Reference signals and link adaptation for massive MIMO

• US 10,505,597 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Soriaga, Joseph Binamira, Vitthaladevuni, Pavan Kumar, Karakus, Can, Ji, Tingfang
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Harun
• Application Number:
  US15/584,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20170324455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 370252, 370328, 370329, 370332, 370278
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0421 utilizing implicit feedback, e.g. steered pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0452 Multi-user MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0202 Channel estimation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0226 sounding signals per se
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0037 Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to wireless communications and, more particularly, to reference signals (RS) and link adaptation for massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO). In one aspect, a method is provided which may be performed by a wireless device such as a base station (BS). The method generally includes receiving sounding reference signals (SRS) and at least one of: feedback regarding interference or a whitening matrix from one or more user equipments (UEs), determining beamforming parameters for transmissions to a group of one or more UEs based, at least in part, on the SRS and at least one of: the feedback regarding interference or the whitening matrix, and transmitting channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) to UEs in the group using the determined beamforming parameters.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

transmitting one or more sounding reference signals (SRS) and at least one of;

feedback regarding interference or a whitening matrix to a base station (BS), wherein the one or more SRS is transmitted in an uplink portion of a first subframe;

receiving one or more beamformed channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) from the BS, wherein the one or more beamformed CSI-RS is received in a downlink portion of a second subframe, and wherein an amount of resources in the second subframe allocated for downlink transmissions is greater than an amount of resources allocated for uplink transmissions in the second subframe;

determining CSI feedback based on the beamformed CSI-RS;

transmitting the CSI feedback to the BS;

receiving data in a downlink portion of a third subframe;

receiving another CSI-RS in a downlink portion of a fourth subframe if a negative acknowledgement (NACK) for the data is transmitted; and

receiving a retransmission of the data in a downlink portion of a fifth subframe in response to the NACK, wherein the fifth subframe comprises a downlink-centric subframe, wherein an amount of resources allocated for downlink transmissions in the fifth subframe is greater than an amount of resources allocated for uplink transmissions in the fifth subframe.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the CSI feedback comprises at least one of:

a channel quality indication (CQI), a rank indicator (RI), the feedback regarding interference, or a phase correction matrix.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the another CSI-RS has different beamforming parameters based on the phase correction matrix if the CSI feedback comprises the phase correction matrix.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a rotation for the one or more SRS, wherein transmitting the one or more SRS comprises transmitting the rotated one or more SRS.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises precoded data having a same precoding as the one or more beamformed CSI-RS.

6. An apparatus for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:

means for transmitting one or more sounding reference signals (SRS) and at least one of;

feedback regarding interference or a whitening matrix to a base station (BS), wherein the one or more SRS is transmitted in an uplink portion of a first subframe;

means for receiving one or more beamformed channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) from the BS, wherein the one or more beamformed CSI-RS is received in a downlink portion of a second subframe, and wherein an amount of resources in the second subframe allocated for downlink transmissions is greater than an amount of resources allocated for uplink transmissions in the second subframe;

means for determining CSI feedback based on the one or more beamformed CSI-RS;

means for transmitting the CSI feedback to the BS

means for receiving data in a downlink portion of a third subframe;

means for receiving another CSI-RS in a downlink portion of a fourth subframe if a negative acknowledgement (NACK) for the data is transmitted; and

means for receiving a retransmission of the data in a downlink portion of a fifth subframe in response to the NACK, wherein the fifth subframe comprises a downlink-centric subframe, wherein an amount of resources allocated for downlink transmissions in the fifth subframe is greater than an amount of resources allocated for uplink transmissions in the fifth subframe.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the CSI feedback comprises at least one of:

a channel quality indication (CQI), a rank indicator (RI), the feedback regarding interference, or a phase correction matrix.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the another CSI-RS has different beamforming parameters based on the phase correction matrix if the CSI feedback comprises the phase correction matrix.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising means for determining a rotation for the one or more SRS, wherein transmitting the one or more SRS comprises transmitting the rotated one or more SRS.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data comprises precoded data having a same precoding as the one or more beamformed CSI-RS.

11. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit one or more sounding reference signals (SRS) and at least one of;

feedback regarding interference or a whitening matrix to a base station (BS), wherein the one or more SRS is transmitted in an uplink portion of a first subframe;

a receiver configured to receive one or more beamformed channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) from the BS, wherein the one or more beamformed CSI-RS is received in a downlink portion of a second subframe, and wherein an amount of resources in the second subframe allocated for downlink transmissions is greater than an amount of resources allocated for uplink transmissions in the second subframe;

at least one processor coupled with a memory and configured to determine CSI feedback based on the one or more beamformed CSI-RS, wherein;

the transmitter is further configured to transmit the CSI feedback to the BS; and

the receiver is further configured to;

receive data in a downlink portion of a third subframe;

receive another CSI-RS in a downlink portion of a fourth subframe if a negative acknowledgement (NACK) for the data is transmitted; and

receive a retransmission of the data in a downlink portion of a fifth subframe in response to the NACK, wherein the fifth subframe comprises a downlink-centric subframe, wherein an amount of resources allocated for downlink transmissions in the fifth subframe is greater than an amount of resources allocated for uplink transmissions in the fifth subframe.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data comprises precoded data having a same precoding as the one or more beamformed CSI-RS.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the CSI feedback comprises at least one of:

a channel quality indication (CQI), a rank indicator (RI), the feedback regarding interference, or a phase correction matrix.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the another CSI-RS has different beamforming parameters based on the phase correction matrix if the CSI feedback comprises the phase correction matrix.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a rotation for the one or more SRS, wherein transmitting the one or more SRS comprises transmitting the rotated one or more SRS.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable code stored thereon for wireless communications, comprising:

code for transmitting one or more sounding reference signals (SRS) to a base station (BS) and at least one of;

feedback regarding interference or a whitening matrix to a base station (BS), wherein the one or more SRS is transmitted in an uplink portion of a first subframe;

code for receiving one or more beamformed channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) from the BS, wherein the one or more beamformed CSI-RS is received in a downlink portion of a second subframe, and wherein an amount of resources in the second subframe allocated for downlink transmissions is greater than an amount of resources allocated for uplink transmissions in the second subframe;

code for determining CSI feedback based on the one or more beamformed CSI-RS;

code for transmitting the CSI feedback to the BS;

code for receiving data in a downlink portion of a third subframe;

code for receiving another CSI-RS in a downlink portion of a fourth subframe if a negative acknowledgement (NACK) for the data is transmitted; and

code for receiving a retransmission of the data in a downlink portion of a fifth subframe in response to the NACK, wherein the fifth subframe comprises a downlink-centric subframe, wherein an amount of resources allocated for downlink transmissions in the fifth subframe is greater than an amount of resources allocated for uplink transmissions in the fifth subframe.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the data comprises precoded data having a same precoding as the one or more beamformed CSI-RS.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the CSI feedback comprises at least one of:

a channel quality indication (CQI), a rank indicator (RI), the feedback regarding interference, or a phase correction matrix.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the another CSI-RS has different beamforming parameters based on the phase correction matrix if the CSI feedback comprises the phase correction matrix.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising code for determining a rotation for the one or more SRS, wherein transmitting the one or more SRS comprises transmitting the rotated one or more SRS.