System and method for transmission and reception of control channels

1. A method for communicating with a non-relay wireless node, the method comprising:

selecting, by a communications controller, between a control region and a data region of a subframe for mapping of modulated control information for the non-relay wireless node;

determining, by the communications controller in response to the data region being selected, a first resource assignment parameter derived from an identifier;

transmitting, by the communications controller to the non-relay wireless node, configuration information including first information indicating the data region of the subframe is used for the modulated control information for the non-relay wireless node, wherein the modulated control information is scrambled in accordance with second information of the configuration information;

generating, by the communications controller in accordance with the configuration information, a first wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence for demodulating the modulated control information for the non-relay wireless node;

mapping, by the communications controller in response to the data region being selected, using the first resource assignment parameter, the first wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence for demodulating the modulated control information for the non-relay wireless node, onto a first resource located in the data region of the subframe;

mapping, by the communications controller in response to the data region being selected, the modulated control information onto a second resource located in the data region of the subframe;

mapping, by the communications controller, a second wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence for demodulating data, onto a third resource located in the data region of the subframe, wherein the first wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence is different from the second wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence;

mapping, by the communications controller, the data onto a fourth resource located in the data region of the subframe; and

transmitting, by the communications controller, the subframe to the non-relay wireless node.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating the first wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence and the modulated control information with an antenna port.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises a communications controller specific parameter.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises a wireless node specific parameter.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising transmitting the wireless node specific parameter to the non-relay wireless node.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising transmitting the wireless node specific parameter to the non-relay wireless node using higher layer signaling.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a second resource assignment parameter.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first resource assignment parameter determines the first wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first resource of the subframe comprises resource elements.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first resource of the subframe comprises resource blocks.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first resource of the subframe comprises a resource block pair.

12. A communications controller comprising:

a processor configured to:

select between a control region and a data region of a subframe for mapping of modulated control information for a non-relay wireless node;

determine, in response to the data region being selected, a first resource assignment parameter derived from an identifier,

transmit, to the non-relay wireless node, configuration information including first information indicating the data region of the subframe is used for the modulated control information for the non-relay wireless node, wherein the modulated control information is scrambled in accordance with second information of the configuration information;

generate, in accordance with the configuration information, a first wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence for demodulating the modulated control information for the non-relay wireless node;

map, in response to the data region being selected, using the first resource assignment parameter, the first wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence for demodulating the modulated control information for the non-relay wireless node, onto a first resource located in the data region of the subframe;

map, in response to the data region being selected, the modulated control information onto a second resource located in the data region of the subframe;

map a second wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence for demodulating data, onto a third resource located in the data region of the subframe, wherein the first wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence is different from the second wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence;

map the data onto a fourth resource located in the data region of the subframe; and

a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to transmit the subframe to the non-relay wireless node.

13. The communications controller of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to associate the first wireless node-specific demodulation reference signal sequence and the modulated control information with an antenna port.

14. The communications controller of claim 12 , wherein the identifier comprises a wireless node specific parameter, and wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the wireless node specific parameter to the non-relay wireless node.

15. The communications controller of claim 14 , wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit the wireless node specific parameter to the non-relay wireless node using higher layer signaling.

16. The communications controller of claim 13 , wherein the antenna port is associated with the first resource assignment parameter.

17. The communications controller of claim 12 , further comprising the processor configured to determine the first resource assignment parameter according to a pseudo-random sequence derived from the identifier.

18. The method of claim 2 , wherein the antenna port is associated with the first resource assignment parameter.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the first resource assignment parameter according to a pseudo-random sequence derived from the identifier.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising generating the pseudo-random sequence using a sequence generator.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising initializing the sequence generator using the identifier.

22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising determining a second resource assignment parameter according to the pseudo-random sequence.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising mapping the modulated control information using the second resource assignment parameter.

24. The communications controller of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the pseudo-random sequence using a sequence generator.

25. The communications controller of claim 24 , wherein the processor is configured to initialize the sequence generator using the identifier.

26. The communications controller of claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a second resource assignment parameter according to the pseudo-random sequence.

27. The communications controller of claim 26 , wherein the processor is configured to map the modulated control information using the second resource assignment parameter.