BROADCAST CHANNEL CONFIGURATION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS
Measures for a broadcast channel configuration of a standalone carrier may exemplarily include measures for configuring a broadcast channel of a carrier in one of a predetermined number of subsets of physical resource blocks in a system bandwidth on the basis of a cell configuration, wherein each subset includes the same prescribed number of physical resource blocks and the predetermined number of subsets are distributed in the frequency domain to cover the system bandwidth with the center of the system bandwidth being located in the center of a middle subset, and measures for scheduling common control signaling in the one subset of physical resource blocks in accordance with the configured broadcast channel of the carrier.
1 . A wireless communication method comprising:
configuring a broadcast channel of a carrier in one of a predetermined number of subsets of physical resource blocks in a system bandwidth on the basis of a cell configuration, wherein each subset comprises the same prescribed number of physical resource blocks and the predetermined number of subsets are distributed in the frequency domain to cover the system bandwidth with the center of the system bandwidth being located in the center of a middle subset, and
scheduling common control signaling in the one subset of physical resource blocks in accordance with the configured broadcast channel of the carrier.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
the broadcast channel is configured in the one subset of physical resource blocks on the basis of a physical cell identity and the number of subsets in the system bandwidth,
a master information block of the common control signaling is scheduled on a physical broadcast channel in the one subset of physical resource blocks,
a system information block of the common control signaling is scheduled on a physical downlink shared channel in the one subset of physical resource blocks,
a common search space for an enhanced physical downlink control channel is formed around the center of the one subset of physical resource blocks,
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.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising
issuing the scheduled common control signaling in the one subset of physical resource blocks such that the scheduled common control signaling is transmitted with a predefined timing and scrambling scheme and/or with a predefined synchronization scheme and/or with the same at least one antenna port for the common control signaling in one or more of a master information block, a system information block and an enhanced physical downlink control channel.
4 . A wireless communication method comprising:
detecting a broadcast channel of a carrier in one of a predetermined number of subsets of physical resource blocks in a system bandwidth, wherein each subset comprises the same prescribed number of physical resource blocks and the predetermined number of subsets are distributed in the frequency domain to cover the system bandwidth with the center of the system bandwidth being located in the center of a middle subset, and
listening for common control signaling in the one subset of physical resource blocks in accordance with the detected broadcast channel of the carrier.
5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of:
detecting the broadcast channel of the carrier comprises:
detecting a synchronization signal in the middle subset in the system bandwidth, and
detecting a master information block in each subset of physical resource blocks in the system bandwidth after detection of the synchronization signal,
a master information block of the common control signaling is listened for on a physical broadcast channel in the one subset of physical resource blocks,
a system information block of the common control signaling is listened for on a physical downlink shared channel in the one subset of physical resource blocks,
common control signaling in an enhanced physical downlink control channel is listened for in a common search space for the enhanced physical downlink control channel, which is formed around the center of the one subset of physical resource blocks,
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.
6 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising
obtaining the common control signaling in the one subset of physical resource blocks after receiving the common control signaling with a predefined timing and scrambling scheme and/or with a predefined synchronization scheme and/or with the same at least one antenna port for the common control signaling in one or more of a master information block, a system information block and an enhanced physical downlink control channel.
7 . An apparatus comprising a processing system for use on a network side of a cellular communication system, the apparatus arranged to:
configure a broadcast channel of a carrier in one of a predetermined number of subsets of physical resource blocks in a system bandwidth on the basis of a cell configuration, wherein each subset comprises the same prescribed number of physical resource blocks and the predetermined number of subsets are distributed in the frequency domain to cover the system bandwidth with the center of the system bandwidth being located in the center of a middle subset, and
schedule common control signaling in the one subset of physical resource blocks in accordance with the configured broadcast channel of the carrier.
8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is arranged to at least one of:
configure the broadcast channel in the one subset of physical resource blocks on the basis of a physical cell identity and the number of subsets in the system bandwidth,
schedule a master information block of the common control signaling on a physical broadcast channel in the one subset of physical resource blocks,
schedule a system information block of the common control signaling on a physical downlink shared channel in the one subset of physical resource blocks,
perform such that a common search space for an enhanced physical downlink control channel is formed around the center of the one subset of physical resource blocks, and
issue the scheduled common control signaling in the one subset of physical resource blocks such that the scheduled common control signaling is transmitted with a predefined timing and scrambling scheme and/or with a predefined synchronization scheme and/or with the same at least one antenna port for the common control signaling in one or more of a master information block, a system information block and an enhanced physical downlink control channel.
9 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the apparatus is operable as or at 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.
10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the cellular communication system comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) communication system.
11 . An apparatus comprising a processing system for use on a terminal side of a cellular communication system, arranged to:
detect a broadcast channel of a carrier in one of a predetermined number of subsets of physical resource blocks in a system bandwidth, wherein each subset comprises the same prescribed number of physical resource blocks and the predetermined number of subsets are distributed in the frequency domain to cover the system bandwidth with the center of the system bandwidth being located in the center of a middle subset, and
listen for common control signaling in the one subset of physical resource blocks in accordance with the detected broadcast channel of the carrier.
12 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , arranged to detect the broadcast channel of the carrier by:
detecting a synchronization signal in the middle subset in the system bandwidth, and
detecting a master information block in each subset of physical resource blocks in the system bandwidth after detection of the synchronization signal.
13 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , arranged to listen for a master information block of the common control signaling on a physical broadcast channel in the one subset of physical resource blocks.
14 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , arranged to listen for a system information block of the common control signaling on a physical downlink shared channel in the one subset of physical resource blocks.
15 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , arranged to listen for common control signaling in an enhanced physical downlink control channel in a common search space for the enhanced physical downlink control channel, which is formed around the center of the one subset of physical resource blocks.
16 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , arranged to:
obtain the common control signaling in the one subset of physical resource blocks after receiving the common control signaling with a predefined timing and scrambling scheme and/or with a predefined synchronization scheme and/or with the same at least one antenna port for the common control signaling in one or more of a master information block, a system information block and an enhanced physical downlink control channel.
17 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , 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.
18 . An apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein
the cellular communication system comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) communication system.
19 . 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 .