Maximizing channel capacity for common downlink channels

1. A wireless access node configured to improve a bandwidth utilization efficiency on a common downlink (DL) channel when transmitting device-related information to a wireless device or a group of wireless devices, the wireless access node comprising:

a processor; and,

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor interfaces with the memory to execute the processor-executable instructions, whereby the wireless access node is operable to determine one or more transport block formats to be utilized for transmitting the device-related information on the common DL channel to the wireless device or the group of wireless devices, wherein the one or more transport block formats require a number of repeated transmissions of the device-related information on the common DL channel to meet a current coverage class of the wireless device or a current coverage class common to the group of wireless devices, and wherein the required number of repeated transmissions is also based in part on an average number of estimated Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) retransmissions on assigned packet channel resources.

2. The wireless access node of claim 1 , wherein the wireless access node is further operable to:

transmit a message including the device-related information to the wireless device or the group of wireless devices utilizing one of the one or more transport block formats.

3. The wireless access node of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of transport block formats is determined to be utilized for transmitting the device-related information on the common DL channel to the group of wireless devices, and wherein the wireless access node is further operable to:

identify common information included in the device-related information applicable to the group of wireless devices, and transmit a message including the common information to the group of wireless devices utilizing one of the plurality of transport block formats that is decodable by the group of wireless devices; and,

identify device-specific information included in the device-related information applicable to each individual wireless device in the group of wireless devices, and transmit individual messages including the device-specific information to the respective individual wireless devices utilizing more than one of the plurality of transport block formats that are applicable to the respective individual wireless devices.

4. The wireless access node of claim 3 , wherein the one of the plurality of transport block formats utilized to transmit the message including the common information to the group of wireless devices is the same as at least one of the more than one of the plurality of transport block formats utilized to transmit the individual messages including the device-specific information to the respective individual wireless devices.

5. The wireless access node of claim 3 , wherein the wireless access node, before transmitting the message including the common information and before transmitting the individual messages including the device-specific information, is further operable to:

add information in the message including the common information and in each of the individual messages including the device-specific information, wherein the added information enables each of the individual wireless devices to uniquely identify the message including the common information that corresponds to its respective individual message including the device-specific information.

6. The wireless access node of claim 1 , wherein the current coverage class of the wireless device or the current coverage class common to the group of wireless devices determines the number of repeated transmissions of the device-related information on the common DL channel.

7. A method in a wireless access node for improving a bandwidth utilization efficiency on a common downlink (DL) channel when transmitting device-related information to a wireless device or a group of wireless devices, the method comprising:

determining one or more transport block formats to be utilized for transmitting the device-related information on the common DL channel to the wireless device or the group of wireless devices, wherein the one or more transport block formats require a number of repeated transmissions of the device-related information on the common DL channel to meet a current coverage class of the wireless device or a current coverage class common to the group of wireless devices, and wherein the required number of repeated transmissions is also based in part on an average number of estimated Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) retransmissions on assigned packet channel resources.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

transmitting a message including the device-related information to the wireless device or the group of wireless devices utilizing one of the one or more transport block formats.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein a plurality of transport block formats is determined to be utilized for transmitting the device-related information on the common DL channel to the group of wireless devices, and the method further comprises:

identifying common information included in the device-related information applicable to the group of wireless devices, and transmitting a message including the common information to the group of wireless devices utilizing one of the plurality of transport block formats that is decodable by the group of wireless devices; and,

identifying device-specific information included in the device-related information applicable to each individual wireless device in the group of wireless devices, and transmitting individual messages including the device-specific information to the respective individual wireless devices utilizing more than one of the plurality of transport block formats that are applicable to the respective individual wireless devices.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the one of the plurality of transport block formats utilized to transmit the message including the common information to the group of wireless devices is the same as at least one of the more than one of the plurality of transport block formats utilized to transmit the individual messages including the device-specific information to the respective individual wireless devices.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein before transmitting the message including the common information and the individual messages including the device-specific information, the method further comprises:

adding information in the message including the common information and in each of the individual messages including the device-specific information, wherein the added information enables each of the individual wireless devices to uniquely identify the message including the common information that corresponds to its respective individual including containing the device-specific information.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the current coverage class of the wireless device or the current coverage class common to the group of wireless devices determines the number of repeated transmissions of the device-related information on the common DL channel.

13. A wireless device configured to improve a bandwidth utilization efficiency on a common downlink (DL) channel when receiving device-related information from a wireless access node, the wireless device comprising:

a processor; and,

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor interfaces with the memory to execute the processor-executable instructions, whereby the wireless device is operable to receive one or more messages including the device-related information on the common DL channel from the wireless access node, wherein the one or more messages have one or more transport block formats requiring a number of repeated transmissions of the device-related information on the common DL channel to meet a current coverage class of the wireless device, and wherein the required number of repeated transmissions is also based in part on an average number of estimated Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) retransmissions on assigned packet channel resources.

14. The wireless device of claim 13 , wherein the wireless device is further operable to:

receive the device-related information included in one of the one or more messages having one of the one or more transport block formats.

15. The wireless device of claim 13 , wherein a plurality of messages including the device-related information is received, wherein the plurality of messages has a plurality of transport block formats, wherein the device-related information includes (1) common information applicable to the wireless device and one or more other wireless devices, and (2) device-specific information applicable to the wireless device, and wherein the wireless device is further operable to:

receive the common information included in one of the plurality of messages having one of the plurality of transport block formats; and

receive the device-specific information included in another one of the plurality of messages having one of the plurality of transport block formats.

16. The wireless device of claim 15 , wherein the one of the plurality of transport block formats utilized to transmit the one of the plurality of messages including the common information is the same as the one of the plurality of transport block formats utilized to transmit the one of the plurality of messages including the device-specific information.

17. The wireless device of claim 15 , wherein the wireless device is further operable to:

identify information in the one of the plurality of messages including the common information and the one of the plurality of messages including the device-specific information, where the identified information uniquely identifies the one of the plurality of messages including the common information that corresponds to the one of the plurality of messages including the device-specific information.

18. The wireless device of claim 13 , wherein the current coverage class of the wireless device determines the number of repeated transmissions of the device-related information on the common DL channel.

19. A method in a wireless device for improving a bandwidth utilization efficiency on a common downlink (DL) channel when receiving device-related information from a wireless access node, the method comprising:

receiving one or more messages including the device-related information on the common DL channel from the wireless access node, wherein the one or more messages have one or more transport block formats requiring a number of repeated transmissions of the device-related information on the common DL channel to meet a current coverage class of the wireless device, and wherein the required number of repeated transmissions is also based in part on an average number of estimated Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) retransmissions on assigned packet channel resources.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

receiving the device-related information included in one of the one or more messages having one of the one or more transport block formats.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein a plurality of messages including the device-related information is received, wherein the plurality of messages has a plurality of transport block formats, wherein the device-related information includes (1) common information applicable to the wireless device and one or more other wireless devices, and (2) device-specific information applicable to the wireless device, and the method further comprises:

receiving the common information included in one of the plurality of messages having one of the plurality of transport block formats; and

receiving the device-specific information included in another one of the plurality of messages having one of the plurality of transport block formats.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the one of the plurality of transport block formats utilized to transmit the one of the plurality of messages including the common information is the same as the one of the plurality of transport block formats utilized to transmit the one of the plurality of messages including the device-specific information.

23. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

identifying information in the one of the plurality of messages including the common information and the one of the plurality of messages including the device-specific information, where the identified information uniquely identifies the one of the plurality of messages including the common information that corresponds to the one of the plurality of messages including the device-specific information.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the current coverage class of the wireless device determines the number of repeated transmissions of the device-related information on the common DL channel.