An apparatus, comprising: a receiving circuit configured to receive downlink signals transmitted from a second apparatus to the apparatus over a plurality of resource elements; and a processing circuit configured to: detect control channel assistance information in a form of a physical assistant control channel, PACCH, at a predetermined position of the resource elements in the received downlink signals; receive control information in a form of a downlink control information, DCI, carried by a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, based on the detection of the control channel assistance information; and receive a physical downlink data channel based on the control information, wherein, when detecting the control channel assistance information, the processing circuit is further configured to either: (i) skip a search of the control information in response to a detection success of the control channel assistance information, and start a search of the control information in response to a detection failure of the control channel assistance information; or (ii) skip a search of the control information in response to a detection failure of the control channel assistance information, and start a search of the control information based on the control channel assistance information in response to a detection success of the control channel assistance information. a receiving circuit configured to receive downlink signals transmitted from a second apparatus to the apparatus over a plurality of resource elements; and a processing circuit configured to: detect control channel assistance information in a form of a physical assistant control channel, PACCH, at a predetermined position of the resource elements in the received downlink signals; receive control information in a form of a downlink control information, DCI, carried by a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, based on the detection of the control channel assistance information; and receive a physical downlink data channel based on the control information, detect control channel assistance information in a form of a physical assistant control channel, PACCH, at a predetermined position of the resource elements in the received downlink signals; receive control information in a form of a downlink control information, DCI, carried by a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, based on the detection of the control channel assistance information; and receive a physical downlink data channel based on the control information, wherein, when detecting the control channel assistance information, the processing circuit is further configured to either: (i) skip a search of the control information in response to a detection success of the control channel assistance information, and start a search of the control information in response to a detection failure of the control channel assistance information; or (ii) skip a search of the control information in response to a detection failure of the control channel assistance information, and start a search of the control information based on the control channel assistance information in response to a detection success of the control channel assistance information. (i) skip a search of the control information in response to a detection success of the control channel assistance information, and start a search of the control information in response to a detection failure of the control channel assistance information; or (ii) skip a search of the control information in response to a detection failure of the control channel assistance information, and start a search of the control information based on the control channel assistance information in response to a detection success of the control channel assistance information.