Apparatus, system, and method for blind decoding PCFICH for wireless communication devices

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processing element configured to cause a wireless communication device to:

(i) decode, for a wireless network (NW), a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) for a current subframe using a specified control format indicator (CFI) value;

in response to results of the decode:

(ii) communicate over the NW using the specified CFI value if the results indicate that the decoding was successful; and

(iii) decode, for the NW, the PDCCH for a next subframe using a next CFI value different from the specified CFI value, if the results indicate that the decoding for the current subframe using the specified CFI value was unsuccessful.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing element is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

decode, for the NW, the PDCCH for a subsequent subframe different from all previous subframes and using a new CFI value different from all previously used CFI values, each time a most recent previous decoding of the PDCCH for the NW is unsuccessful.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing element is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

decode, for the NW, the PDCCH for a new subsequent subframe different from all previous subframes, using a new CFI value different from all previously used CFI values, until the PDCCH for the NW has been successfully decoded.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing element is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to assign the specified CFI value and the different CFI value according to a previously specified list of CFI values.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing element is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

decode, for the NW, a current Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH) prior to performing (i).

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processing element is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to perform (i) in response to the decoding of the current PCFICH being unsuccessful.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processing element is further configured to cause the wireless communication device to:

soft-combine a PCFICH of the current subframe with a most recent previous PCFICH to obtain the current PCFICH, prior to decoding the current PCFICH.

8. A wireless communication device comprising:

radio circuitry comprising one or more antennas and configured to facilitate wireless communication of the wireless communication device; and

a processing element configured to interoperate with the radio circuitry to cause the wireless communication device to:

(i) establish communications within a wireless network (NW);

(ii) decode, for the NW, a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) for a current subframe using a specified control format indicator (CFI) value;

in response to results of the decoding:

(iii) communicate over the NW using the specified CFI value if the results indicate that the decoding was successful; and

(iii) decode, for the NW, the PDCCH for a next subframe using a next CFI value different from the specified CFI value, if the results indicate that the decoding for the current subframe using the specified CFI value was unsuccessful.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8 , wherein the processing element is configured to interoperate with the radio circuitry to further cause the wireless communication device to:

decode, for the NW, the PDCCH for a subsequent subframe different from all previous subframes and using a new CFI value different from all previously used CFI values, each time a most recent previous decoding of the PDCCH for the NW is unsuccessful.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 8 , wherein the processing element is configured to interoperate with the radio circuitry to further cause the wireless communication device to:

decode, for the NW, the PDCCH for a new subsequent subframe different from all previous subframes and using a new CFI value different from all previously used CFI values, until the PDCCH for the NW has been successfully decoded.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 8 , wherein the processing element is configured to interoperate with the radio circuitry to further cause the wireless communication device to assign the specified CFI value and the different CFI value according to a previously specified list of CFI values.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 8 , wherein the processing element is configured to interoperate with the radio circuitry to further cause the wireless communication device to decode, for the NW, a current Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH) prior to performing (ii).

13. The wireless communication device of claim 12 , wherein the processing element is configured to interoperate with the radio circuitry to further cause the wireless communication device to perform (ii) in response to the decode of the current PCFICH being unsuccessful.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 12 , wherein the processing element is configured to interoperate with the radio circuitry to further cause the wireless communication device to soft-combine a PCFICH of the current subframe with a most recent previous PCFICH to obtain the current PCFICH, prior to decoding the current PCFICH.

15. A non-transitory memory element storing programming instructions executable by a processing element to cause a wireless communications device to:

(i) wirelessly communicate over a wireless network (NW);

(ii) decode, for the NW, a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) for a current subframe using a specified control format indicator (CFI) value;

in response to results of the decoding:

(iii) communicate over the NW using the specified CFI value if the results indicate that the decoding was successful; and

(iii) decode, for the NW, the PDCCH for a next subframe using a next CFI value different from the specified CFI value if, the results indicate that the decoding for the current subframe using the specified CFI value was unsuccessful.

16. The non-transitory memory element of claim 15 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processing element to cause the wireless communications device to:

decode, for the NW, the PDCCH for a subsequent subframe different from all previous subframes and using a new CFI value different from all previously used CFI values, each time a most recent previous decoding of the PDCCH for the NW is unsuccessful.

17. The non-transitory memory element of claim 15 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processing element to cause the wireless communications device to:

decode, for the NW, the PDCCH for a new subsequent subframe different from all previous subframes and using a new CFI value different from all previously used CFI values, until the PDCCH for the NW has been successfully decoded.

18. The non-transitory memory element of claim 15 , wherein the current subframe comprises common signaling intended for a plurality of wireless communication devices;

wherein the instructions are further executable by the processing element to cause the wireless communications device to specify the next CFI value based at least in part on the common signaling.

19. The non-transitory memory element of claim 15 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processing element to cause the wireless communications device to decode, for the NW, a current Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH) prior to performing (ii).

20. The non-transitory memory element of claim 19 , the current subframe comprises common signaling intended for a plurality of wireless communication devices;

wherein the instructions are further executable by the processing element to cause the wireless communications device to:

save samples from the current subframe; and

decode, offline, the PDCCH for all possible CFI values, according to at least the saved samples.