Method of Control Signaling Transmission and Reception for User Equipment in a LTE Communication System

1. A method implemented in a base station used in a wireless communications system, the method comprising: transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), an indication of a type of enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH) transmission, where the type of ePDCCH transmission comprises either localized transmission or distributed transmission; and transmitting, to the UE, an indication of the number of physical resource block (PRB) pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, where the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 2 or 3 bits, wherein: the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 1 bit, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are dynamically indicated from subframe to subframe, and if there is one or more remaining PRB pairs which are not allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, at least one of the remaining PRB pairs are used as physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission.

2. A method implemented in a user equipment (UE) used in a wireless communications system, the method comprising: receiving, from a base station, an indication of a type of enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH) transmission, where the type of ePDCCH transmission comprises either localized transmission or distributed transmission; and receiving, from the base station, an indication of the number of physical resource block (PRB) pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, where the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 2 or 3 bits, wherein: the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 1 bit, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are dynamically indicated from subframe to subframe, and if there is one or more remaining PRB pairs which are not allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, at least one of the remaining PRB pairs are used as physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission.

3. A method implemented in a wireless communications system, the method comprising: transmitting, from a base station to a user equipment (UE), an indication of a type of enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH) transmission, where the type of ePDCCH transmission comprises either localized transmission or distributed transmission; and transmitting, from the base station to the UE, an indication of the number of physical resource block (PRB) pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, where the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 2 or 3 bits, wherein: the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 1 bit, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are dynamically indicated from subframe to subframe, and if there is one or more remaining PRB pairs which are not allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, at least one of the remaining PRB pairs are used as physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission.

4. A base station used in a wireless communications system, the base station comprising: a transmitter to transmit to a user equipment (UE) an indication of a type of enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH) transmission, and an indication of the number of physical resource block (PRB) pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, wherein: the type of ePDCCH transmission comprises either localized transmission or distributed transmission, the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 2 or 3 bits, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 1 bit, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are dynamically indicated from subframe to subframe, and if there is one or more remaining PRB pairs which are not allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, at least one of the remaining PRB pairs are used as physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission.

5. A user equipment (UE) used in a wireless communications system, the UE comprising: a receiver to receive from a base station an indication of a type of enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH) transmission, and an indication of the number of physical resource block (PRB) pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, wherein: the type of ePDCCH transmission comprises either localized transmission or distributed transmission, the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 2 or 3 bits, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 1 bit, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are dynamically indicated from subframe to subframe, and if there is one or more remaining PRB pairs which are not allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, at least one of the remaining PRB pairs are used as physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission.

6. A wireless communications system comprising: a base station to transmit an indication of a type of enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH) transmission, and an indication of the number of physical resource block (PRB) pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission; and a user equipment (UE) to receive the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, wherein: the type of ePDCCH transmission comprises either localized transmission or distributed transmission, the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 2 or 3 bits, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission is conveyed in 1 bit, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are transmitted via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, the indication of the type of ePDCCH transmission and the indication of the number of the PRB pairs allocated for the ePDCCH transmission are dynamically indicated from subframe to subframe, and if there is one or more remaining PRB pairs which are not allocated for the ePDCCH transmission, at least one of the remaining PRB pairs are used as physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission.