System and method for reduced signaling transmissions in a communications system

A communications controller comprising:

• a processor configured to assign code domain elements (CDEs) of a scheduling signal free transmission (SSFTx) zone to a plurality of user equipments (UEs) being served by the communications controller and operating in the SSFTx zone, the CDEs mapped to a plurality of network resources associated with the SSFTx zone;
• and
• a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to:
• transmit a first UE's downlink data to the first UE in the plurality of UEs based on a first CDE of the CDEs and a second UE's downlink data to a second UE in the plurality of UEs based on a second CDE of the CDEs, the first CDE having been assigned to the first UE and the second CDE having been assigned to the second UE, the first UE's downlink data being transmitted to the first UE over network resources mapped to the first CDE using a first transmit power level determined according to the first CDE and the second UE's downlink data being transmitted to the second UE different from the first UE over network resources mapped to the second CDE using a second transmit power level determined according to the second CDE different from the first CDE,
• wherein at least a portion of the network resources mapped to the first CDE overlap in the time and frequency domains with at least a portion of the network resources mapped to the second CDE, and
• wherein the CDEs are separated in a code domain by one of spreading codes, signatures, or codebooks;
• and
• signal a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to each UE of the plurality of UEs operating in the SSFTx zone, wherein the same MCS is assigned to the plurality of UEs operating in the SSFTx zone.

A method for operating a base station, the method comprising:

• assigning code domain elements (CDEs) of a scheduling signal free transmission (SSFTx) zone to a plurality of user equipments (UEs) being served by the base station and operating in the SSFTx zone, the CDEs mapped to a plurality of network resources associated with the SSFTx zone;
• transmitting a first UE's downlink data to the first UE in the plurality of UEs based on a first CDE of the CDEs;
• transmitting a second UE's downlink data to the second UE in the plurality of UEs based on a second CDE of the CDEs, the first CDE having been assigned to the first UE and the second CDE having been assigned to the second UE, the first UE's downlink data being transmitted to the first UE over network resources mapped to the first CDE using a first transmit power level determined according to the first CDE and the second UE's downlink data being transmitted to the second UE different from the first UE over network resources mapped to the second CDE using a second transmit power level determined according to the second CDE different from the first CDE,
• wherein at least a portion of the network resources mapped to the first CDE overlap in the time and frequency domains with at least a portion of the network resources mapped to the second CDE, and
• wherein the CDEs are separated in a code domain by one of spreading codes, signatures, or codebooks;
• and
• signaling a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to each UE of the plurality of UEs operating in the SSFTx zone, wherein the same MCS is assigned to the plurality of UEs operating in the SSFTx zone.

A communications controller comprising:

• a processor configured to assign code domain elements (CDEs) of a scheduling signal free transmission (SSFTx) zone to a plurality of user equipments (UEs) being served by the communications controller and operating in the SSFTx zone;
• a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to:
• map the CDEs to a plurality of network resources associated within the SSFTx zone and to transmit a first UE's downlink data to the first UE of the plurality of UEs based on a first CDE of the CDEs and to transmit a second UE's downlink data to the second UE in the plurality of UEs based on a second CDE of the CDEs, the first CDE having been assigned to the first UE and the second CDE having been assigned to the second UE, the first UE's downlink data being transmitted to the first UE over network resources mapped to the first CDE using a first transmit power level determined according to the first CDE and the second UE's downlink data being transmitted to the second UE different from the first UE over network resources mapped to the second CDE using a second transmit power level determined according to the second CDE different from the first CDE, wherein at least a portion of the network resources mapped to the first CDE overlap in the time and frequency domains with at least a portion of the network resources mapped to the second CDE;
• and
• signal a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) to each UE of the plurality of UEs operating in the SSFTx zone, wherein the same MCS is assigned to the plurality of UEs operating in the SSFTx zone
• a receiver operatively coupled to the processor, the receiver configured to receive channel state information from a third UE of the plurality of UEs,
• wherein the processor is further configured to adjust a code rate for a first transmission associated with the third UE in accordance with the channel state information, and
• wherein the CDEs are separated in a code domain by one of spreading codes, signatures, or codebooks.