Dynamic PDCCH Adaptation Based on DMRS Detection for UE Power Saving in 5G New Radio

A novel physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) blind decoding method based on demodulation reference signal (DMRS) detection is proposed to reduce the power consumption at user equipment (UE) for 5G New Radio (NR). In the proposed scheme, a UE performs energy detection for the DMRS in the search space before PDCCH blind decoding. Based on the information of the time/frequency location where the DMRS is detected, the UE can dynamically adjust PDCCH monitoring configuration. Such adjustment helps UE to minimize unnecessary blind decoding attempts depending on the data traffic. Evaluations show a significant power saving gain over the conventional methods.