Method and apparatus with enhanced control messages and search space

Abstract

A method of mapping control information in a wireless communication system is disclosed (FIG. 5). The method includes forming a subframe (FIG. 3) having a bandwidth and having plural regions (302-306). A base station (eNB) determines a communication mode with a remote user equipment. The base station maps control information specific to the user equipment into a first region of the subframe (508). The base station also maps control information common to plural user equipments into a second region of the subframe (512). The subframe is transmitted to the plural user equipments (412, FIG. 4).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of mapping control information in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:
 forming a subframe having a bandwidth and having plural regions;   determining a communication mode with a remote user equipment (UE 1 );   mapping control information specific to UE 1  into a first region of the subframe;   mapping control information common to UE 1  and at least another user equipment (UE 2 ) into a second region of the subframe; and   transmitting the subframe to UE 1  and UE 2 .   
     
     
         2 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the first region is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH), and wherein the second region is a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the first region is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH), and wherein the second region is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH). 
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the step of mapping control information common to UE 1  and at least another user equipment (UE 2 ) into a second region of the subframe is determined in response to a type of control information. 
     
     
         5 . A method as in  claim 4 , wherein the type of control information is transmit power control (TPC) information, and wherein the second region is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH). 
     
     
         6 . A method as in  claim 1 , wherein the subframe comprises a plurality of Physical Resource Block (PRB) pairs, and wherein a location of the first region and a location of the second region is indicated by a bitmap. 
     
     
         7 . A method as in  claim 6 , wherein the bitmap has a length at least equal a total number of PRB pairs in the subframe. 
     
     
         8 . A method of receiving control information by a user equipment (UE 1 ) in a wireless communication system, comprising the steps of:
 determining a communication mode with a remote base station (eNB);   receiving a configuration of a subframe having plural regions from the eNB;   blind decoding a first region the subframe to receive control information specific to the UE 1 ; and   blind decoding a second region of the subframe to receive control information common to the UE 1  and at least another user equipment (UE 2 ).   
     
     
         9 . A method as in  claim 8 , wherein the first region is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH), and wherein the second region is a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
         10 . A method as in  claim 8 , wherein the first region is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH), and wherein the second region is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH). 
     
     
         11 . A method as in  claim 8 , wherein the step of mapping control information common to UE 1  and at least another user equipment (UE 2 ) into a second region of the subframe is determined in response to a type of control information. 
     
     
         12 . A method as in  claim 11 , wherein the type of control information is transmit power control (TPC) information, and wherein the second region is an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH). 
     
     
         13 . A method as in  claim 8 , wherein the subframe comprises a plurality of Physical Resource Block (PRB) pairs, wherein the step of receiving a configuration comprises receiving a bitmap, and wherein a location of the first region and a location of the second region is indicated by a bitmap. 
     
     
         14 . A method as in  claim 13 , wherein the bitmap indicates whether a PRB pair is for UE 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A method as in  claim 13 , wherein the bitmap indicates whether a subframe is for UE 1 . 
     
     
         16 . A method of communication between a base station and a plurality of user equipments (UE), comprising the steps of:
 the base station forming a subframe having a first region and a second region;   generating a first Downlink Control Indicator (DCI) comprising control information specific to a first UE (UE 1 );   generating a second Downlink Control Indicator (DCI) comprising control information common to UE 1  and at least a second user equipment (UE 2 );   mapping the first DCI into the first region of the subframe, wherein the first region is configured for an Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (EPDCCH);   mapping the second DCI into the second region of the subframe; and   transmitting the subframe to UE 1  and UE 2 .   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the subframe comprises a plurality of Physical Resource Block (PRB) pairs, and wherein a location of the first region is indicated by a bitmap having a length at least equal a total number of PRB pairs in the subframe. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the total number of PRB pairs is a function of a communication bandwidth between the base station and the plurality of user equipments. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second region is configured for a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second region is configured for an Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (EPDCCH).