METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ENABLING CHANNEL AND INTERFERENCE ESTIMATIONS IN MACRO/RRH SYSTEM

• US 20120208547A1
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Geirhofer, Stefan, Chen, Wanshi, Luo, Tao, Gaal, Peter, Xu, Hao
• Granted Patent: US 8,995,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/0053 using co-ordinated multipoint transmission/reception co-ordinated antenna or beam-forming aspects H04B7/022
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0226 sounding signals per se
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0228 with direct estimation from sounding signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• 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 5/006 Quality of the received signal, e.g. BER, SNR, water filling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0092 Indication of how the channel is divided
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/542 using measured or perceived quality

Abstract

Aspects disclosed herein relate to channel and interference estimations in a coordinated multi-point (CoMP) environment. In the disclosed aspects, an eNB may be equipped to signal an identifier indicating a plurality of resource patterns, each associated with a resource pattern group, and each including a first resource element pattern for channel estimation and a second resource element pattern for interference estimation. The UE may be equipped to receive the signaling and perform channel estimation based at least in part on the first resource clement pattern, and interference estimation based at least in part on the second resource pattern generate at least one channel state report based on the channel and interference estimations, and transmit at least one channel state report to an eNB. The eNB may determine one or more resources for use by the UE based on the at least one received channel state report.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communications, comprising:

signaling an identifier, to a user equipment (UE), indicating a first resource pattern for a first resource pattern group and a second resource pattern for a second resource pattern group to measure channel state conditions, wherein the first and second resource pattern groups each include a first resource element pattern for channel estimation and a second resource element pattern for interference estimation;

receiving at least one channel state condition report from the UE based, at least in part, on measurements obtained based on at least one of the first resource pattern or the second resource pattern; and

determining one or more resources for use by the UE based on the at least one received channel state condition report.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling the identifier that indicates the first resource pattern for the first resource pattern group and second resource pattern for the second resource pattern group further comprises using at least one of radio resource control (RRC) or dynamic signaling.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first resource pattern for the first resource pattern group and second resource pattern for the second resource pattern group are further indicated based on a subframe on which the identifier is signaled.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier indicates the second resource element pattern for interference estimation through a mapping that identifies the second resource element pattern based on the first resource element pattern used for channel estimation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mapping between the first resource element pattern and the second resource element pattern depends on a subframe on which the identifier is signaled.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second resource element pattern associated with first resource pattern is the same as the second resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the signaling further comprises instructions to account for interference from the second resource pattern group based on the first resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein signaling further indicates precoding information for adjusting the channel state condition report.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first resource pattern and second resource pattern are channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) patterns.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier further indicates a third resource pattern that corresponds to one or more common reference signal (CRS) patterns of the at least one of the first or second resource pattern groups, and wherein the measured channel state conditions are further based on the third resource pattern.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling comprising at least one of RRC signaling or dynamic signaling, wherein the RRC signaling comprises one or more identifier options, and wherein the dynamic signaling comprises one or more bits used to indicate which of the one or more identifier options is to be used.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the signaling comprising at least one of RRC signaling or dynamic signaling, and wherein the dynamic signaling comprises a link to a bitmap indicating at least the first resource pattern and the second resource pattern.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the channel state condition report further comprises receiving periodic channel state condition reports, and wherein the measurements included in the report depend on information included in the identifier, wherein the identifier indicates at least one of:

different instances of measurements to be obtained for either the first or second resource pattern groups at different subframes, or

that a determined best set of measurements is to be included in the channel state condition report.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the channel state condition report further comprises receiving an aperiodic channel state condition report, wherein the identifier indicates the measurements to be obtained for at least one of the first or second resource pattern groups.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier indicates at least one additional resource pattern, and wherein the received at least one channel condition report is further based, at least in part, on the at least one additional resource pattern.

16. A method of wireless communications, comprising:

receiving, by a UE, an identifier indicating signaling of a first resource pattern for a first resource pattern group and a second resource pattern for a second resource pattern group, wherein the first and second resource pattern groups each include a first resource element pattern for channel estimation and a second resource element pattern for interference estimation;

performing channel estimation for the first resource pattern group using the first resource element pattern associated with the first resource pattern and for the second resource pattern group using the first resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern;

performing interference estimation for the first resource pattern group using the second resource element pattern associated with the first resource pattern and for the second resource pattern group using the second resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern;

generating a channel state condition report for at least one of the first or second resource pattern groups based on at least a portion of the interference and channel estimations; and

transmitting the channel state condition report.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second resource element pattern associated with first resource pattern is the same as the second resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second resource patterns comprise CSI-RS patterns, respectively.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving further comprises receiving a third resource pattern that comprises CRS patterns associated with the first and second resource pattern groups, and wherein the performing the interference estimation further comprises estimating interference from outside the first and second resource pattern groups based on the one or more CRS patterns.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a resource pattern group with a best channel state condition by comparing channel and interference estimation values among the first and second resource pattern groups; and

wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting the channel state condition report associated with the resource pattern group with the best channel state condition.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifier indicates the first resource pattern for the first resource pattern group and second resource pattern for the second resource pattern group using at least one of semi-static or dynamic signaling.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising selecting the first resource pattern for the first resource pattern group and second resource pattern for the second resource pattern group based on a subframe.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifier indicates the second resource element pattern for interference estimation through a mapping that identifies the second resource element pattern based on the first resource element pattern used for channel estimation.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the mapping between the first resource element pattern and the second resource element pattern depends on a subframe.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifier indicates at least one additional resource pattern, wherein the performing channel and interference estimations further comprise performing channel estimation using a first resource element pattern associated with the at least one additional resource pattern and performing interference estimation using a second resource element pattern associated with the at least one additional resource pattern, and wherein the generating further comprises generating the channel state condition report for the at least one additional resource pattern.

26. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for signaling an identifier, to a UE, indicating a first resource pattern for a first resource pattern group and a second resource pattern for a second resource pattern group to measure channel state conditions, wherein the first and second resource pattern groups each include a first resource element pattern for channel estimation and a second resource element pattern for interference estimation;

means for receiving at least one channel state condition report from the UE based, at least in part, on measurements obtained based on at least one of the first resource pattern or the second resource pattern; and

means for determining one or more resources for use by the UE based on the at least one received channel state condition report.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the identifier indicates at least one additional resource pattern, and wherein the received at least one channel condition report is further based, at least in part, on the at least one additional resource pattern.

28. An apparatus of wireless communications, comprising:

means for receiving, by a UE, an identifier indicating signaling of a first resource pattern for a first resource pattern group and a second resource pattern for a second resource pattern group, wherein the first and second resource pattern groups each include a first resource element pattern for channel estimation and a second resource element pattern for interference estimation;

means for performing channel estimation for the first resource pattern group using the first resource element pattern associated with the first resource pattern and for the second resource pattern group using the first resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern;

means for performing interference estimation for the first resource pattern group using the second resource element pattern associated with the first resource pattern and for the second resource pattern group using the second resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern;

means for generating a channel state condition report for at least one of the first or second resource pattern groups based on at least a portion of the interference and channel estimations; and

means for transmitting the channel state condition report.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the second resource element pattern associated with first resource pattern is the same as the second resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the first and second resource patterns comprise CSI-RS patterns, respectively.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the means for receiving further comprises means for receiving a third resource pattern that comprises CRS patterns associated with the first and second resource pattern groups, and wherein the means for performing the interference estimation further comprises means for estimating interference from outside the first and second resource pattern groups using the one or more CRS patterns.

32. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

means for determining a resource pattern group with a best channel state condition by comparing channel and interference estimation values amount the first and second resource pattern groups; and

wherein the means for transmitting further comprises means for transmitting the channel state condition report associated with the resource pattern group with the best channel state condition.

33. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the identifier indicates the first resource pattern for the first resource pattern group and second resource pattern for the second resource pattern group using at least one of semi-static or dynamic signaling.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising means for selecting the first resource pattern for the first resource pattern group and second resource pattern for the second resource pattern group based on a subframe.

35. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the identifier indicates the second resource element pattern for interference estimation through a mapping that indentifies the second resource element pattern based on the first resource element pattern used for channel estimation.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the mapping between the first resource element pattern and the second resource element pattern depends on a subframe.

37. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the identifier indicates at least one additional resource pattern, wherein the means for performing channel and interference estimations further comprise means for performing channel estimation using a first resource element pattern associated with the at least one additional resource pattern and means for performing interference estimation using a second resource element pattern associated with the at least one additional resource pattern, and wherein the means for generating further comprises means for generating the channel state condition report for the at least one additional resource pattern.

38. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for;

signaling an identifier, to a UE, indicating a first resource pattern for a first resource pattern group and a second resource pattern for a second resource pattern group to measure channel state conditions, wherein the first and second resource pattern groups each include a first resource element pattern for channel estimation and a second resource element pattern for interference estimation;

receiving at least one channel state condition report from the UE based, at least in part, on measurements obtained based on at least one of the first resource pattern or the second resource pattern; and

determining one or more resources for use by the UE based on the at least one received channel state condition report.

39. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for;

receiving, by a UE, an identifier indicating signaling of a first resource pattern for a first resource pattern group and a second resource pattern for a second resource pattern group, wherein the first and second resource pattern groups each include a first resource element pattern for channel estimation and a second resource element pattern for interference estimation;

performing channel estimation for the first resource pattern group using the first resource element pattern associated with the first resource pattern and for the second resource pattern group using the first resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern;

performing interference estimation for the first resource pattern group using the second resource element pattern associated with the first resource pattern and for the second resource pattern group using the second resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern;

generating a channel state condition report for at least one of the first or second resource pattern groups based on at least a portion of the interference and channel estimations; and

transmitting the channel state condition report.

40. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processing system configured to;

signal an identifier, to a UE, indicating a first resource pattern for a first resource pattern group and a second resource pattern for a second resource pattern group to measure channel state conditions, wherein the first and second resource pattern groups each include a first resource element pattern for channel estimation and a second resource element pattern for interference estimation;

receive at least one channel state condition report from the UE based, at least in part, on measurements obtained based on at least one of the first resource pattern or the second resource pattern; and

determine one or more resources for use by the UE based on the at least one received channel state condition report.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the second resource clement pattern associated with first resource pattern is the same as the second resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the processing system is further configured to signal instructions to account for interference from the second resource pattern group based on the first resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the processing system is further configured to signal precoding information for adjusting the channel state condition report based on interference from either the first resource pattern group or the second resource pattern group based on which of the first or second resource pattern groups is not selected for the channel state condition report.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the identifier further indicates a third resource pattern that corresponds to one or more common reference signal (CRS) patterns of the at least one of the first or second resource pattern groups, and wherein the measured channel state conditions are further based on the third resource pattern.

45. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the processing system is further configured to signal at least one of RRC signaling or dynamic signaling, wherein the RRC signaling comprises one or more identifier options, and wherein the dynamic signaling comprises one or more bits used to indicate which of the one or more identifier options is to be used.

46. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the processing system is further configured to signal using RRC signaling or dynamic signaling, and wherein the dynamic signaling comprises a link to a bitmap indicating at least the first resource pattern and the second resource pattern.

47. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the processing system is further configured to receive periodic channel state condition reports, wherein the measurements included in the report depend on information included in the identifier, and wherein the identifier indicates at least one of:

different instances of measurements to be obtained for either the first or second resource pattern groups at different subframes, or

that a determined best set of measurements is to be included in the channel state condition report.

48. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the processing system is further configured to receive an aperiodic channel state condition report, wherein the identifier indicates the measurements to be obtained for at least one of the first or second resource pattern groups.

49. An apparatus of wireless communications, comprising:

a processing system configured to;

receive an identifier indicating signaling of a first resource pattern for a first resource pattern group and a second resource pattern for a second resource pattern group, wherein the first and second resource pattern groups each include a first resource element pattern for channel estimation and a second resource element pattern for interference estimation;

perform channel estimation for the first resource pattern group using the first resource clement pattern associated with the first resource pattern and for the second resource pattern group using the first resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern;

perform interference estimation for the first resource pattern group using the second resource element pattern associated with the first resource pattern and for the second resource pattern group using the second resource element pattern associated with the second resource pattern;

generate a channel state condition report for at least one of the first or second resource pattern groups based on at least a portion of the interference and channel estimations; and

transmit the channel state condition report.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

receive a third resource pattern that comprises CRS patterns associated with the first and second resource pattern groups; and

estimate interference from outside the first and second resource pattern groups using the one or more CRS patterns.

51. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

determine a resource pattern group with a best channel state condition by comparing channel and interference estimation values amount the first and second resource pattern groups; and

transmit the channel state condition report associated with the resource pattern group with the best channel state condition.

52. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the identifier indicates at least one additional resource pattern, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

perform channel estimation using a first resource element pattern associated with the at least one additional resource pattern and means for performing interference estimation using a second resource element pattern associated with the at least one additional resource pattern; and

generate the channel state condition report for the at least one additional resource pattern.