Virtual Antenna Ports for Flexible CSI-RS Resource Definition

• US 20150010106A1
• Filed: 01/29/2012
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Skov, Peter, Wang, Chun Ye, Wang, Lilei, Zhang, Li
• Application Number:
  US14/375,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20150010106A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/295
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• 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 7/0426 Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/061 using feedback from receiving side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• 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 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver

Abstract

An apparatus and a method are provided, by which at least one virtual antenna port is created which includes a plurality of reference signal ports defined in a physical resource block. Information regarding the at least one virtual antenna port including the definition of the reference signal ports is sent to a user equipment, and reference signals are sent on the plurality of reference signal ports to the user equipment

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising

an interface configured to provide connection to at least another apparatus, and

a processor, wherein

the processor is configured to

create a at least one virtual antenna port which comprises a plurality of reference signal ports defined in a physical resource block,

send information regarding the at least one virtual antenna port including the definition of the reference signal ports via the interface to a user equipment, and

send reference signals on the plurality of reference signal ports to the user equipment.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to associate a weighting factor to each reference signal port.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to send information regarding the associated weighting factors of the reference signal ports via the interface to the user equipment.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the weighting factor for each reference signal indicates a factor for adjusting a power ratio among the reference signal ports.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to send information to the user equipment that some of the reference signal ports are muted.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the user equipment would benefit from providing measurements using the plurality of reference signal ports, and to apply the at least one virtual antenna port and to send information that the plurality of reference signals would be available only in a positive determination result.

5. (canceled)

8. An apparatus comprising

an interface configured to provide connection to at least another apparatus, and

a processor, wherein

the processor is configured to

receive information regarding at least one virtual antenna port which comprises a plurality of reference signal ports defined in a physical resource block via the interface from a network control element, and

receive reference signals on the plurality of reference signal ports via the interface.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a weighting factor is associated to each reference signal port.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to receive information regarding the associated weighting factors of the reference signal ports via the interface from the network control element.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the weighting factor for each reference signal indicates a factor for adjusting a power ratio among the reference signal ports.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine feedback based on the at least one virtual antenna port by averaging measurement over the reference signal ports with the associated weighting factor, and to send the feedback via the interface to the network control element.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to receive information from the network control element that the plurality of reference signals would be available.

14. (canceled)

15. A method comprising

creating a at least one virtual antenna port which comprises a plurality of reference signal ports defined in a physical resource block,

sending information regarding the at least one virtual antenna port including the definition of the reference signal ports to a user equipment, and

sending reference signals on the plurality of reference signal ports to the user equipment.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising associating a weighting factor to each reference signal port.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising sending information regarding the associated weighting factors of the reference signal ports to the user equipment.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the weighting factor for each reference signal indicates a factor for adjusting a power ratio among the reference signal ports.

20. The method according to claim 15, further comprising

sending information to the user equipment that some of the reference signal ports are muted.

29. A computer program product comprising code means for performing a method according to claim 15 when run on a processing means or module.

30. The computer program product according to claim 29, wherein the computer program product is embodied on a computer-readable medium.

19. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. A method comprising

receiving information regarding at least one virtual antenna port which comprises a plurality of reference signal ports defined in a physical resource block via the interface from a network control element, and

receiving reference signals on the plurality of reference signal ports.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein a weighting factor is associated to each reference signal port.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising receiving information regarding the associated weighting factors of the reference signal ports from the network control element.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the weighting factor for each reference signal indicates a factor for adjusting a power ratio among the reference signal ports.

26. The method according to claim 24, further comprising determining feedback based on the at least one virtual antenna port by averaging measurement over the reference signal ports with the associated weighting factor, and to send the feedback via the interface to the network control element.

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)