP4131833B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

This disclosure relates to techniques for reducing blind decoding of downlink control channels in a wireless communication system. The techniques may include determining whether a control channel pilot signal, such as a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) is present within a set of control carrier entities, and accordingly determining whether the downlink control channel is present within the set of control channel elements. In this manner, a number of candidates for blind decoding may be reduced.