CONVEYING INFORMATION THROUGH PHASE OFFSET ON PSS RELATIVE TO DL-RS

• US 20100118839A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Malladi, Durga Prasad, Montojo, Juan, Farajidana, Amir, Bhattad, Kapil
• Granted Patent: US 8,948,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/261 Details of reference signals

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate conveying information utilizing a constant phase offset on Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS). In general, the subject innovation can employ a fixed set of beams and phases in which a PSS and a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) can be transmitted with the fixed set of beams and phases. Furthermore, the phase offset for PSS and SSS can be the same such that legacy user equipment is unaffected or aware of such transmissions.

Claims

1. A method used in a wireless communications system, comprising:

identifying a beam within a wireless communications environment;

employing a fixed number of phases for the beam; and

transmitting at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) or a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) with the fixed number of phases for the beam.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising employing a fixed number of phases for more than one beam within the wireless communications environment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising employing the fixed number of phases for the beam such that the fixed number of phases is relative to a downlink reference signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing a first phase for the PSS within a subframe and the first phase for the SSS within the subframe.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the beam is at least one of an available antenna port or a combination of available antenna ports.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting at least one of the PSS or the SSS to a user equipment (UE) that is compatible with more than four antenna ports.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising conveying information to the UE utilizing the fixed number of phases for the beam.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the conveyed information is related to at least one of a number of antenna deployed in the wireless communication system or a type of a base station.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising identifying at least one phase or beam based upon the conveyed information.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a set of fixed beams from linear combination of available reference signal ports;

partitioning the set into disjoint subsets; and

conveying information in the subset index.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying a subset index based on information to convey;

selecting a beam from at least one of the disjoint subset; and

communicating at least one of PSS or SSS with the beam.

12. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

identify a beam within a wireless communications environment;

employ a fixed number of phases for the beam;

transmit at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) or a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) with the fixed number of phases for the beam; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

13. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least one processor configured to employ a fixed number of phases for more than one beam within the wireless communications environment.

14. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least one processor configured to employ the fixed number of phases for the beam such that the fixed number of phases is relative to a downlink reference signal.

15. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least one processor configured to utilize a first phase for the PSS within a subframe and the first phase for the SSS within the subframe.

16. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 12, wherein the beam is at least one of an available antenna port or a combination of available antenna ports.

17. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 12, further comprising at least one processor configured to transmit at least one of the PSS or the SSS to a user equipment (UE) that is compatible with more than four antenna ports.

18. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 17, further comprising at least one processor configured to convey information to the UE utilizing the fixed number of phases for the beam.

19. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 17, wherein the conveyed information is related to at least one of a number of antenna deployed in the wireless communication system or a type of a base station.

20. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 17, further comprising at least one processor configured to identify at least one phase or beam based upon the conveyed information.

21. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

identify a set of fixed beams from linear combination of available reference signal ports;

partition the set into disjoint subsets; and

convey information in the subset index.

22. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

identify a subset index based on information to convey;

select a beam from at least one of the disjoint subset; and

communicate at least one of PSS or SSS with the beam.

23. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying a beam within a wireless communications environment;

means for employing a fixed number of phases for the beam; and

means for transmitting at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) or a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) with the fixed number of phases for the beam.

24. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for employing a fixed number of phases for more than one beam within the wireless communications environment.

25. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for employing the fixed number of phases for the beam such that the fixed number of phases is relative to a downlink reference signal.

26. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for utilizing a first phase for the PSS within a subframe and the first phase for the SSS within the subframe.

27. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 23, wherein the beam is at least one of an available antenna port or a combination of available antenna ports.

28. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for transmitting at least one of the PSS or the SSS to a user equipment (UE) that is compatible with more than four antenna ports.

29. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 28, further comprising means for conveying information to the UE utilizing the fixed number of phases for the beam.

30. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 29, wherein the conveyed information is related to at least one of a number of antenna deployed in the wireless communication system or a type of a base station.

31. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 29, further comprising means for identifying at least one phase or beam based upon the conveyed information.

32. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for identifying a set of fixed beams from linear combination of available reference signal ports;

means for partitioning the set into disjoint subsets; and

means for conveying information in the subset index.

33. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

means for identifying a subset index based on information to convey;

means for selecting a beam from at least one of the disjoint subset; and

means for communicating at least one of PSS or SSS with the beam.

34. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to identify a beam within a wireless communications environment;

code for causing at least one computer to employ a fixed number of phases for the beam; and

code for causing at least one computer to transmit at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) or a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) with the fixed number of phases for the beam.

35. A method used in a wireless communications system, comprising:

identifying a fixed set of phases and beams; and

receiving at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) or a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS).

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising identifying at least one of the PSS or the SSS without knowledge of the fixed set of phases and beams.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising estimating a channel based upon a reference signal.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising identifying a beam and a phase from the fixed set of phases and beams based upon a channel estimate.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising estimating a channel gain on the PSS and the SSS based upon at least one received beam.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising identifying a phase offset associated with the PSS.

41. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

receiving at least one of PSS or SSS;

estimating a channel from at least one reference signal port; and

decoding a subset index utilized to identify transmitted information.

42. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

identify a fixed set of phases and beams;

receive at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) or a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS); and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

43. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 42, further comprising at least one processor configured to identify at least one of the PSS or the SSS without the fixed set of phases and beams.

44. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 42, further comprising at least one processor configured to estimate a channel based upon a reference signal.

45. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 42, further comprising at least one processor configured to identify a beam and a phase from the fixed set of phases and beams based upon a channel estimate.

46. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 42, further comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive at least one of PSS or SSS;

estimate a channel from at least one reference signal port; and

decode a subset index utilized to identify transmitted information.

47. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying a fixed set of phases and beams; and

means for receiving at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) or a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS).

48. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 47, further comprising means for identifying at least one of the PSS or the SSS without the fixed set of phases and beams.

49. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 47, further comprising means for estimating a channel based upon a reference signal.

50. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 47, further comprising means for identifying a beam and a phase from the fixed set of phases and beams based upon a channel estimate.

51. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 47, further comprising means for estimating a channel gain on the PSS and the SSS based upon at least one received beam.

52. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 51, further comprising means for identifying a phase offset associated with the PSS.

53. The wireless communications apparatus of claim of 47, further comprising:

means for receiving at least one of PSS or SSS;

means for estimating a channel from at least one reference signal port; and

means for decoding a subset index utilized to identify transmitted information

54. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to identify a fixed set of phases and beams; and

code for causing at least one computer to receive at least one of a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) or a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS).