Methods of discovery and measurements for small cells in OFDM/OFDMA systems

• US 10,348,431 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2017
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HFI Innovation, Inc. (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: HFI Innovation, Inc. (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Liao, Pei-Kai, Chiang, Hsiao-Lan, Li, Chien-Chang, Zhuang, Xiangyang
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Steven H
• Application Number:
  US15/657,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20170324499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/005 of intercell interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0079 Acquisition of downlink reference signals, e.g. detection of cell-ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2011/0096 Network synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2613 Structure of the reference signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/005 of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0073 Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences for intercell interference mitigation or co-ordination in orthogonal multiplex systems H04J11/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method of small cell discovery and RSRP/RSRQ measurements in OFDM/OFDMA systems is proposed. A discovery reference signal (DRS) with low transmission frequency is introduced to support small cell detection within a short time, multiple small cell discovery, and accurate measurement of multiple small cells. The DRS consists of one or multiple reference signal types with the functionalities including timing and frequency synchronization, cell detection, RSRP/RSSI/RSRQ measurements, and interference mitigation. RE muting is configured for the DRS to reduce interference level from data to DRS for discovery and RSRP/RSRQ measurements for small cells.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment (UE), configuration information of discovery reference signals (DRS) that include at least one of a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), wherein the configuration information indicates a transmission periodicity and a transmission time length of the DRS over a set of resource elements (REs) in multiple time-domain OFDM symbols;

determining whether RE muting is applied in a first set of OFDM symbols within the transmission time length based on the configuration information, and determining RE muting is not applied in a second set of OFDM symbols within the transmission time length when the DRS includes the CSI-RS; and

performing measurement of a first metric using the second set of OFDM symbols within the transmission time length based on the configuration information and the determined RE muting pattern to improve measurement performance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first metric is a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

performing measurement of a second metric using the first set of OFDM symbols.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second metric is a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein RE muting is not applied on REs used for DRS transmission.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the UE derives a Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) for a target cell based on RSRP and RSSI of the target cell.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the UE derives a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) for a target cell based on RSRP, RSSI and a cell loading of the target cell.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing synchronization and cell detection using the first set of OFDM symbols based on the configuration information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a DRS duration lasts for one or more subframes, and wherein the DRS is transmitted with the transmission periodicity that is substantially longer than one radio frame.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the UE performs synchronization, cell detection, and measurement within one single DRS duration.

11. A User Equipment (UE), comprising:

a receiver that receives configuration information of discovery reference signals (DRS) that include at least one of a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), wherein the configuration information indicates a transmission periodicity and a transmission time length of the DRS over a set of resource elements (REs) in multiple time-domain OFDM symbols;

a configuration circuit that determines whether RE muting is applied in a first set of OFDM symbols within the transmission time length based on the configuration information, and determines RE muting is not applied in a second set of OFDM symbols within the transmission time length when the DRS includes the CSI-RS; and

a measurement circuit that performs measurement of a first metric using the second set of OFDM symbols within the transmission time length based on the configuration information and the determined RE muting pattern to improve measurement performance.

12. The UE of claim 11, wherein the first metric is a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI).

13. The UE of claim 12, further comprising:

performing measurement of a second metric using the first set of OFDM symbols.

14. The UE of claim 13, wherein the second metric is a Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP).

15. The UE of claim 11, wherein RE muting is not applied on REs used for DRS transmission.

16. The UE of claim 14, wherein the UE derives a Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) for a target cell based on RSRP and RSSI of the target cell.

17. The UE of claim 14, wherein the UE derives a signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR) for a target cell based on RSRP, RSSI and a cell loading of the target cell.

18. The UE of claim 11, wherein UE performs synchronization and cell detection using the first set of OFDM symbols based on the configuration information.

19. The UE of claim 11, wherein a DRS duration lasts for one or more subframes, and wherein the DRS is transmitted with the transmission periodicity that is substantially longer than one radio frame.

20. The UE of claim 19, wherein the UE performs synchronization, cell detection, and measurement within one single DRS duration.