# US 2014/0192733 A1 · Method and apparatus for extending control signalling in an lte network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192733 A1 - Document ID: US20140192733A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/148,035 - Filed: 2014-01-06 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07 - Assignees: Broadcom Corporation - Applicants: Broadcom Corporation - Inventors: Gilles CHARBIT; Jianke FAN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192733A1 ## CPC - H04L 5/0053: {Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals} - H04L 5/0007: {the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A) or DMT} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method for a wireless network node to support an extended control signaling is provided. The method comprises configuring a control signaling message over extended control symbols on a layer 1 (L1) downlink control channel, the control signaling message encoded over an increased aggregation of control channel elements (CCEs) in a time domain; placing the controlling signaling message in a designated set of subframes on the L1 downlink control channel; indicating a support for the extended control signaling to one or more UEs; indicating to the one or more UEs a position of the designated set of the subframes in a spare field of the Master Information Block (MIB); and transmitting the control signaling message to the one or more UEs over the L1 downlink control channel. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for a wireless network node to support an extended control signaling, the method comprising: configuring a control signaling message over extended control symbols on a layer 1 (L1) downlink control channel, the control signaling message encoded over an increased aggregation of control channel elements (CCEs) in a time domain; placing the controlling signaling message in a designated set of subframes on the L1 downlink control channel; indicating a support for the extended control signaling to one or more UEs; indicating to the one or more UEs a position of the designated set of the subframes in a spare field of a Master Information Block (MIB); and transmitting the control signaling message to the one or more UEs over the L1 downlink control channel. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the control signaling message over the extended control symbols comprises configuring the control signaling message over OFDM symbols in a first slot of subframe for an extended 3GPP Release-8 MTC-capable physical data control channel (M-PDCCH) or in multiples of two slots for a 3GPP Release-11 MTC-capable extended PDCCH (M-ePDCCH). ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the control signaling message encoded over the increased aggregation of the CCE in the time domain comprises the signaling message encoded over available symbols in a subframe for M-PDCCH or across the multiples of two slots for M-ePDCCH control channel. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the control signaling message is further encoded over the increased aggregation of the CCEs in a frequency domain. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the increased aggregation of the CCEs comprise at least one of aggregation of the CCEs across physical resource block (PRB) pairs in the frequency domain in one subframe; and aggregation of the CCEs in the time domain in consecutive subframes transmitted with a low data rate, and a large latency tolerance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of causing a legacy UE to ignore the extended control signaling; disabling the extended control signaling upon discovering that most or all of the one or more UEs are legacy UEs or most or all of the one or more UEs are located at a cell center with sufficient signal strengths; and signaling the one or more UEs to disable the extended control signaling to avoid extra processing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein indicating to the one or more UEs the position of the designated subset of the subframes comprises indicating the position of the designated subset of the subframes in a spare field of the MIB; and transmitting the MIB to the one or more UEs prior to transmitting the control signaling message on the downlink control channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the designated subset of the subframes comprise a subframe subset indicated by a L-bit bitmap subframeMTC-config in a radio frame subset radioFrame-MTC with a periodicity indicated by an M-bit field radioframePeriodicity-MTC with value in [2m, . . . , 2, 1, 0] and the subframeMTC-config and radioframePeriodicity-MTC are indicated in the spare field of the MIB. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating the support for the extended control signaling to the one or more UEs via a system information element in a master information block (MIB). ### Claim 10 An apparatus for use in a wireless network node to support an extended control signaling, the apparatus comprising a processing system comprising a processor and at least one memory configured to store computer program instructions, in which the processing system is arranged to: configure a control signaling message over extended control symbols on a layer 1 (L1) downlink control channel, the control signaling message encoded over an increased aggregation of control channel elements (CCEs) in a time domain; place the controlling signaling message in a designated set of subframes on the L1 downlink control channel; indicate a support for the extended control signaling to one or more UEs; indicate to the one or more UEs a position of the designated set of the subframes in a spare field of the Master Information Block (MIB); and transmit the control signaling message to the one or more UEs over the L1 downlink control channel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing system is further arranged to configure the control signaling message over OFDM symbols in a first slot of subframe for an extended 3GPP Release-8 MTC-capable physical data control channel (M-PDCCH) or in multiples of two slots for a 3GPP Release-11 MTC-capable extended PDCCH (M-ePDCCH). ### Claim at position 12 12-15. (canceled) ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing system is further arranged to: indicate the position of the designated subset of the subframes in a spare field of the SIB1 information element; and transmit the SIB1 information element in a system information message to the one or more UEs prior to transmitting the control signaling message on the downlink control channel. ### Claim at position 14 17-19. (canceled) ### Claim 20 A method for a Machine Type Communication (MTC)-capable UE to support an extended control signaling, the method comprising: determining a position of a predetermined subset of subframes based on a detected MIB; and obtaining an extended control signaling message from the predetermined subset of subframes, the extended control signaling message encoded over extended control symbols on the L1 downlink control channel and over an increased aggregation of control channel elements (CCEs) in a time domain. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein determining that the extended control signaling is supported by the active cell comprises: detecting the master information block (MIB) on each cell of an active cell set; receiving a broadcast message from the active cell; and examining contents of the received broadcast message. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein determining the position of the predetermined subset of subframes comprises determining the position of the designated subset of the subframes in a spare field of the MIB. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the extended control signaling message is configured over OFDM symbols in a first slot of subframe for an extended 3GPP Release-8 MTC-capable physical data control channel (M-PDCCH) or in multiples of two slots for a 3GPP Release-11MTC-capable extended PDCCH (M-ePDCCH). ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, wherein the extended control signaling message is further encoded over the increased aggregation of the CCEs in a frequency domain. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, the increased aggregation of control channel elements comprise at least one of aggregation of the CCEs across PRB pairs in the frequency domain in one subframe; and aggregation of the CCEs in the time domain in consecutive subframes that are transmitted with a low data rate, and a large latency tolerance. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising disabling the extended control signaling either by an initiative of the MTC-capable UE or via a signaling from the active cell. ### Claim at position 22 27-33. (canceled)