PDCCH Transmission Method for MTC Terminal Power Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

In Machine Type Communications (MTC) and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IOT) systems, terminals waste power by performing blind detection on the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) at every Paging Occasion, even if no paging message is present, leading to increased power consumption.

Innovation Solution

The base station sends a first PDCCH carrying Downlink Control Information (DCI) that includes an indication of whether to detect a second PDCCH, allowing the terminal to determine if it should perform blind detection, thereby reducing the number of blind detections and conserving power.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the terminal performs blind detection on the PDCCH at every Paging Occasion to ensure reliable paging message reception, then the reliability of paging detection is improved, but the power consumption of the terminal increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepaging detection reliabilityVSAvoidterminal power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The PDCCH detection process is segmented into two stages: first detecting a first PDCCH that carries indication information, and then based on this indication, selectively detecting a second PDCCH that carries the actual paging message. This segmentation allows the terminal to avoid unnecessary blind detections while ensuring reliable paging reception when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary detection of a first PDCCH that carries indication information before the terminal commits to detecting the second PDCCH. This preliminary action provides advance information about whether paging messages are present, allowing the terminal to avoid power-consuming blind detections when no paging messages exist.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the terminal performs complete subframe reception for every PDCCH detection to ensure accurate decoding, then the accuracy of control information detection is improved, but the power consumption and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol information detection accuracyVSAvoidterminal power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal performs partial reception and detection - it detects the first PDCCH to obtain indication information, and then based on this indication, selectively performs complete detection of the second PDCCH. This partial action approach maintains detection accuracy when needed while reducing power consumption by avoiding complete subframe reception when paging messages are not present.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If the terminal performs blind detection on the PDCCH at every Paging Occasion to ensure no paging message is missed, then the completeness of paging reception is improved, but the time overhead and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepaging reception completenessVSAvoiddetection time overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The detection process is divided into two sequential stages with the first PDCCH detection serving as a filter. This segmentation reduces the time overhead by eliminating the need for continuous blind detection at every Paging Occasion, while maintaining complete paging reception through the selective second-stage detection guided by the first stage indication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first PDCCH detection serves as a preliminary filtering step that provides indication information before the terminal commits to detecting the second PDCCH. This preliminary action reduces time overhead by preventing unnecessary detection operations while ensuring no paging messages are missed when they are actually present.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3606177B1Transmission method, device, and equipment for physical downlink control channel, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2025.01.15 ZTE CORP

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AI summary

Disclosed is a method for transmitting a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). The method includes that: a terminal detects a first PDCCH to obtain first Downlink Control Information (DCI) carried on the first PDCCH, where the first DCI includes one or more of the following information: an first indication, transmission information of a second PDCCH, and a transmission mode of the second PDCCH; and the terminal determines detection of the second PDCCH according to the first DCI. Further disclosed are an apparatus for transmitting a PDCCH, a device and a storage medium.