Patent ID: 9692569
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: H04L

Claim:
1. A method in a network node operating in a wireless communication network, said method including transmitting one or more Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channels, EPDCCHs, in a constrained subframe that, in comparison to an unconstrained subframe, has a reduced number of Resource Elements, REs, available for EPDCCH use in each Physical Resource Block, PRB, pair within a base set of PRB pairs allocated for EPDCCH use, and wherein the method comprises: expanding the base set of PRB pairs in the constrained subframe, to obtain an expanded set of PRB pairs that includes a group of PRB pairs for each PRB pair in the base set, and where each such group includes a corresponding one of the PRB pairs in the base set, plus one or more additional PRB pairs; aggregating REs from each group of PRB pairs in the expanded set of PRB pairs into corresponding enhanced Resource Element Groups, EREGs; aggregating the EREGs into enhanced Control Channel Element, ECCEs; and aggregating the ECCEs into the one or more EPDCCHs, for transmission in the constrained subframe to one or more targeted wireless devices.