Terminal Control Channel Detection With Virtual Search Windows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Terminal devices face challenges in processing a high number of downlink control channel candidates due to limited processing capabilities, particularly in higher numerologies where time slot durations are shorter, leading to uncontrolled dropping of DCI candidates.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves determining first and second search space configurations with different starting positions and durations, forming search spans, and creating a virtual search window with changing duration to determine a maximum number of candidates the device can process, allowing efficient search and extraction of downlink control information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the terminal device scans through a high number of search spaces to detect all DCI candidates, then the detection accuracy improves, but the processing capability is exceeded leading to uncontrolled dropping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the search space into multiple search window types (first search windows and second search windows) with different monitoring requirements. The terminal device is configured to monitor only specific search windows based on its processing capability, thereby dividing the overall search space into manageable portions that can be processed without exceeding device limits while maintaining detection accuracy for critical DCI messages.
Solution Approach 2:
Different search windows are assigned different monitoring qualities and priorities. First search windows contain DCI candidates with higher priority or more critical information, while second search windows contain lower priority candidates. The terminal device allocates its limited processing capability to monitor first search windows with higher reliability, applying local quality differentiation to optimize detection accuracy where it matters most.
2Reliability
If multiple search space configurations are configured to increase coverage, then the reliability improves, but the number of candidates increases beyond processing capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the search space configuration into multiple search window types with different monitoring requirements. By segmenting the search space, the system maintains multiple configurations for reliability while limiting the number of candidates the terminal must process in any given window, preventing the total candidate count from exceeding processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal device performs partial monitoring of the search space by focusing on specific first search windows that contain the most critical DCI candidates. Rather than attempting to process all candidates from all search space configurations, the device applies partial action to monitor only the most essential windows, ensuring reliable detection of critical information without being overwhelmed by the total candidate count.
3Speed
If the time slot duration is shortened for higher numerologies to increase speed, then the transmission speed improves, but the processing time decreases leading to candidate dropping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the monitoring task into different search window types with different time characteristics. First search windows are configured with parameters optimized for higher numerologies and shorter processing times, while second search windows handle other requirements. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high transmission speeds for critical messages without requiring the terminal to process all candidates within the shortened time slot.
Solution Approach 2:
Different search windows are assigned different quality levels and monitoring priorities. First search windows contain DCI candidates that require higher reliability and are monitored with greater attention, while second search windows contain lower priority candidates. This local quality differentiation ensures that critical DCI messages are detected reliably even with reduced processing time in higher numerologies.
Data Source
AI summary
An example method includes determining at least a first search space configuration and a second search space configuration; determining a first set of periodic search spans formed by a first subset of time-domain symbols of each search window in the first set of periodic search windows and further determining a second set of periodic search spans; forming a sequence of search spans from the first set of periodic search spans and the second set of periodic search spans and determining a virtual search window; determining a maximum number of downlink control information candidates; searching the received signal within the virtual search window for up to the maximum number of downlink control channel candidates and omitting the searching for remaining downlink control channel candidates and, upon detecting the downlink control channel, extracting downlink control information on the downlink control channel.