Dynamic indication of time division (TDD) duplex uplink/downlink subframe configurations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10244518-B2
Application number	US-201414905929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2014
Priority date	Jul 29, 2013
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques for dynamic indication of Time Division Duplex (TDD) Uplink (UL)/Downlink (DL) subframe configuration to User Equipments. A base station may identify one or more anchor subframes and one or more non-anchor subframes in a frame. The base station may dynamically change a UL/DL configuration of the frame used for communicating with a plurality of User Equipments (UEs) and signal the changed configuration using a common downlink control channel capable of being interpreted by the plurality of UEs in at least one of the one or more anchor subframes of the frame.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of wireless communication by a base station, comprising:
identifying one or more anchor subframes and one or more non-anchor subframes in a frame;
dynamically changing an uplink/downlink configuration of the frame used for communicating with a plurality of user equipments (UEs); and
signaling the changed configuration using a common downlink control channel capable of being interpreted by the plurality of UEs in at least one of the one or more anchor subframes of the frame,
wherein application of the changed configuration to one or more frames is a function of a location of reception of the common downlink control channel within the frame.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a size of the common downlink control channel is same as a size defined for a legacy Long Term Evolution (LTE) Downlink Control Information (DCI) format.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a size of the common downlink control channel is independent of a downlink system bandwidth.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising scrambling Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) code of the common downlink control channel by Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) specific to the common downlink control channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring two or more RNTI values for cells of a same physical cell identity (PCI), wherein each of the plurality of UEs is indicated to monitor only one of the two or more RNTI values.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signaling comprises transmitting the common downlink control channel only in a subset of the one or more anchor subframes of the frame.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signaling comprises transmitting the common downlink control channel in the one or more anchor subframes of the frame for indicating the uplink/downlink configuration for another subsequent frame.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating to at least one UE of the plurality of UEs via explicit signaling a set of subframes configured to carry the common downlink control channel.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a set of subframes to carry the common downlink control channel for each UE based on a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) operation of the UE such that at least one subframe carries the downlink control channel in a DRX ON duration.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signaling comprises transmitting the common downlink control channel in at least two downlink anchor subframes.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the common downlink control channel comprises information about a duration for which the changed configuration is to be applied.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the duration comprises one or more frame lengths.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the common downlink control channel is transmitted in a first portion of the frame, the changed configuration is applied to the frame.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the common downlink control channel is transmitted in a second portion of the frame, the changed configuration is applied to a subsequent frame.

15. A method of wireless communication by a User Equipment (UE), comprising:
monitoring one or more anchor subframes of a frame for a common downlink control channel indicating a changed uplink/downlink configuration of subframes used for communication with at least the UE;
decoding the common downlink control channel to determine the changed uplink/downlink configuration of subframes for use in subsequent communication, and
determining one or more frames to apply the changed configuration as a function of a location of reception of the common downlink control channel within the frame.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a size of the common downlink control channel is same as a size defined for a legacy Long Term Evolution (LTE) Downlink Control Information (DCI) format.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein a size of the common downlink control channel is independent of a downlink system bandwidth.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) code of the common downlink control channel is scrambled by Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI) specific to the common downlink control channel.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the indication of the changed uplink/downlink configuration comprises the common downlink control channel only in a subset of the one or more anchor subframes of the frame.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the indication of the changed uplink/downlink configuration comprises the common downlink control channel in the one or more anchor subframes of the frame indicating the uplink/downlink configuration for another subsequent frame.

21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving indication via explicit signaling of a set of subframes configured to carry the common downlink control channel.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein a set of subframes carrying the common downlink control channel for each UE is based on a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) operation of the UE such that at least one subframe carries the downlink control channel in a DRX ON duration.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein if the common downlink control channel is transmitted in a first portion of the frame, the changed configuration is applied to the frame.

24. The method of claim 15 , wherein if the common downlink control channel is transmitted in a second portion of the frame, the changed configuration is applied to a subsequent frame.

25. The method of claim 15 , further comprising determining a duration for which the changed configuration is to be applied based on the common downlink control channel.

26. The method of claim 15 , wherein the indication of the changed uplink/downlink configuration comprises the common downlink control channel in at least two downlink anchor subframes.

27. An apparatus of wireless communication by a base station, comprising:
means for identifying one or more anchor subframes and one or more non-anchor subframes in a frame;
means for dynamically changing an uplink/downlink configuration of the frame used for communicating with a plurality of user equipments (UEs); and
means for signaling the changed configuration using a common downlink control channel capable of being interpreted by the plurality of UEs in at least one of the one or more anchor subframes of the frame,
wherein application of the changed configuration to one or more frames is a function of a location of reception of the common downlink control channel within the frame.

28. An apparatus of wireless communication by a User Equipment (UE), comprising:
means for monitoring one or more anchor subframes of a frame for a common downlink control channel indicating a changed uplink/downlink configuration of subframes used for communication with at least the UE;
means for decoding the common downlink control channel to determine the changed uplink/downlink configuration of subframes for use in subsequent communication; and
means for determining one or more frames to apply the changed configuration as a function of a location of reception of the common downlink control channel within the frame.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Chen Wanshi
• Xu Hao
• Gaal Peter
• Wang Neng
• Wei Chao
• Feng Minghai

Classifications

• H04W72/23 Primary

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04L5/0037 Primary

  Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation · CPC title

• H04L5/0091

  Signalling for the administration of the divided path, e.g. signalling of configuration information · CPC title

• H04L5/1469

  using time-sharing · CPC title

• H04W76/28

  Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX] · CPC title