Method for dynamic CSI feedback

• US 10,129,781 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Frenne, Mattias, Furuskog, Johan, Jongren, George, Harrison, Robert Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Weibin
• Application Number:
  US14/907,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20160277954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0647 Variable feedback rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0057 Physical resource allocation for CQI
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing Channel State Information (CSI) feedback in a cellular communications network are disclosed. In some embodiments, a base station of a cellular communications network disables inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes at the wireless device and receives one or more CSI reports from the wireless device that are generated by the wireless device with inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes disabled in response to the base station disabling inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes at the wireless device. In this manner, CSI feedback is improved particularly in embodiments in which the base station transmits a beamformed CSI-RS resource(s) and reuses the same CSI-RS resource(s) for different beams over time.

Claims

1. A method of operation of a base station of a cellular communications network to control Channel State Information Reference Symbol, CSI-RS, based channel estimation at a wireless device, comprising:

sending an indication to the wireless device to disable inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes;

sending an indication to the wireless device to disable combining of Channel State Information Interference Measurement, CSI-IM, estimates across subframes; and

receiving one or more Channel State Information, CSI, reports from the wireless device that are generated by the wireless device with disabled inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the base station transmits a beamformed CSI-RS resource, the beamformed CSI-RS resource corresponding to a beam direction, and reuses the same CSI-RS resource for different beam directions over time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless device utilizes two or more CSI processes for CSI reporting, and disabling inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes comprises disabling inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes on a per CSI process basis.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless device utilizes two or more CSI processes for CSI reporting, and disabling inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes comprises disabling inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes for all of the two or more CSI processes.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes comprises disabling inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes via Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein disabling inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes via RRC signaling comprises:

sending, in an RRC information element that configures a CSI process of the wireless device, an indication that inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes is not allowed for the CSI process of the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes comprises signaling, to the wireless device, an indication that inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes is not allowed.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring the wireless device with a set of CSI-RS resources.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein receiving the one or more CSI reports from the wireless device comprises receiving CSI reports for a subset of the set of CSI-RS resources configured for the wireless device.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein configuring the wireless device with the set of CSI-RS resources comprises configuring the wireless device with the set of CSI-RS resources via Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein configuring the wireless device with the set of CSI-RS resources comprises semi-statically configuring the wireless device with the set of CSI-RS resources.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the set of CSI-RS resources is specific to a CSI process of the wireless device.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the base station transmits beamformed CSI-RS, and the method further comprises dynamically changing beams used on the set of CSI-RS resources configured for the wireless device, each beam corresponding to a different beam direction.

14. A base station of a cellular communications network enabled to control Channel State Information Reference Symbol, CSI-RS, based channel estimation at a wireless device, comprising:

at least one transmitter;

at least one receiver;

at least one processor; and

memory storing software instructions executable by the at least one processor whereby the base station is operative to;

send an indication to the wireless device to disable, via the at least one transmitter, inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes at a wireless device;

send an indication to the wireless device to disable, via the at least one transmitter, combining of Channel State Information Interference Measurement, CSI-IM, estimates across subframes at the wireless device; and

receive, via the at least one receiver, a Channel State Information, CSI, report from the wireless device that is generated by the wireless device with inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes disabled in response to disabling inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes at the wireless device.

15. A method of operation of a wireless device in a cellular communications network to provide Channel State Information, CSI, reporting, comprising:

receiving an indication from a base station of the cellular communications network to disable inter-subframe channel interpolation of Channel State Information Reference Symbol, CSI-RS, estimates across subframes;

receiving an indication from the base station of the cellular communications network to disable combining of CSI Interference Measurement, CSI-IM, estimates across subframes;

in response, performing one or more CSI-RS measurements with inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes disabled; and

transmitting a CSI report to the base station determined from the one or more CSI-RS measurements.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the base station transmits a beamformed CSI-RS resource and reuses the same CSI-RS resource for different beams over time.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the wireless device utilizes two or more CSI processes for CSI reporting, and the indication received from the base station is an indication to disable inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes for a particular CSI process.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the wireless device utilizes two or more CSI processes for CSI reporting, and the indication received from the base station is an indication to disable inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes for all of the two or more CSI processes.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein receiving the indication comprises receiving the indication via Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the wireless device utilizes two or more CSI processes for CSI reporting, the indication received from the base station is an indication to disable inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes for a particular CSI process of the wireless device, and receiving the indication comprises receiving the indication comprised in an RRC information element that configures the particular CSI process of the wireless device.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a configuration of a set of CSI-RS resources for the wireless device.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the CSI report is for a subset of the set of CSI-RS resources configured for the wireless device.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving the configuration of the set of CSI-RS resources comprises receiving the configuration of the set of CSI-RS resources from the base station via Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the configuration of the set of CSI-RS resources is semi-static.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the set of CSI-RS resources is specific to a CSI process of the wireless device.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the base station transmits beamformed CSI-RS, and beams used on the set of CSI-RS resources configured for the wireless device are dynamically changed.

27. A wireless device in a cellular communications network to provide Channel State Information, CSI, reporting, comprising:

means for receiving an indication from a base station of the cellular communications network to disable inter-subframe channel interpolation of Channel State Information Reference Symbol, CSI-RS, estimates across subframes;

means for receiving an indication from the base station of the cellular communications network to disable combining of CSI Interference Measurement, CSI-IM, estimates across subframes;

means for performing one or more CSI-RS measurements with inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes disabled in response to receiving the indication; and

means for transmitting a CSI report to the base station determined from the one or more CSI-RS measurements.

28. The wireless device of claim 27 wherein the base station transmits beamformed CSI-RS and reuses the same CSI-RS resources for different beams over time.

29. A wireless device in a cellular communications network to provide Channel State Information, CSI, reporting, comprising:

at least one transmitter;

at least one receiver;

at least one processor; and

memory storing software instructions executable by the at least one processor whereby the wireless device is operative to;

receive, via the at least one receiver, an indication from a base station of the cellular communications network to disable inter-subframe channel interpolation of Channel State Information Reference Symbol, CSI-RS, estimates across subframes;

receive, via the at least one receiver, an indication from a base station of the cellular communications network to disable combining of Channel State Information Interference Measurement, CSI-IM, estimates across subframes;

in response, perform one or more CSI-RS measurements with inter-subframe channel interpolation of CSI-RS estimates across subframes disabled; and

transmitting a CSI report to the base station determined from the one or more CSI-RS measurements.