Timing synchronization for downlink (DL) transmissions in coordinated multipoint (CoMP) systems

• US 10,044,546 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2016
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Davydov, Alexei, Morozov, Gregory, Maltsev, Alexander, Sergeyev, Vadim, Bolotin, Ilya
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Warner
• Application Number:
  US15/140,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20160254938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 370336, 370350, 370503
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/12 Arrangements providing for calling or supervisory signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0077 Cooperative coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2646 using feedback from receiver for adjusting OFDM transmission parameters, e.g. transmission timing or guard interval length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2662 Symbol synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2675 Pilot or known symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0078 Timing of allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/146 : Uplink power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 : taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/244 : Interferences in heterogeneous networks, e.g. among macro and femto or pico cells or other sector / system interference [OSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/34 : TPC management, i.e. sharing limited amount of power among users or channels or data types, e.g. cell loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 : one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/02 : Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 : Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/12 : Wireless traffic scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 : in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 : using measured or perceived quality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 : Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 : for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/14 : WLL [Wireless Local Loop]; RLL [Radio Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Technology for adjusting a receiver timing of a wireless device in a Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP) system is disclosed. One method can include the wireless device receiving a plurality of node specific reference signals (RSs) from a plurality of cooperating nodes in a coordination set of the CoMP system. The coordination set includes at least two cooperating nodes. The wireless device can estimate a composite received RS timing from a plurality of received RS timings generated from the plurality of node specific RSs. The received RS timings represent timings from the at least two cooperating nodes. The wireless device can adjust the receiver timing based on the composite received RS timing. A node specific RS can include a channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

Claims

1. An apparatus of a user equipment (UE) operable to adjust a receiver timing, the apparatus comprising one or more processors and memory configured to:

decode, at the UE, a plurality of node specific reference signals (RSs) received from a plurality of cooperating nodes, wherein the plurality of cooperating nodes are included in a coordination set of a Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP) system;

generate, at the UE, a plurality of received RS timings from the plurality of node specific RSs, wherein the received RS timings represent timings from the plurality of cooperating nodes;

determine, at the UE, a composite received RS timing from the plurality of received RS timings, wherein the composite received RS timing includes one or more of;

transmitter (TX) delay, propagation delay of node specific RSs received from the plurality of cooperating nodes included in the coordination set of the CoMP system, or receiver (RX) delay; and

adjust, at the UE, the receiver timing based at least in part on the composite received RS timing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver configured to receive the plurality of node specific RSs from the plurality of cooperating nodes.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors and memory are further configured to determine the composite received RS timing based on an earliest received RS timing, and the earliest received RS timing is received from one of the plurality of cooperating nodes.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the node specific RS includes a channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adjusted receiver timing is a time a receiver of the UE processes a fast Fourier transform (FFT) for a received RS.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors and memory are further configured to determine the composite received RS timing based on a selection of a receiver RS timing substantially between a minimal received RS timing and a maximal received RS timing.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors and memory are further configured to determine the composite received RS timing using a combination of reference signal received powers (RSRPs) for the plurality of cooperating nodes and the plurality of received RS timings.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver configured to:

transmit to a cooperating node a timing feedback that includes the composite received RS timing;

or

transmit a received RS timing generated only from node specific RSs from the cooperating node.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the node specific RS is selected from a group consisting of a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a cell specific reference signal (CRS), and a channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS), and combinations thereof.

10. At least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium having instructions embodied thereon for adjusting a receiver timing at a user equipment (UE), the instructions when executed perform the following:

decoding, using at least one processor of the UE, a plurality of node specific reference signals (RSs) received from a plurality of cooperating nodes, wherein the plurality of cooperating nodes are included in a coordination set of a Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP) system;

generating, using the at least one processor of the UE, a plurality of received RS timings from the plurality of node specific RSs, wherein the received RS timings represent timings from the plurality of cooperating nodes;

determining, using the at least one processor of the UE, a composite received RS timing from the plurality of received RS timings, wherein the composite received RS timing includes one or more of;

transmitter (TX) delay, propagation delay of node specific RSs received from the plurality of cooperating nodes included in the coordination set of the CoMP system, or receiver (RX) delay; and

adjusting, using the at least one processor of the UE, the receiver timing based at least in part on the composite received RS timing.

11. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions which when executed perform the following:

determining the composite received RS timing based on an earliest received RS timing, and the earliest received RS timing is received from one of the plurality of cooperating nodes.

12. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions which when executed perform the following:

determining the composite received RS timing based on a selection of a receiver RS timing substantially between a minimal received RS timing and a maximal received RS timing.

13. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions which when executed perform the following:

determining the composite received RS timing using a combination of reference signal received powers (RSRPs) for the plurality of cooperating nodes and the plurality of received RS timings.

14. The at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising instructions which when executed perform the following:

processing a timing feedback for transmission to a cooperating node, wherein the timing feedback includes the composite received RS timing;

or

processing a received RS timing for transmission from the UE, wherein the received RS timing is generated only from node specific RSs from the cooperating node.

15. A user equipment (UE) operable to adjust a receiver timing, the UE comprising one or more processors and memory configured to:

decode, at the UE, a plurality of node specific reference signals (RSs) received from a plurality of cooperating nodes, wherein the plurality of cooperating nodes are included in a coordination set of a Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP) system;

generate, at the UE, a plurality of received RS timings from the plurality of node specific RSs, wherein the received RS timings represent timings from the plurality of cooperating nodes;

determine, at the UE, a composite received RS timing from the plurality of received RS timings, wherein the composite received RS timing includes one or more of;

transmitter (TX) delay, propagation delay of node specific RSs received from the plurality of cooperating nodes included in the coordination set of the CoMP system, or receiver (RX) delay; and

determine, at the UE, an adjusted receiver timing based at least in part on the composite received RS timing,

wherein the node specific RS is selected from a group consisting of a primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a cell specific reference signal (CRS), and a channel-state information reference signal (CSI-RS), and combinations thereof.

16. The UE of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors and memory are further configured to determine the composite received RS timing based on an earliest received RS timing, and the earliest received RS timing is received from one of the plurality of cooperating nodes.

17. The UE of claim 15, wherein the adjusted receiver timing is a time a receiver of the UE processes a fast Fourier transform (FFT) for a received RS.

18. The UE of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors and memory are further configured to determine the composite received RS timing based on a selection of a receiver RS timing substantially between a minimal received RS timing and a maximal received RS timing.

19. The UE of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors and memory are further configured to determine the composite received RS timing using a combination of reference signal received powers (RSRPs) for the plurality of cooperating nodes and the plurality of received RS timings.

20. The UE of claim 15, further comprising a transceiver configured to:

transmit to a cooperating node a timing feedback that includes the composite received RS timing;

or

transmit a received RS timing generated only from node specific RSs from the cooperating node.