Referring to FIG. 5, one subframe includes 14 OFDM symbols. The first to third ones of the 14 OFDM symbols may be used as a control region and the remaining 13 to 11 OFDM symbols may be used as a data region, according to subframe configuration. In FIG. 5, R1 to R4 represent reference signals (RSs) or pilot signals for antennas 0 to 3, respectively. The RSs are fixed to a predetermined pattern within the subframe irrespective of the control region and the data region. Control channels are allocated to resources to which the RS is not allocated in the control region. Traffic channels are allocated to resources, to which the RS is not allocated, in the data region. The control channels allocated to the control region include a Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH), a Physical Hybrid-ARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH), a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), etc.
The PCFICH, physical control format indicator channel, informs a UE of the number of OFDM symbols used for the PDCCH per subframe. The PCFICH is located in the first OFDM symbol and is established prior to the PHICH and the PDCCH. The PCFICH is comprised of 4 Resource Element Groups (REGs) and each of the REGs is distributed in the control region based on a cell ID. One REG includes 4 Resource Elements (REs). The RE indicates a minimum physical resource defined as one subcarrier x one OFDM symbol. The PCFICH value indicates values of 1 to 3 or values of 2 to 4 depending on bandwidth and is modulated by Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK).
