Dynamically beamformed control channel for beamformed cells

An apparatus for an Evolved Node-B (eNB), the apparatus comprising hardware processing circuitry and transceiver circuitry, the hardware processing circuitry to configure the transceiver circuitry to:

• transmit downlink control channels to user equipment (UEs) in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols of a downlink subframe, a first of the OFDM symbols configured to be transmitted using first beamforming parameters in a first direction, and a second of the OFDM symbols is configured to be transmitted using second beamforming parameters different from the first beamforming parameters and in a second direction different from the first direction.

An apparatus for a User Equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising transceiver circuitry and hardware processing circuitry, the hardware processing circuitry to configure the transceiver circuitry to:

• scan a number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols of a downlink subframe to detect the highest-energy OFDM symbol of the number of OFDM symbols;
• and
• decode a downlink control channel, in the highest-energy OFDM symbol, the downlink control channel being received in no more than one OFDM symbol from an evolved Node-B (eNB).

A computer-readable medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors to perform operations for communication by an Evolved Node-B (eNB), the operations to configure the one or more processors to:

• detect locations for user equipments (UEs) in a cell served by the eNB;
• and
• transmit downlink control channels to the UEs in a number of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols of a downlink subframe, the number being set based on at least one of cell load and locations for the UEs.