Apparatus and method for control channel monitoring in a new carrier type (NCT) wireless network

1. An evolved Node B (eNB) transceiver comprising:

physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) generation circuitry to generate a PDCCH signal;

Multicast/Broadcast over Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) for Physical Multicast Channel (P-MCH) encoding circuitry comprising time division multiplexing circuitry and frequency division multiplexing circuitry; and

a transmitter circuit to transmit a MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission to a User Equipment (UE);

wherein said time division multiplex circuitry time multiplexes said PDCCH signal with a P-MCH signal;

wherein said frequency division multiplexing circuitry frequency multiplexes an Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (“-EPDCCH-”) signal with said P-MCH signal in a region of said MBFSN subframe that corresponds specifically to said UE receiving said transmission; and

wherein at least one cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bit is included in a P-MCH transport block of said MBSFN subframe.

2. The eNB of claim 1 , wherein said PDCCH generation circuitry is further to generate an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) signal.

3. The eNB of claim 2 , wherein said MBSFN for P-MCH encoding circuitry further comprises frequency domain multiplexing (FDM) circuitry to frequency multiplex said EPDCCH signal with a P-MCH signal in said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH.

4. The eNB of claim 1 , wherein said MBSFN for P-MCH encoding circuitry further comprises superposition circuitry to superimpose said PDCCH signal onto a P-MCH signal in said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH.

5. The eNB of claim 3 , wherein said frequency domain multiplexing further comprises mapping said P-MCH signal to resource elements by puncturing regions of said EPDCCH signal in said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH.

6. The eNB of claim 3 , wherein said frequency domain multiplexing further comprises mapping said P-MCH signal to resource elements by rate matching regions of said EPDCCH signal in said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH.

7. The eNB of claim 1 , wherein downlink control information (DCI) for said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH is transmitted at an alternate subframe and/or transmitted on a different carrier.

8. The eNB of claim 2 , wherein said transmitter circuit is further to transmit a radio resource control (RRC) message providing information to said UE to enable decoding by said UE of said PDCCH or EPDCCH signal in said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission.

9. User Equipment (UE) comprising:

a receiver circuit to receive a Multicast/Broadcast over Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe for Physical Multicast Channel (P-MCH) transmission from an evolved Node B (eNB), the MBSFN subframe including a P-MCH transport block having at least one cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bit;

MBSFN for P-MCH detection circuitry to detect and extract a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal and an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) signal from said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission;

wherein:

said detection circuitry comprises time domain demux circuitry to perform time domain de-multiplexing of said PDCCH signal; and

said detection circuitry comprises frequency demux circuitry to perform frequency domain de-multiplexing of said EPDCCH signal from a region of said MBFSN subframe that corresponds specifically to said UE; and

EPDCCH monitor circuitry to decode and monitor said extracted EPDCCH signal.

10. The UE of claim 9 , wherein said MBSFN for P-MCH detection circuitry further comprises superposition recovery circuitry to recover said EPDCCH signal from a superposition of said EPDCCH signal onto a P-MCH signal in said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH.

11. The UE of claim 9 , wherein said EPDCCH monitor circuitry is further to monitor said EPDCCH signal for an uplink grant or a Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) release.

12. The UE of claim 9 , wherein downlink control information (DCI) for said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH is received at an alternate subframe and/or transmitted on a different carrier.

13. The UE of claim 9 , wherein said receiver circuit is further to receive a radio resource control (RRC) message providing information from said eNB to enable decoding of said EPDCCH signal in said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission.

14. User Equipment (UE) comprising:

a receiver circuit to receive a Multicast/Broadcast over Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframe for Physical Multicast Channel (P-MCH) transmission from an evolved Node B (eNB), said MBSFN subframe including a P-MCH transport block having at least one cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bit;

MBSFN for P-MCH detection circuitry to detect and extract a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal, or an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) signal, from a region of said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission that corresponds specifically to said UE;

wherein:

said detection circuitry comprises time domain demux circuitry to perform time domain de-multiplexing of said PDCCH signal; and

said detection circuitry comprises frequency demux circuitry to perform frequency domain de-multiplexing of said EPDCCH signal;

PDCCH monitor circuitry to decode and monitor said extracted PDCCH signal.

15. The UE of claim 14 , wherein said MBSFN for P-MCH detection circuitry further comprises superposition recovery circuitry to recover said PDCCH signal from a superposition of said PDCCH signal onto a P-MCH signal in said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH.

16. The UE of claim 14 , wherein said PDCCH monitor circuitry is further to monitor said PDCCH signal for an uplink grant or a Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) release.

17. The UE of claim 14 , wherein downlink control information (DCI) for said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH is received at an alternate subframe and/or transmitted on a different carrier.

18. The UE of claim 14 , wherein said receiver circuit is further to receive a radio resource control (RRC) message providing information from said eNB to enable decoding of said PDCCH signal in said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission.

19. A method comprising:

providing User Equipment comprising Multicast/Broadcast over Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) for Physical Multicast Channel (P-MCH) detection circuitry to detect and extract a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal, or an enhanced PDCCH (EPDCCH) signal, from a MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission, wherein said MBSFN subframe includes a P-MCH transport block having at least one cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bit, wherein said detection circuitry comprises time domain demux circuitry to perform time domain de-multiplexing of said PDCCH signal from a region of said MBFSN subframe that corresponds specifically to said UE, and wherein said detection circuitry comprises frequency demux circuitry to perform frequency domain de-multiplexing of said EPDCCH signal;

receiving by said User Equipment an MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission from an eNB;

detecting a PDCCH signal, or an EPDCCH signal, from said received MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission;

extracting said PDCCH signal, or said EPDCCH signal, from said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission; and

monitoring said PDCCH signal, or said EPDCCH signal, for an uplink grant or an SPS release.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising detecting an EPDCCH signal from said received MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission and extracting said EPDCCH signal from said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH transmission.

21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising time de-multiplexing said PDCCH signal from a P-MCH signal in said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH.

22. The method of claim 20 , further comprising frequency de-multiplexing said EPDCCH signal from a P-MCH signal in said MBSFN subframe for P-MCH.