Extending physical downlink control channels

1. A method for receipt of downlink control information (DCI) in a communication system, the method comprising:

receiving information representative of presence of carrier indicator on higher layer signaling from a Node B;

receiving information representative of at least one cell index on higher layer signaling from the Node B;

defining a user equipment (UE) specific search space based on an aggregation level, a UE ID, and at least one carrier indicator value, where the UE specific search space comprises a set of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates based on the aggregation level; and

decoding at least one PDCCH including at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID;

wherein the at least one carrier indicator value is based on the at least one cell index, and

wherein the UE specific search space is identified by parameters of the UE specific search space for a single cell.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one carrier indicator value is same as the at least one cell index.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information representative of presence of carrier indicator on higher layer signaling is UE specific.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information representative of at least one cell index on higher layer signaling is UE specific.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein if information representative of absence of carrier indicator is received, further comprising:

defining the UE specific search space based on the aggregation level and the UE ID;

decoding at least one PDCCH including at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID; and

acquiring the at least one DCI.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

monitoring a common search space for PDCCH without carrier indicator.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising steps of:

defining a common search space based on the aggregation level;

decoding at least one PDCCH including at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID; and

acquiring the at least one DCI,

wherein the at least one DCI does not contain a carrier indicator.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one format of all DCI formats does not contain carrier indicator regardless of the information representative of presence of carrier indicator.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one format of all DCI formats is at least one DCI format included in at least one PDCCH over common search space.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving information representative of scheduling multiple cells through a single cell on higher layer signaling.

11. An apparatus for receipt of downlink control information (DCI) in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive information representative of presence of carrier indicator on higher layer signaling from a Node B, and to receive information representative of at least one cell index on higher layer signaling from the Node B; and

a controller configured to define a UE specific search space based on an aggregation level, a UE ID, and at least one carrier indicator value, where the UE specific search space comprises a set of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates based on the aggregation level, and to decode at least one PDCCH including at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID;

wherein the at least one carrier indicator value is based on the at least one cell index, and

wherein the UE specific search space is identified by parameters of the UE specific search space for a single cell.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one carrier indicator value is same as the at least one cell index.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the information representative of presence of carrier indicator on higher layer signaling is UE specific.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the information representative of at least one cell index on higher layer signaling is UE specific.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein if information representative of absence of carrier indicator is received, further configured to:

define the UE specific search space based on the aggregation level and the UE ID;

decode at least one PDCCH including at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID; and

acquire the at least one DCI.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , further configured to:

monitor a common search space for PDCCH without carrier indicator.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , further configured to:

define a common search space based on the aggregation level;

decode at least one PDCCH including at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID; and

acquire the at least one DCI,

wherein the at least one DCI does not contain a carrier indicator.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least one format of all DCI formats does not contain carrier indicator regardless of the information representative of presence of carrier indicator.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one format of all DCI formats is at least one DCI format included in at least one PDCCH over common search space.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 , further configured to:

receive information representative of scheduling multiple cells through a single cell on higher layer signaling.

21. A method for transmission of downlink control information (DCI) in a communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting information representative of presence of carrier indicator on higher layer signaling to a user equipment (UE); and

transmitting information representative of at least one cell index on higher layer signaling to the UE,

wherein a UE specific search space is defined based on an aggregation level, a UE ID, and at least one carrier indicator value, where the UE specific search space comprises a set of physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) candidates based on the aggregation level,

wherein at least one PDCCH comprises at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID,

wherein the at least one carrier indicator value is based on the at least one cell index, and

wherein the UE specific search space is identified by parameters of the UE specific search space for a single cell.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the at least one carrier indicator value is same as the at least one cell index.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the information representative of presence of carrier indicator on higher layer signaling is UE specific.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the information representative of at least one cell index on higher layer signaling is UE specific.

25. The method of claim 21 , wherein if information representative of absence of carrier indicator is transmitted, the UE specific search space is defined based on the aggregation level and the UE ID, and

wherein at least one PDCCH comprises at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID.

26. The method of claim 21 ,

wherein a common search space for PDCCH without carrier indicator is defined.

27. The method of claim 21 ,

wherein a common search space is defined based on the aggregation level, and

wherein at least one PDCCH comprises at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID, and

wherein the at least one DCI does not contain a carrier indicator.

28. The method of claim 21 , wherein at least one format of all DCI formats does not contain carrier indicator regardless of the information representative of presence of carrier indicator.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the at least one format of all DCI formats is at least one DCI format included in at least one PDCCH over common search space.

30. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

transmitting information representative of scheduling multiple cells through a single cell based on higher layer signaling.

31. An apparatus for transmission of downlink control information (DCI) in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit information representative of presence of carrier indicator on higher layer signaling to a user equipment (UE), and to transmit information representative of at least one cell index on higher layer signaling to the UE; and

a controller configured to control the transmitter to transmit, to the UE, at least one DCI to the UE within a UE specific search space that is defined based on an aggregation level, a UE ID, and at least one carrier indicator value, where the UE specific search space comprises a set of Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) candidates based on the aggregation level,

wherein at least one PDCCH comprises the at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID,

wherein the at least one carrier indicator value is based on the at least one cell index, and

wherein the UE specific search space is identified by parameters of the UE specific search space for a single cell.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the at least one carrier indicator value is same as the at least one cell index.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the information representative of presence of carrier indicator on higher layer signaling is UE specific.

34. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein the information representative of at least one cell index on higher layer signaling is UE specific.

35. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein if information representative of absence of carrier indicator is transmitted, the UE specific search space is defined based on the aggregation level and the UE ID, and

wherein at least one PDCCH comprises at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID.

36. The apparatus of claim 31 ,

wherein a common search space for PDCCH without carrier indicator is defined.

37. The apparatus of claim 31 ,

wherein a common search space is defined based on the aggregation level, and

wherein at least one PDCCH comprises at least one DCI respectively based on the UE ID, and

wherein the at least one DCI does not contain a carrier indicator.

38. The apparatus of claim 31 , wherein at least one format of all DCI formats does not contain carrier indicator regardless of the information representative of presence of carrier indicator.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 , wherein the at least one format of all DCI formats is at least one DCI format included in at least one PDCCH over common search space.

40. The apparatus of claim 31 , further configured to:

transmit information representative of scheduling multiple cells through a single cell on higher layer signaling.