Methods of adapting receiver configuration for control channel reception based on data reception

A method, performed in a network node of a cellular communication system, wherein the network node has a first transmitter configuration and a second transmitter configuration, of transmitting signals to a wireless device, comprising:

• during a first time period, transmitting data to the wireless device over a data channel of the cellular communication system;
• during a second time period, following directly after the first time period, having a duration ΔT1, and during which no data is transmitted to the wireless device over said data channel, transmitting signals over a control channel of the cellular communication system to the wireless device using the first transmitter configuration;
• and
• during a third time period, following directly after the second time period, and during which no data is transmitted to the wireless device over said data channel, transmitting signals over said control channel to the wireless device using the second transmitter configuration,
• wherein the network node comprises a timer, and the timer is operated by:
• setting the timer to expire after the duration ΔT1,
• starting the timer at the end of the first time period,
• while the timer is active, transmitting signals over said control channel to the wireless device using the first transmitter configuration, and
• in response to expiration of the timer, switching to transmitting signals over said control channel to the wireless device using the second transmitter configuration, and
• wherein the wireless device is configured to apply a certain interference-mitigation technique to a receiver of the wireless device in a first receiver configuration, and to not apply the certain interference-mitigation technique to said receiver in a second receiver configuration.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored there on a computer program product comprising computer program code for executing a method when said computer program code is executed by a programmable control unit of a wireless device of a cellular communication system, wherein the wireless device has a first receiver configuration and a second receiver configuration, of receiving signals in the cellular communication system, the method comprising:

• during a first time period, in which data is transmitted to the wireless device over a data channel of the cellular communication system, receiving said data over said data channel of the cellular communication system;
• during a second time period, following directly after the first time period, having a duration ΔT1, and during which no data is received over said data channel, monitoring a control channel of the cellular communication system using the first receiver configuration;
• and
• during a third time period, following directly after the second time period, and during which no data is received over said data channel, monitoring the control channel using the second receiver configuration,
• wherein the wireless device comprises a timer, and the timer is operated by:
• setting the timer to expire after the duration ΔT1,
• starting the timer at the end of the first time period,
• while the timer is active, monitoring the control channel using the first receiver configuration, and
• in response to expiration of the timer, switching to monitoring the control channel using the second receiver configuration, and
• wherein the wireless device is configured to apply a certain interference-mitigation technique to a receiver of the wireless device in the first receiver configuration, and to not apply the certain interference-mitigation technique to said receiver in the second receiver configuration.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program product comprising computer program code for executing a method when said computer program code is executed by a programmable control unit of a network node of a cellular communication system, wherein the network node has a first transmitter configuration and a second transmitter configuration, of transmitting signals to a wireless device, comprising:

• during a first time period, transmitting data to the wireless device over a data channel of the cellular communication system;
• during a second time period, following directly after the first time period, having a duration ΔT1, and during which no data is transmitted to the wireless device over said data channel, transmitting signals over a control channel of the cellular communication system to the wireless device using the first transmitter configuration;
• and
• during a third time period, following directly after the second time period, and during which no data is transmitted to the wireless device over said data channel, transmitting signals over said control channel to the wireless device using the second transmitter configuration,
• wherein the network node comprises a timer, and the timer is operated by:
• setting the timer to expire after the duration ΔT1,
• starting the timer at the end of the first time period,
• while the timer is active, transmitting signals over said control channel to the wireless device using the first transmitter configuration, and
• in response to expiration of the timer, switching to transmitting signals over said control channel to the wireless device using the second transmitter configuration, and
• wherein the wireless device is configured to apply a certain interference-mitigation technique to a receiver of the wireless device in a first receiver configuration, and to not apply the certain interference-mitigation technique to said receiver in a second receiver configuration.

A wireless device for a cellular communication system, comprising:

• a receiver unit having a first receiver configuration and a second receiver configuration;
• and
• a control unit operatively connected to the receiver unit;
• wherein the control unit is adapted to control the receiver unit to:
• during a first time period, in which data is transmitted to the wireless device over a data channel of the cellular communication system, receive said data over said data channel of the cellular communication system;
• during a second time period, following directly after the first time period, having a duration ΔT1, and during which no data is received over said data channel, monitor a control channel of the cellular communication system using the first receiver configuration;
• and
• during a third time period, following directly after the second time period, and during which no data is received over said data channel, monitor the control channel using the second receiver configuration,
• wherein the wireless device comprises a timer, and the control unit is adapted to:
• set the timer to expire after the duration ΔT1,
• start the timer at the end of the first time period,
• while the timer is active, monitor the control channel using the first receiver configuration, and
• in response to expiration of the timer, switch to monitor the control channel using the second receiver configuration, and
• wherein the wireless device is configured to apply a certain interference-mitigation technique to a receiver of the wireless device in the first receiver configuration, and to not apply the certain interference-mitigation technique to said receiver in the second receiver configuration.

A network node for a cellular communication system, comprising:

• a transmitter unit having a first transmitter configuration and a second transmitter configuration;
• and
• a control unit operatively connected to the transmitter unit;
• wherein the control unit is adapted to control the transmitter unit to:
• during a first time period, transmit data to a wireless device over a data channel of the cellular communication system;
• during a second time period, following directly after the first time period, having a duration ΔT1, and during which no data is transmitted to the wireless device over said data channel, transmit signals over a control channel of the cellular communication system to the wireless device using the first transmitter configuration;
• and
• during a third time period, following directly after the second time period, and during which no data is transmitted to the wireless device over said data channel, transmit signals over said control channel to the wireless device using the second transmitter configuration;
• wherein the network node comprises a timer, and the control unit is adapted to:
• set the timer to expire after the duration ΔT1;
• start the timer at the end of the first time period;
• while the timer is active, transmitting signals over said control channel to the wireless device using the first transmitter configuration, and
• in response to expiration of the timer, switch to transmit signals over said control channel to the wireless device using the second transmitter configuration, and
• wherein the wireless device is configured to apply a certain interference-mitigation technique to a receiver of the wireless device in the first receiver configuration, and to not apply the certain interference-mitigation technique to said receiver in the second receiver configuration.