Method and apparatus for obtaining uplink transmission power control commands from a identified location of a physical downlink control channel

1. A method for transmitting an uplink power control command, the method comprising:

determining transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to respective sets of carriers and transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, wherein Physical Uplink Control Channels are transmitted on different uplink carriers corresponding to different sets of carriers;

detecting physical downlink control channels using the downlink control information format 3/3A and scrambled with the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers in a common search space of a primary component carrier; and

determining the locations, of uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, in the detected physical downlink control channels scrambled with the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the sets of carriers, and obtaining the uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the sets of carriers at the corresponding locations.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers and the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers comprises any one of the following approaches:

a first approach where:

determining a transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to the user equipment as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to the user equipment is used as the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to each set of carriers of the user equipment; and

determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein transmit power control-indexes corresponding to different sets of carriers are different from each other; or determining a transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, and determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and the transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, wherein transmit power control-indexes corresponding to different sets of carriers are different from each other;

a second approach where:

determining the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to different sets of carriers are different from each other; and

determining a transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment is used as the transmit power control-index corresponding to each set of carriers of the user equipment; or determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side; or determining a transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, and determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and the transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers;

a third approach where:

determining the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein not all of transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to different sets of carriers are the same; and

determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein sets of carriers corresponding to the same transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier correspond to different transmit power control-indexes; or determining a transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, and determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and the transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, wherein sets of carriers corresponding to the same transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier correspond to different transmit power control-indexes.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein in the first approach or the third approach, determining the locations, of the uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, in the detected physical downlink control channels scrambled with the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the sets of carriers, and obtaining the uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the sets of carriers at the corresponding locations comprises:

when a plurality of sets of carriers of the user equipment correspond to the same transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier, determining the locations, of the uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, in the detected physical downlink control channel scrambled with the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier according to the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers with the same transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier respectively, and obtaining the uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the respective sets of carriers at the corresponding locations.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier comprises a transmit power control-physical uplink control channel-radio network temporary identifier or a transmit power control-physical uplink shared channel-radio network temporary identifier.

5. A method for transmitting an uplink power control command, the method comprising:

determining transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to respective sets of carriers and transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, wherein Physical Uplink Control Channels are transmitted on different uplink carriers corresponding to different sets of carriers;

detecting physical downlink control channels using the downlink control information format 3/3A and scrambled with the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers in common search spaces of search carriers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers respectively, wherein the search carrier corresponding to each set of carriers is such a carrier in the set of carriers that is preconfigured in higher-layer signaling or predefined with the network side; and

determining the locations, of uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, in the physical downlink control channels detected on the search carriers corresponding to the sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the sets of carriers respectively, and obtaining the uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the sets of carriers at the corresponding locations.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein determining the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers and the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers comprises:

determining a transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to the user equipment as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to the user equipment is used as the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to each set of carriers of the user equipment; and

determining a transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment is used as the transmit power control-index corresponding to each set of carriers of the user equipment; or determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side; or determining a transmit power control index corresponding to the user equipment, and transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, and determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and the transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the search carrier corresponding to each set of carriers is:

a downlink carrier, in the set of carriers, paired with an uplink carrier, corresponding to the set of carriers, on which uplink control information is transmitted;

or

a downlink primary component carrier in the set of carriers.

8. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier is a transmit power control-physical uplink control channel-radio network temporary identifier; or the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier is a transmit power control-physical uplink shared channel-radio network temporary identifier.

9. A user equipment, comprising a memory configured to store computer readable instructions and a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer readable instructions to:

determine transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to respective sets of carriers and transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, wherein Physical Uplink Control Channels are transmitted on different uplink carriers corresponding to different sets of carriers;

detect physical downlink control channels using the downlink control information format 3/3A and scrambled with the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers in a common search space of a primary component carrier; and

determine the locations, of uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, in the detected physical downlink control channels scrambled with the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the sets of carriers, and obtain the uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the sets of carriers at the corresponding locations.

10. The user equipment according to claim 9 , wherein the processor executes the computer readable instructions to determine the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers and the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers in any one of the following approaches:

a first approach where:

determining a transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to the user equipment as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to the user equipment is used as the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to each set of carriers of the user equipment; and

determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein transmit power control-indexes corresponding to different sets of carriers are different from each other; or determining a transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, and determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and the transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, wherein transmit power control-indexes corresponding to different sets of carriers are different from each other;

a second approach where:

determining the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to different sets of carriers are different from each other; and

determining a transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment is a transmit power control-index corresponding to each set of carriers of the user equipment; or determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side; or determining a transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, and determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and the transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers;

a third approach where:

determining the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein not all of transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to different sets of carriers are the same; and

determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein sets of carriers corresponding to the same transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier correspond to different transmit power control-indexes; or determining a transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, and determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and the transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, wherein sets of carriers corresponding to the same transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier correspond to different transmit power control-indexes.

11. The user equipment according to claim 10 , wherein in the first approach or the third approach, the processor executes the computer readable instructions to:

when a plurality of sets of carriers of the user equipment correspond to the same transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier, determine the locations, of the uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, in the detected physical downlink control channel scrambled with the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier according to the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers with the same transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier respectively, and obtain the uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the respective sets of carriers at the corresponding locations.

12. The user equipment according to claim 9 , wherein the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier comprises a transmit power control-physical uplink control channel-radio network temporary identifier or a transmit power control-physical uplink shared channel-radio network temporary identifier.

13. A user equipment, comprising a memory configured to store computer readable instructions and a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer readable instructions to:

determine transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to respective sets of carriers and transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, wherein Physical Uplink Control Channels are transmitted on different uplink carriers corresponding to different sets of carriers;

detect physical downlink control channels using the downlink control information format 3/3A and scrambled with the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers in common search spaces of search carriers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers respectively, wherein the search carrier corresponding to each set of carriers is such a carrier in the set of carriers that is preconfigured in higher-layer signaling or predefined with the network side; and

determine the locations, of uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the respective sets of carriers, in the physical downlink control channels detected on the search carriers corresponding to the sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the sets of carriers respectively, and obtain the uplink transmit power control commands corresponding to the sets of carriers at the corresponding locations.

14. The user equipment according to claim 13 , wherein the processor executes the computer readable instructions to determine the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifiers corresponding to the respective sets of carriers and the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers by:

determining a transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to the user equipment as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to the user equipment is used as the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier corresponding to each set of carriers of the user equipment; and

determining a transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, wherein the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment is used as the transmit power control-index corresponding to each set of carriers of the user equipment; or determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side; or determining a transmit power control index corresponding to the user equipment, and transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers as indicated by higher-layer signaling or as predefined with the network side, and determining the transmit power control-indexes corresponding to the respective sets of carriers according to the transmit power control-index corresponding to the user equipment, and the transmit power control-index-offsets corresponding to the respective sets of carriers.

15. The user equipment according to claim 13 , wherein the search carrier corresponding to each set of carriers is:

a downlink carrier, in the set of carriers, paired with an uplink carrier, corresponding to the set of carriers, on which uplink control information is transmitted;

or

a downlink primary component carrier in the set of carriers.

16. The user equipment according to claim 13 , wherein the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier is a transmit power control-physical uplink control channel-radio network temporary identifier; or the transmit power control-radio network temporary identifier is a transmit power control-physical uplink shared channel-radio network temporary identifier.