COMMON SEARCH SPACE CONFIGURATION OF A CARRIER

1 . A method comprising:

configuring a common search space for an enhanced physical downlink control channel of a carrier, and

scheduling a master information block of common control signaling on a physical broadcast channel of the carrier, wherein said master information block indicates a configuration of the common search space which defines a set of pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a number of physical resource blocks in said set of pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space is configured, said configuration of the common search space comprising said number of physical resource blocks in said set of pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein a mapping of localized or distributed control channel elements of the enhanced physical downlink control channel to said pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space is configured, said configuration of the common search space further comprising an indication of said mapping of localized or distributed control channel elements of the enhanced physical downlink control channel to said pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the common search space is configured on a cell basis on the basis of a cell configuration.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of:

issuing the scheduled master information block on the physical broadcast channel using at least one antenna port of the enhanced physical downlink control channel;

issuing a scheduling assignment for common control signaling on the enhanced physical downlink control channel in the configured common search space; and

issuing common control signaling on a physical downlink shared channel in accordance with the scheduling assignment.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of:

mapping of the at least one antenna port is specified on a cell basis on the basis of a cell configuration;

the method is operable at or by a base station of a cell of a cellular communication system; and/or

the carrier comprises a standalone carrier of a non-backwards compatible carrier type and/or is usable as a component carrier in carrier aggregation.

7 . A method comprising:

monitoring a master information block of common control signaling on a physical broadcast channel of a carrier, wherein said master information block indicates a configuration of a common search space which defines a set of pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space, and

detecting the common search space for an enhanced physical downlink control channel of the carrier on the basis of the configuration of the common search space indicated in the monitored master information block.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein a number of physical resource blocks in said set of pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space is detected on the basis of the configuration of the common search space indicated in the monitored master information block.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein a mapping of localized or distributed control channel elements of the enhanced physical downlink control channel to said pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space is detected on the basis of the configuration of the common search space indicated in the monitored master information block.

10 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising at least one of:

obtaining the master information block on the physical broadcast channel using at least one antenna port of the enhanced physical downlink control channel, wherein said at least one antenna port is determined as an antenna port mapping of the enhanced physical downlink control channel in the common search space;

obtaining a scheduling assignment for common control signaling on the enhanced physical downlink control channel in the detected common search space; and

listening for common control signaling on a physical downlink shared channel in accordance with the obtained scheduling assignment.

11 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein

the method is operable at or by a terminal operable in a cell of a cellular communication system, and/or

the carrier comprises a standalone carrier of a non-backwards compatible carrier type and/or is usable as a component carrier in carrier aggregation.

12 . An apparatus for use on a network side of a cellular communication system, comprising a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus to perform:

configuring a common search space for an enhanced physical downlink control channel of a carrier, and

scheduling a master information block of common control signaling on a physical broadcast channel of the carrier, wherein said master information block indicates a configuration of the common search space which defines a set of pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to at least one of:

configure a number of physical resource blocks in said set of pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space, and to include said number of physical resource blocks in said configuration of the common search space;

configure a mapping of localized or distributed control channel elements of the enhanced physical downlink control channel to said pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space, and to include said mapping in said configuration of the common search space;

configure the common search space on a cell basis on the basis of a cell configuration; and

perform issuing the scheduled master information block on the physical broadcast channel using at least one antenna port of the enhanced physical downlink control channel.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to specify the mapping of the at least one antenna port on a cell basis on the basis of a cell configuration.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of:

the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to perform issuing a scheduling assignment for common control signaling on the enhanced physical downlink control channel in the configured common search space, and issuing common control signaling on a physical downlink shared channel in accordance with the scheduling assignment;

the apparatus is operable as or at a base station of a cell of a cellular communication system;

the carrier comprises a standalone carrier of a non-backwards compatible carrier type and/or is usable as a component carrier in carrier aggregation; and

the cellular communication system comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) communication system.

16 . An apparatus for use on a terminal side of a cellular communication system, comprising a processing system arranged to cause the apparatus to perform:

monitoring a master information block of common control signaling on a physical broadcast channel of a carrier, wherein said master information block indicates a configuration of a common search space which defines a set of pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space, and

detecting the common search space for an enhanced physical downlink control channel of the carrier on the basis of the configuration of the common search space indicated in the monitored master information block.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to at least one of:

detect a number of physical resource blocks in said set of pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space on the basis of the configuration of the common search space indicated in the monitored master information block;

obtain the master information block on the physical broadcast channel using at least one antenna port of the enhanced physical downlink control channel, wherein the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to determine said at least one antenna port as an antenna port mapping of the enhanced physical downlink control channel in the common search space;

obtain a scheduling assignment for common control signaling on the enhanced physical downlink control channel in the detected common search space; and

listen for common control signaling on a physical downlink shared channel in accordance with the obtained scheduling assignment.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to detect a mapping of localized or distributed control channel elements of the enhanced physical downlink control channel to said pairs of physical resource blocks in the common search space on the basis of the configuration of the common search space indicated in the monitored master information block.

19 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein

the apparatus is operable as or at a terminal operable in a cell of a cellular communication system, and/or

the carrier comprises a standalone carrier of a non-backwards compatible carrier type and/or is usable as a component carrier in carrier aggregation.

20 . The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein

the cellular communication system comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) communication system.

21 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer program code which when executed by a data processing system, causes the data-processing system to carry out the method according to claim 1 .