Signaling for ePDCCH resource mapping in the support of CoMP

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an association between physical resource block resources and at least one of a plurality of transmission points in a cooperative multipoint system, wherein receiving the association comprises receiving a common reference signal position and physical downlink control channel region for each of the plurality of transmission points, wherein the association is configured to inform a user equipment which physical resource block resources are associated with each transmission point of the plurality of transmission points; and

decoding an enhanced physical downlink control channel based on the association.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the association is related to a search space of the enhanced physical downlink control channel.

3. The method of claim 1 , the decoding comprising mapping around a plurality of common reference signal positions and physical downlink control channel regions based on the association.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein downlink control information is only accessible to a user equipment performing the decoding after the user equipment correctly decodes the enhanced physical downlink control channel.

5. A method, comprising:

determining an association between physical resource block resources and at least one of a plurality of transmission points in a cooperative multipoint system, wherein determining the association comprises determining a common reference signal position and physical downlink control channel region for each of the plurality of transmission points, wherein the association is configured to inform a user equipment which physical resource block resources are associated with each transmission point of the plurality of transmission points; and

transmitting the association to a user equipment wherein the association is configured to permit decoding of an enhanced physical downlink control channel on the physical resource block resources.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the associated at least one of the plurality of transmission points, the enhanced physical downlink control channel on the physical resource block resources.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

partitioning physical resource blocks with at least one access point, wherein the determining the common reference signal positions and the physical downlink control channel regions is based on the partitioning.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

allocating physical resource blocks to enhanced physical downlink control channel resources, wherein the determining the common reference signal positions and the physical downlink control channel regions is based on the allocating.

9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

partially overlapping partitions of the physical resource blocks; and

using the partially overlapped partitions for a joint transmission based cooperative multipoint scheme.

10. 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 an association between physical resource block resources and at least one of a plurality of transmission points in a cooperative multipoint system, wherein reception of the association comprises receiving a common reference signal position and physical downlink control channel region for each of the plurality of transmission points, wherein the association is configured to inform a user equipment which physical resource block resources are associated with each transmission point of the plurality of transmission points; and

decode an enhanced physical downlink control channel based on the association.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the association is related to a search space of the enhanced physical downlink control channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , 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

map around a plurality of common reference signal positions and physical downlink control channel regions based on the association.

13. 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 an association between physical resource block resources and at least one of a plurality of transmission points in a cooperative multipoint system, wherein determination of the association comprises determining a common reference signal position and physical downlink control channel region for each of the plurality of transmission points, wherein the association is configured to inform a user equipment which physical resource block resources are associated with each transmission point of the plurality of transmission points; and

transmit the association to a user equipment wherein the association is configured to permit decoding of an enhanced physical downlink control channel on the physical resource block resources.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , 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

transmit, by the associated at least one of the plurality of transmission points, the enhanced physical downlink control channel on the physical resource block resources.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , 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

partition physical resource blocks with at least one access point, and

determine the common reference signal positions and the physical downlink control channel regions based on the partitioning.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , 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

allocate physical resource blocks to enhanced physical downlink control channel resources; and

determine the common reference signal positions and the physical downlink control channel regions based on the allocating.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , 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

partially overlap partitions of the physical resource blocks; and

use the partially overlapped partitions for a joint transmission based cooperative multipoint scheme.