Method and apparatus for providing automatic control channel mapping

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one processor, and
• at least one memory including computer program code,
• wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
• receive a sub-set of channel parameters through system information signaling,
• automatically map control channels to physical resources of a communication network according to the received channel parameters, and
• determine a number of the control channels based on the channel parameters,
• wherein the control channels are separately coded,
• wherein the channel parameters include a number of transmission symbols available in the control channels, and wherein the number of transmission symbols is determined based on a number of sub-carriers available for control information transmission in each of the transmission symbols,
• wherein the control channels are interleaved, and
• wherein the interleaving comprises a matrix of bits of control information corresponding to the control channels, and comprises an inter-column permutation pattern of the matrix, and
• transmit the control information over the control channels mapped to the physical resources.

An apparatus, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory including computer program code,
• wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
• determine location of one of a plurality of coded control channels established over a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication system by automatically mapping the control channels to a plurality of sub-carriers designated for use within the system,
• wherein the sub-carriers are allocated to a plurality of transmission symbols that include Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols,
• wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to receive a sub-set of channel parameters through system information signaling,
• wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to determine a number of the control channels based on the sub-set of channel parameters,
• wherein the channel parameters include a number of transmission symbols available in the control channels, and wherein the number of transmission symbols is determined based on a number of sub-carriers available for control information transmission in each of the transmission symbols,
• wherein the control channels are interleaved, and
• wherein the interleaving comprises a matrix of bits of control information corresponding to the control channels, and comprises an inter-column permutation pattern of the matrix, and
• transmit the control information over the control channels mapped to the physical resources.