ENHANCED ANTENNA MANAGEMENT BY A BASE STATION

• US 20140307820A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Wanshi, Gaal, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 10,334,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/267
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/06 at the transmitting station
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0691 using subgroups of transmit antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Enhanced antenna management for nodes is described in which transmit antennas assigned to at least one first carrier are designated for usage in a second carrier. The nodes transmit various signals and reference signals using a set of antenna ports on the second carrier based on the combined physical antennas associated with the first inactive carriers and physical antennas associated with the second carrier.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

designating, by a node, one or more transmit antennas of the node assigned to at least one first carrier for use with a second carrier; and

transmitting at least one of a control channel, a data channel, or a reference signal with a set of antenna ports on the second carrier, wherein the set of antenna ports is based, at least in part, on a combination of the one or more transmit antennas assigned to the at least one first carrier and one or more transmit antennas of the node assigned for use with the second carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are of a different carrier frequency, and the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are associated with a same cell of the node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are of a same carrier frequency, and the at least one first carrier is associated with a first cell and the second carrier is associated with a second cell, where the first cell and the second cell are different and of a same cell of the node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more transmit antennas assigned to the at least one first carrier are designated based on the at least one first carrier being one of:

partially or completely deactivated.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the deactivation is for one of:

one or more subframes;

or a fraction of a subframe.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting one or more channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) configurations to one or more mobile devices, wherein the one or more CSI-RS configurations are based on the combination of the one or more transmit antennas.

7. The method of claim 6,

wherein a first of the one or more CSI-RS configurations is associated with one of:

a first subframe;

subframes over a first duration; and

wherein a second of the one or more CSI-RS configurations is associated with one of;

a second subframe; and

subsequent subframes after the first duration.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein a first of the one or more CSI-RS configurations is transmitted to a first of the one or more mobile devices and a second of the one or more CSI-RS configurations is transmitted to a second of the one or more mobile devices.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) for at least one of a control channel or a data channel to one or more mobile devices, wherein the DM-RS are based on the combination of the one or more transmit antennas.

10. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, comprising:

means for designating, by a node, one or more transmit antennas of the node assigned to at least one first carrier for use with a second carrier; and

means for transmitting at least one of a control channel, a data channel, or a reference signal with a set of antenna ports on the second carrier, wherein the set of antenna ports is based, at least in part, on a combination of the one or more transmit antennas assigned to the at least one first carrier and one or more transmit antennas of the node assigned for use with the second carrier.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are of a different carrier frequency, and the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are associated with a same cell of the node.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are of a same carrier frequency, and the at least one first carrier is associated with a first cell and the second carrier is associated with a second cell, where the first cell and the second cell are different and of a same cell of the node.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more transmit antennas assigned to the at least one first carrier are designated based on the at least one first carrier being one of:

partially or completely deactivated.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the deactivation is for one of:

one or more subframes;

or

a fraction of a subframe.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for transmitting one or more channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) configurations to one or more mobile devices, wherein the one or more CSI-RS configurations are based on the combination of the one or more transmit antennas.

16. The apparatus of claim 15,

wherein a first of the one or more CSI-RS configurations is associated with one of:

a first subframe;

subframes over a first duration; and

wherein a second of the one or more CSI-RS configurations is associated with one of;

a second subframe; and

subsequent subframes after the first duration.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a first of the one or more CSI-RS configurations is transmitted to a first of the one or more mobile devices and a second of the one or more CSI-RS configurations is transmitted to a second of the one or more mobile devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for transmitting a demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) for at least one of a control channel or a data channel to one or more mobile devices, wherein the DM-RS are based on the combination of the one or more transmit antennas.

19. A computer program product for wireless communications in a wireless network, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code including;

program code for causing a computer to designate, by a node, one or more transmit antennas of the node assigned to at least one first carrier for use with a second carrier; and

program code for causing the computer to transmit at least one of a control channel, a data channel, or a reference signal with a set of antenna ports on the second carrier, wherein the set of antenna ports is based, at least in part, on a combination of the one or more transmit antennas assigned to the at least one first carrier and one or more transmit antennas of the node assigned for use with the second carrier.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are of a different carrier frequency, and the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are associated with a same cell of the node.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are of a same carrier frequency, and the at least one first carrier is associated with a first cell and the second carrier is associated with a second cell, where the first cell and the second cell are different and of a same cell of the node.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the one or more transmit antennas assigned to the at least one first carrier are designated based on the at least one first carrier being one of:

partially or completely deactivated.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

program code for causing the computer to transmit one or more channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) configurations to one or more mobile devices, wherein the one or more CSI-RS configurations are based on the combination of the one or more transmit antennas.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

program code for causing the computer to transmit a demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) for at least one of a control channel or a data channel to one or more mobile devices, wherein the DM-RS are based on the combination of the one or more transmit antennas.

25. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured;

to designate, by a node, one or more transmit antennas of the node assigned to at least one first carrier for use with a second carrier; and

to transmit at least one of a control channel, a data channel, or a reference signal with a set of antenna ports on the second carrier, wherein the set of antenna ports is based, at least in part, on a combination of the one or more transmit antennas assigned to the at least one first carrier and one or more transmit antennas of the node assigned for use with the second carrier.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are of a different carrier frequency, and the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are associated with a same cell of the node.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one first carrier and the second carrier are of a same carrier frequency, and the at least one first carrier is associated with a first cell and the second carrier is associated with a second cell, where the first cell and the second cell are different and of a same cell of the node.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the one or more transmit antennas assigned to the at least one first carrier are designated based on the at least one first carrier being one of:

partially or completely deactivated.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising configuration of the at least one processor to transmit one or more channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) configurations to one or more mobile devices, wherein the one or more CSI-RS configurations are based on the combination of the one or more transmit antennas.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising configuration of the at least one processor to transmit a demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) for at least one of a control channel or a data channel to one or more mobile devices, wherein the DM-RS are based on the combination of the one or more transmit antennas.