DISCOVERY SIGNALS AND NETWORK SYNCHRONIZATION SIGNALS DESIGN IN LTE

• US 20170295002A1
• Filed: 06/26/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: CHEN, Wanshi, GAAL, Peter, DAMNJANOVIC, Aleksandar, WANG, Michael Mao
• Granted Patent: US 9,985,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1822 involving configuration of automatic repeat request [ARQ] with parallel processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• 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 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Base stations (such as small cells) may support active and dormant states. To facilitate state transitions, these cells may transmit discovery signals. The transmission design of both discovery signals and network synchronization signals from small cells should provide for regular periodicity, while supporting the benefit of transitioning between active and dormant states. Disclosed is a method, a computer program product, and an apparatus that determine a first reference signal for at least one of discovery or measurement, and a second reference signal for synchronization, where both the first reference signal and the second reference signal are based on a same type of reference signal.

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication for a first base station (BS) comprising:

determining, by the first BS, one or more symbols of a set of subframes in which at least one reference signal is to be received, wherein the at least one reference signal is for synchronization with at least a second BS;

refraining, by the first BS, from transmitting during the determined one or more symbols; and

receiving the at least one reference signal in the one or more symbols of the set of subframes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing with at least the second base station based on the received at least one reference signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the set of subframes is one of a special subframe or an uplink (UL) subframe, at least a portion of the special subframe or the UL subframe being allocated for transmission of UL signals by a user equipment (UE).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one reference signal is based on at least one of:

a cell-specific reference signal (CRS),

a primary synchronization signal (PSS),

a secondary synchronization signal (SSS);

or

a positioning reference signal (PRS).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one reference signal is based on a positioning reference signal (PRS).

6. An apparatus for wireless communication at a first base station (BS), comprising:

means for determining, by the first BS, one or more symbols of a set of subframes in which at least one reference signal is to be received, wherein the at least one reference signal is for synchronization with at least a second BS;

means for refraining, by the first BS, from transmitting during the determined one or more symbols; and

means for receiving the at least one reference signal in the one or more symbols of the set of subframes.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

means for synchronizing with at least the second base station based on the received at least one reference signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of the set of subframes is one of a special subframe or an uplink (UL) subframe, at least a portion of the special subframe or the UL subframe being allocated for transmission of UL signals by a user equipment (UE).

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one reference signal is based on at least one of:

a cell-specific reference signal (CRS),

a primary synchronization signal (PSS),

a secondary synchronization signal (SSS);

or

a positioning reference signal (PRS).

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one reference signal is based on a positioning reference signal (PRS).

11. An apparatus for wireless communication at a first base station (BS), comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

determine, by the first BS, one or more symbols of a set of subframes in which at least one reference signal is to be received, wherein the at least one reference signal is for synchronization with at least a second BS;

refrain, by the first BS, from transmitting during the determined one or more symbols; and

receive the at least one reference signal in the one or more symbols of the set of subframes.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

synchronize with at least the second base station based on the received at least one reference signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the set of subframes is one of a special subframe or an uplink (UL) subframe, at least a portion of the special subframe or the UL subframe being allocated for transmission of UL signals by a user equipment (UE).

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one reference signal is based on at least one of:

a cell-specific reference signal (CRS),

a primary synchronization signal (PSS),

a secondary synchronization signal (SSS);

or

a positioning reference signal (PRS).

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one reference signal is based on a positioning reference signal (PRS).

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code for wireless communication at a first base station (BS), comprising code to:

determine, by the first BS, one or more symbols of a set of subframes in which at least one reference signal is to be received, wherein the at least one reference signal is for synchronization with at least a second BS;

refrain, by the first BS, from transmitting during the determined one or more symbols; and

receive the at least one reference signal in the one or more symbols of the set of subframes.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising code to:

synchronize with at least the second base station based on the received at least one reference signal.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein each of the set of subframes is one of a special subframe or an uplink (UL) subframe, at least a portion of the special subframe or the UL subframe being allocated for transmission of UL signals by a user equipment (UE).

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one reference signal is based on at least one of:

a cell-specific reference signal (CRS),

a primary synchronization signal (PSS),

a secondary synchronization signal (SSS);

or

a positioning reference signal (PRS).

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one reference signal is based on a positioning reference signal (PRS).