Patent ID: 9642159
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: H04L,H04W

Claim:
1. A method comprising: providing, by a cellular base station, a wireless coverage area defining an air interface, wherein the air interface defines downlink sub-frames each having a downlink control channel and each having a downlink traffic channel, and wherein the cellular base station transmits, in the downlink control channel of a given one of the sub-frames, Downlink Control Information (DCI) messages that schedule downlink communication of bearer data; transmitting, by the cellular base station, in the downlink control channel of the given sub-frame, at least two such DCI messages to a particular wireless communication device (WCD) served by the cellular base station, wherein the cellular base station provides the WCD with multiple distinct bearers for carrying bearer data, wherein each DCI message of the at least two DCI messages schedules downlink communication to the WCD for a different respective one of the multiple distinct bearers, wherein the at least two DCI messages includes a first DCI message that schedules downlink communication of bearer data for a first one of the bearers and a second DCI message that schedules downlink communication of bearer data for a second one of the bearers: and including, by the cellular base station, in at least one of the at least two transmitted DCI messages, an indication of presence, in the downlink control channel of the given sub-frame, of at least one other DCI message of the at least two DCI messages, whereby the indication included in at least one of the at least two transmitted DCI messages enables the WCD to ensure that the WCD receives all of the at least two DCIs transmitted to the WCD in the given sub-frame.