Downlink control channel signaling in wireless communication systems

Abstract

A method in a wireless communication device may include receiving a plurality of sub-frames, each sub-frame having time-frequency resource elements, at least one of the sub-frames having a control channel. In some implementations, the plurality of sub-frames forms a continuum of concatenated sub-frames. Each of the plurality of resource allocation fields of the control channel may indicate a resource assignment to the wireless communication device based on a channel quality report, as well as resource assignments in sub-frames of the continuum of concatenated sub-frames. At least one sub-frame of the continuum of concatenated sub-frames may include information indicating that at least some of the resource assignments are frequency diverse.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method in a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of sub-frames, each sub-frame having time-frequency resource elements, at least one of the sub-frames having a control channel, the plurality of sub-frames forming a continuum of concatenated sub-frames; 
 the control channel including a plurality of resource allocation fields, each resource allocation field associated with at least one corresponding sub-frame of the plurality of subframes, 
 each of the plurality of resource allocation fields indicating a resource assignment to the wireless communication device based on a channel quality report; 
 the plurality of resource allocation fields indicating resource assignments in sub-frames of the continuum of concatenated sub-frames; 
 a sub-frame of the continuum of concatenated sub-frames including information indicating that at least some of the resource assignments are frequency diverse; and 
 allocating, for use by the wireless communication device, frequency diverse resource components based on the information indicating that at least some of the resource assignments are frequency diverse. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising referencing individual resource assignments in one or more corresponding sub-frames of the continuum of concatenated sub-frames via a look-up table. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information indicates that the resource assignments are frequency diverse on the control channel. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information indicates that the resource assignments are frequency diverse on signaling other than the control channel. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information indicating that the resource assignments are frequency diverse is based on a common network environment. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information indicating that the resource assignments are frequency diverse is based on an order of resource allocations to the wireless communication device. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information indicating that the resource assignments are frequency diverse is based on sub-frame numbering or on system frame numbering information. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a downlink resource assignment in a resource allocation field on a sub-frame that is different than a sub-frame in which a resource allocation field assigning an uplink assignment is received. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a mapping of frequency diverse and frequency non-diverse resources in a sub-frame of the continuum of concatenated sub-frames. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information indicating that the resource assignments are frequency diverse is a bit map. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information indicating that at least some of the resource assignments frequency diverse includes one or more encoded bits in a bit map. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control channel contains an assignment of resources that are not indicated as being frequency diverse. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1  further comprising sending a channel quality report for resources not including the resources that are indicated as being frequency diverse. 
     
     
       14. A method in a wireless communication device, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of sub-frames constituting part of a transmit time interval, each sub-frame having time-frequency resource elements, at least one of the sub-frames having a control channel, the plurality of sub-frames forming a continuum of concatenated sub-frames; 
 the control channel including a plurality of resource allocation fields, each resource allocation field associated with at least one corresponding sub-frame of the plurality of subframes, 
 each of the plurality of resource allocation fields indicating a resource assignment to the wireless communication device based on a channel quality report; 
 the plurality of resource allocation fields indicating resource assignments in sub-frames of the continuum of concatenated sub-frames; 
 a sub-frame of the continuum of concatenated sub-frames including information indicating that at least some of the resource assignments are frequency diverse among subframes in the transmit time interval; and 
 allocating, for use by the wireless communication device, frequency diverse resource components based on the information indicating that at least some of the resource assignments are frequency diverse among sub-frames in the transit time interval.