Method, base station and user equipment for subframe configuration in time division duplex system

1. A method, comprising:

determining, by a base station, a subframe number of a flexible subframe;

determining, by the base station, a feature of the flexible subframe identified by the subframe number, wherein the feature of the flexible subframe indicates whether the flexible subframe is uplink or downlink; and

sending, by the base station, downlink control information to at least two user equipments (UEs) via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) within a common search space, wherein the downlink control information indicates the feature of the flexible subframe, the downlink control information is scrambled by a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), and the RNTI used to scramble the downlink control information is the same for each UE of the at least two UEs.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the base station, channel and signal configuration of the flexible subframe; and

sending, by the base station, for the at least two UEs, the channel and signal configuration via the PDCCH and/or higher layer signaling.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

sending, by the base station, the subframe number of the flexible subframe via higher layer signaling to a UE of the at least two UEs.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the downlink control information further comprises cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the downlink control information is sent in a periodic manner to the at least two UEs.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment (UE), downlink control information from a base station via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) within a common search space, wherein the downlink control information is indicates a feature of flexible subframe, wherein the feature of flexible subframe indicates whether the flexible subframe is uplink or downlink, the downlink control information is scrambled by a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), and the RNTI used to scramble the downlink control information is the same for at least two UEs; and

obtaining, by the UE, the feature of the flexible subframe identified by a subframe number according to the downlink control information.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:

receiving, by the UE, channel and signal configuration via the PDCCH and/or higher layer signaling.

8. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:

receiving, by the UE, the subframe number of the flexible subframe via higher layer signaling.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the downlink control information further comprises cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information.

10. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the downlink control information is received by the UE a periodic manner.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory storing program instructions;

a processor for controlling execution of the program instructions; and

a transmitter for sending information,

wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a subframe number of a flexible subframe; and

determine a feature of the flexible subframe identified by the subframe number, wherein the feature of the flexible subframe indicates whether the flexible subframe is uplink or downlink; and

the transmitter is configured to send downlink control information to at least two user equipments (UEs) via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) within a common search space, wherein the downlink control information indicates the feature of the flexible subframe, the downlink control information is scrambled by a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), and the RNTI used to scramble the downlink control information is the same for each UE of the at least two UEs.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 ,

wherein the processor is further configured to determine channel and signal configuration of the flexible subframe; and

wherein the transmitter is further configured to send, for the at least two UEs, the channel and signal configuration via the PDCCH and/or higher layer signaling.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to send the subframe number of the flexible subframe via higher layer signaling to a UE of the at least two UEs.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the downlink control information further comprises cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the downlink control information is sent to the at least two UEs in a periodic manner.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory storing program instructions;

a processor for controlling execution of the program instructions; and

a receiver configured to receive downlink control information via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) within a common search space, wherein the downlink control information indicates a feature of flexible subframe, the downlink control information is scrambled by a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), and the RNTI used to scramble to the downlink control information is the same for each user equipment (UE) of at least two UEs; and

wherein the processor is configured to obtain the feature of the flexible subframe identified by to a subframe number according to the downlink control information, wherein the feature of the flexible subframe indicates that the flexible subframe is uplink or downlink.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the receiver is further configured to receive channel and signal configuration via the PDCCH and/or higher layer signaling.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the receiver is further configured to receive the subframe number of the flexible subframe via higher layer signaling.

19. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the downlink control information further comprises cyclic redundancy check (CRC) information.

20. The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the downlink control information is sent to the at least two UEs in a periodic manner.

21. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising at least one code section for distributing data, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform acts of:

determining a subframe number of a flexible subframe;

determining a feature of the flexible subframe identified by the subframe number, wherein the feature of the flexible subframe indicates whether the flexible subframe is uplink or downlink; and

sending downlink control information to at least two user equipments (UEs) via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) within a common search space, wherein the downlink control information indicates the feature of the flexible subframe, the downlink control information is scrambled by a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), and the RNTI is used to scramble the downlink control information is the same for each UE of the at least two UEs.

22. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising at least one code section for distributing data, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform acts of:

receiving downlink control information from a base station via a first physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) within a common search space, wherein the downlink control information is indicates a feature of flexible subframe, the downlink control information is scrambled by a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), and the RNTI used to scramble the downlink control information is the same for each user equipment (UE) of at least two UEs; and

obtaining the feature of the flexible subframe identified by a subframe number according to the first signaling, wherein the feature of the flexible subframe indicates that the flexible subframe is uplink or downlink.