Beamforming signaling in a wireless network

• US 10,715,228 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2019
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Dinan, Esmael Hejazi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Siu M
• Application Number:
  US16/245,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20190253109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/043 using best eigenmode, e.g. beam forming or beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/046 taking physical layer constraints into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0473 taking constraints in layer or codeword to antenna mapping into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0478 Special codebook structures directed to feedback optimisation
• 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 7/063 Parameters other than those covered in groups H04B7/0623 - H04B7/0634, e.g. channel matrix rank or transmit mode selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0634 Antenna weights or vector/matrix coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0639 Using selective indices, e.g. of a codebook, e.g. pre-distortion matrix index [PMI] or for beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0056 Inter-base station aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03955 in combination with downlink estimations, e.g. downlink path losses
• 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 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• 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 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 : Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 : of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0094 : Definition of hand-off measurement parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/08 : Reselecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 : Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 : by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 : based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 : the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 : Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems for wireless communications are described. Example methods, devices, and systems are described that utilize a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) computed based at least in part on first signals received via a first cell and on second signals received via a second cell. Information in a measurement information message may be used as part of computing a PMI. The measurement information message may indicate resources of a first cell and a second cell for use in computing the PMI. A wireless device may receive first signals via the first cell and second signals via the second cell based on information in the measurement information message, and may use these signals to compute the PMI. The computed PMI may be used in communications with a base station. For example, the wireless device may receive a packet beamformed employing the computed PMI.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a wireless device and from a first base station, a measurement information message comprising at least one information element;

receiving, based on the at least one information element, first signals via a first cell of the first base station and second signals via a second cell;

transmitting, to the first base station, channel state information comprising a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) determined based at least in part on the first signals received via the first cell and the second signals received via the second cell; and

receiving, via the first cell, at least one data packet beamformed according to a precoding matrix associated with the computed PMI.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one information element indicates one or more resource blocks associated with the first signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one information element indicates one or more resource blocks associated with the second signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the PMI is determined further based, at least in part, on a first measurement of the first signals received via the first cell and on a second measurement of the second signals received via the second cell.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the PMI is determined further based, at least in part, on reducing downlink inter-cell interference received via the second cell.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the PMI is determined by selecting the PMI from a plurality of predetermined PMIs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the PMI is determined by selecting the PMI from a subset of a precoding codebook indicated by a codebook subset restriction bitmap parameter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signals are first reference signals associated with the first cell and wherein the second signals are second reference signals associated with the second cell.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second cell is associated with a second base station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one information element is based, at least in part, on one or more information elements received by the first base station from the second base station.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cell is associated with a first transmission point and the second cell is associated with a second transmission point.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cell comprises a primary cell or a secondary cell.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the first signals comprises receiving the first signals via a downlink carrier of the first cell.

14. A wireless device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to;

receive, from a first base station, a measurement information message comprising at least one information element;

receive, based on the at least one information element, first signals via a first cell of the first base station and second signals via a second cell;

transmit, to the first base station, channel state information comprising a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) determined based at least in part on the first signals received via the first cell and the second signals received via the second cell; and

receive, via the first cell, at least one data packet beamformed according to a precoding matrix associated with the computed PMI.

15. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the at least one information element indicates one or more resource blocks associated with the first signals.

16. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the at least one information element indicates one or more resource blocks associated with the second signals.

17. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the PMI is determined further based, at least in part, on a first measurement of the first signals received via the first cell and on a second measurement of the second signals received via the second cell.

18. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the PMI is determined further based, at least in part, on reducing downlink inter-cell interference received via the second cell.

19. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the PMI is determined by selecting the PMI from a plurality of predetermined PMIs.

20. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the PMI is determined by selecting the PMI from a subset of a precoding codebook indicated by a codebook subset restriction bitmap parameter.

21. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the first signals are first reference signals associated with the first cell and wherein the second signals are second reference signals associated with the second cell.

22. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the second cell is associated with a second base station.

23. The wireless device of claim 22, wherein the at least one information element is based, at least in part, on one or more information elements received by the first base station from the second base station.

24. A system comprising:

a wireless device; and

a first base station,

wherein the wireless device is configured to;

receive, based on at least one information element received from the first base station, first signals via a first cell of the first base station and second signals from a second cell;

transmit, to the first base station, channel state information comprising a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) determined based at least in part on the first signals received via the first cell and the second signals received via the second cell; and

receive, via the first cell, at least one data packet beamformed according to a precoding matrix associated with the computed PMI; and

wherein the first base station is configured to;

transmit, to the wireless device, a measurement information message comprising the at least one information element;

receive, from the wireless device, the channel state information comprising the computed PMI; and

transmit, to the wireless device, the at least one data packet based on the received PMI.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one information element indicates one or more first resource blocks corresponding to the first signals and one or more second resource blocks corresponding to the second signals.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the PMI is determined further based, at least in part, on a first measurement of the first signals via the first cell and on a second measurement of the second signals received via the second cell.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the PMI is determined further based, at least in part, on reducing downlink inter-cell interference received via the second cell.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the PMI is determined by selecting the PMI from a plurality of predetermined PMIs.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the first signals are first reference signals associated with the first cell and wherein the second signals are second reference signals associated with the second cell.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the second cell is associated with a second base station.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the first base station is further configured to:

receive, from the second base station, first information associated with the one or more second resource blocks corresponding to the second signals; and

generate the at least one information element based, at least in part, on the first information.

32. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a first base station and to a wireless device, a measurement information message indicating first signals associated with a first cell of the first base station and second signals associated with a second cell;

receiving, by the first base station and from the wireless device, channel state information comprising a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) determined based at least in part on the first signals associated with the first cell and the second signals associated with the second cell; and

transmitting, via the first cell, at least one data packet beamformed according to a precoding matrix associated with the computed PMI.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one information element indicates one or more resource blocks associated with the first signals.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the at least one information element indicates one or more resource blocks associated with the second signals.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the PMI is determined further based, at least in part, on a first measurement of the first signals associated with the first cell and on a second measurement of the second signals associated with the second cell.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the PMI is determined further based, at least in part, on reducing downlink inter-cell interference received via the second cell.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the PMI is determined by selecting the PMI from a plurality of predetermined PMIs.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the PMI is determined by selecting the PMI from a subset of a precoding codebook indicated by a codebook subset restriction bitmap parameter.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the first signals are first reference signals associated with the first cell and wherein the second signals are second reference signals associated with the second cell.

40. The method of claim 32, wherein the second cell is associated with a second base station.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the at least one information element is based, at least in part, on one or more information elements received by the first base station from the second base station.

42. A first base station comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first base station to;

transmit, to a wireless device, a measurement information message comprising at least one information element indicating first signals associated with a first cell of the first base station and second signals associated with a second cell;

receive, from the wireless device, channel state information comprising a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) determined based at least in part on the first signals associated with the first cell and the second signals associated with the second cell; and

transmit, via the first cell, at least one data packet beamformed according to a precoding matrix associated with the computed PMI.

43. The first base station of claim 42, wherein the at least one information element indicates one or more resource blocks associated with the first signals.

44. The first base station of claim 42, wherein the at least one information element indicates one or more resource blocks associated with the second signals.

45. The first base station of claim 42, wherein the PMI is determined further based, at least in part, on a first measurement of the first signals associated with the first cell and on a second measurement of the second signals associated with the second cell.

46. The first base station of claim 42, wherein the PMI is determined further based, at least in part, on reducing downlink inter-cell interference received via the second cell.

47. The first base station of claim 42, wherein the PMI is determined by selecting the PMI from a plurality of predetermined PMIs.

48. The first base station of claim 42, wherein the PMI is determined by selecting the PMI from a subset of a precoding codebook indicated by a codebook subset restriction bitmap parameter.

49. The first base station of claim 42, wherein the first signals are first reference signals associated with the first cell and wherein the second signals are second reference signals associated with the second cell.

50. The first base station of claim 42, wherein the second cell is associated with a second base station.

51. The first base station of claim 50, wherein the at least one information element is based, at least in part, on one or more information elements received by the first base station from the second base station.