IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,574,768
Granted Patent B2
US 12,574,768 · App. 17/649,785 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Method and apparatus for physical downlink control channel monitoring per multiple slots

Inventors: Qiongjie Lin (Sunnyvale, CA); Aristides Papasakellariou (Houston, TX); Hongbo Si (Plano, TX)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
H04W24/08H04L1/1642H04L27/26025H04W72/0446H04W72/23
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,574,768
App. No.
17/649,785
Granted
Mar 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring per multiple slots. A method for operating a user equipment includes determining a combination (X, Y) of consecutive slots, where X and Y are positive integers with Y<X, and receiving first physical PDCCHs with a first subcarrier spacing (SCS) configuration μ 1 within Y slots of X slots. The X slots start from a slot with a number n start , on a first cell. Here, (n f ·N slot frame,μ 1 +n start )mod X=0, where n f is a frame number and N slot frame,μ 1 is number of slots per frame for the first SCS configuration μ 1 .

Claims (102)

1 . A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a processor configured to identify a first subcarrier spacing (SCS) configuration; and

a transceiver, operably coupled to the processor, the transceiver configured to perform physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring according to a combination (X, Y) for the first SCS configuration,

wherein:

X and Y are numbers of consecutive slots,

Y consecutive slots are in a group of X consecutive slots,

the group of X consecutive slots is determined from a set of groups of X consecutive slots,

the set of groups of X consecutive slots are consecutive and not overlapping,

a first group of X consecutive slots within the set of groups of X consecutive slots starts from a beginning of a subframe, and

first slots of two consecutive groups of Y slots are separated by X slots,

wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit information on a carrier aggregation capability larger than a predefined number of downlink (DL) cells,

wherein the information on the carrier aggregation capability includes an indication for a maximum number of PDCCH candidates and a maximum number of non-overlapped control channel elements (CCEs) that the UE is available to monitor per group of X slots when the UE is configured for carrier aggregation operation over more than the predefined number of DL cells with a configuration of PDCCH multi-slot monitoring capability associated with the PDCCH monitoring, and

wherein, for the PDCCH monitoring, PDCCH candidates are allocated to UE-specific search space (USS) sets for a primary cell having an active DL bandwidth part (BWP) with the first SCS configuration in a group of X slots based on (i) the maximum number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots, (ii) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots, (iii) the maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots, and (iv) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots.

2 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive second PDCCHs with a second SCS configuration within a slot on a cell and wherein the first SCS configuration>the second configuration SCS.

3 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein:

the first SCS configuration is 5 or 6, and

the PDCCH monitoring is performed in a slot of the Y slots per group of X slots.

4 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein:

the transceiver is further configured to receive information for a first number of search space sets associated with PDCCH receptions on the primary cell,

the processor is further configured to determine:

that a number of the PDCCH receptions within the X slots, according to the first number of search space sets, is larger than a maximum number of PDCCH receptions per group of X slots, and

a second number of search space sets from the first number of search space sets,

receptions of first PDCCHs are according to the second number of search space sets, and

a number of the first PDCCH receptions is not larger than the maximum number of PDCCH receptions per group of X slots.

5 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein:

the transceiver is further configured to transmit information for a number of cells, and

the information indicates a capability to receive a predetermined maximum number of PDCCHs with the first SCS configuration according to the combination (X, Y) for scheduling on each cell from the number of cells.

6 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein:

the UE is configured with a first set of downlink cells and a second set of downlink cells;

for each scheduled cell from the first set, the UE does not have to monitor on a DL BWP with a SCS configuration of a scheduling cell more than:

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of PDCCH candidates for a group of X slots and (b) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots PDCCH candidates, or

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots and (b) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots CCEs per group of X slots; and

for each scheduled cell from the second set, the UE does not have to monitor on the DL BWP with the SCS configuration of the scheduling cell more than:

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of PDCCH candidates for a group of X slots multiplied by a parameter γ and (b) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots PDCCH candidates,

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots multiplied by the parameter γ and (b) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots CCEs per group of X slots,

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of PDCCH candidates for a group of X slots and (b) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots PDCCH candidates, or

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots and (b) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots CCEs per group of X slots for control resource sets (CORESETs) with a same coresetPoolindex value.

7 . A base station (BS) comprising:

a processor configured to identify a first subcarrier spacing (SCS) configuration; and

a transceiver, operably coupled to the processor, the transceiver configured to transmit, to a user equipment (UE), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) according to a combination (X, Y) for the first SCS configuration,

wherein:

X and Y are numbers of consecutive slots,

Y consecutive slots are in a group of X consecutive slots,

the group of X consecutive slots is determined from a set of groups of X consecutive slots,

the set of groups of X consecutive slots are consecutive and not overlapping,

a first group of X consecutive slots within the set of groups of X consecutive slots starts from a beginning of a subframe, and

first slots of two consecutive groups of Y slots are separated by X slots,

wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive information on a carrier aggregation capability larger than a predefined number of downlink (DL) cells,

wherein the information on the carrier aggregation capability includes an indication for a maximum number of PDCCH candidates and a maximum number of non-overlapped control channel elements (CCEs) that the UE is available to monitor per group of X slots when the UE is configured for carrier aggregation operation over more than the predefined number of DL cells with a configuration of PDCCH multi-slot monitoring capability associated with the PDCCH transmission, and

wherein for the PDCCH transmission, PDCCH candidates are allocated to UE-specific search space (USS) sets for a primary cell having an active DL bandwidth part (BWP) with the first SCS configuration in a group of X slots based on (i) the maximum number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots, (ii) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots, (iii) the maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots, and (iv) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots.

8 . The BS of claim 7 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit second PDCCHs with a second SCS configuration within a slot on a cell and wherein the first SCS configuration>the second configuration SCS.

9 . The BS of claim 7 , wherein:

the first SCS configuration is 5 or 6, and

the PDCCH transmission is performed in a slot of the Y slots per group of X slots.

10 . The BS of claim 7 , wherein:

the transceiver is further configured to receive information for a number of cells, and

the information indicates a capability to receive a predetermined maximum number of PDCCHs with the first SCS configuration according to the combination (X, Y) for scheduling on each cell from the number of cells.

11 . The BS of claim 7 , wherein:

the UE is configured with a first set of downlink cells and a second set of downlink cells;

for each scheduled cell from the first set, the UE does not have to monitor on a DL BWP with a SCS configuration of a scheduling cell more than:

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of PDCCH candidates for a group of X slots and (b) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots PDCCH candidates, or

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots and (b) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots CCEs per group of X slots; and

for each scheduled cell from the second set, the UE does not have to monitor on the DL BWP with the SCS configuration of the scheduling cell more than:

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of PDCCH candidates for a group of X slots multiplied by a parameter γ and (b) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots PDCCH candidates,

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots multiplied by the parameter γ and (b) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots CCEs per group of X slots,

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of PDCCH candidates for a group of X slots and (b) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots PDCCH candidates, or

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots and (b) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots CCEs per group of X slots for control resource sets (CORESETs) with a same coresetPoolindex value.

12 . A method performed by a user equipment (UE) comprising:

identifying a first subcarrier spacing (SCS) configuration;

performing physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring according to a combination (X, Y) for the first SCS configuration, wherein:

X and Y are numbers of consecutive slots,

Y consecutive slots are in a group of X consecutive slots,

the group of X consecutive slots is determined from a set of groups of X consecutive slots,

the set of groups of X consecutive slots are consecutive and not overlapping,

a first group of X consecutive slots within the set of groups of X consecutive slots starts from a beginning of a subframe, and

first slots of two consecutive groups of Y slots are separated by X slots; and

transmitting information on a carrier aggregation capability larger than a predefined number of downlink (DL) cells,

wherein the information on the carrier aggregation capability includes an indication for a maximum number of PDCCH candidates and a maximum number of non-overlapped control channel elements (CCEs) that the UE is available to monitor per group of X slots when the UE is configured for carrier aggregation operation over more than the predefined number of DL cells with a configuration of PDCCH multi-slot monitoring capability associated with the PDCCH monitoring, and

wherein for the PDCCH monitoring, PDCCH candidates are allocated to UE-specific search space (USS) sets for a primary cell having an active DL bandwidth part (BWP) with the first SCS configuration in a group of X slots based on (i) the maximum number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots, (ii) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots, (iii) the maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots, and (iv) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving second PDCCHs with a second SCS configuration within a slot on a cell, wherein the first SCS configuration>the second configuration SCS.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the first SCS configuration is 5 or 6, and

the PDCCH monitoring is performed in a slot of the Y slots per group of X slots.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

receiving information for a first number of search space sets associated with PDCCH receptions on the primary cell; and

determining:

that a number of the PDCCH receptions within the X slots, according to the first number of search space sets, is larger than a maximum number of PDCCH receptions per group of X slots, and

a second number of search space sets from the first number of search space sets,

wherein:

receptions of first PDCCHs are according to the second number of search space sets,

a number of the first PDCCH receptions is not larger than the maximum number of PDCCH receptions per group of X slots.

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising transmitting information for a number of cells, wherein the information indicates a capability to receive a predetermined maximum number of PDCCHs with the first SCS configuration according to the combination (X, Y) for scheduling on each cell from the number of cells.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein:

the UE is configured with a first set of downlink cells and a second set of downlink cells;

for each scheduled cell from the first set, the UE does not have to monitor on a DL BWP with a SCS configuration of a scheduling cell more than:

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of PDCCH candidates for a group of X slots and (b) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots PDCCH candidates, or

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots and (b) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots CCEs per group of X slots; and

for each scheduled cell from the second set, the UE does not have to monitor on the DL BWP with the SCS configuration of the scheduling cell more than:

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of PDCCH candidates for a group of X slots multiplied by a parameter γ and (b) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots PDCCH candidates,

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots multiplied by the parameter γ and (b) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots CCEs per group of X slots,

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of PDCCH candidates for a group of X slots and (b) a total number of PDCCH candidates for the group of X slots PDCCH candidates, or

a minimum of (a) a maximum number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots and (b) a total number of non-overlapped CCEs for the group of X slots CCEs per group of X slots for control resource sets (CORESETs) with a same coresetPoolindex value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 2, 2022
From: LIN, QIONGJIE; PAPASAKELLARIOU, ARISTIDES; SI, HONGBO
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 058868/0066 →
Continuity (4)
Provisional Application 63298027 · Jan 10, 2022
Provisional Application 63229665 · Aug 5, 2021
Provisional Application 63149162 · Feb 12, 2021
Related Publication 20220295319A1 · Sep 15, 2022
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