Minimizing Network Planning Using Reference Signal Grouping

• US 20200136707A1
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: RAMACHANDRA, Pradeepa, da SILVA, Icaro L. J., MOOSAVI, Reza, RAMOS, Edgar, TIDESTAV, Claes, UGURLU, Umut
• Granted Patent: US 10,784,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0695 using beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• 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 5/0051 of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0466 the resource being a scrambling code
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a method for use in a network node of transmitting reference signals in a wireless network using a plurality of beams comprises obtaining a node identifier for the network node. The node identifier is unique for neighboring network nodes within a particular coverage area of the wireless network. The method further comprises obtaining a group of reference signal sequences. The group comprises a subset of a pool of possible reference signal sequences for use in the wireless network. Each reference signal sequence is associated with a beam reference identifier. The method further comprises selecting a reference signal sequence from the obtained group: scrambling a reference signal transmission pattern using the obtained node identifier and the selected reference signal sequence with associated beam reference identifier; and transmitting the scrambled reference signal transmission pattern to a user equipment on one of the beams among the plurality of beams.

Claims

1. A method for use in a network node of transmitting reference signals in a wireless communication network, the network node capable of transmitting a plurality of beams, the method comprising:

obtaining a node identifier for the network node, the node identifier being unique for neighboring network nodes within a particular coverage area of the wireless communication network;

obtaining a group of reference signal sequences, the group of reference signal sequences comprising a subset of a pool of possible reference signal sequences for use in the wireless communication network, each reference signal sequence associated with a beam reference identifier;

selecting a reference signal sequence from the obtained group of reference signal sequences;

scrambling a reference signal transmission pattern using the obtained node identifier and the selected reference signal sequence with associated beam reference identifier; and

transmitting the scrambled reference signal transmission pattern to a user equipment on one of the beams among the plurality of beams.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, based on the obtained node identifier, time or frequency resources for transmission of the scrambled reference signal transmission pattern for each beam of the plurality of beams.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the node identifier comprises one of an access node identifier, an eNodeB identifier, a gNodeB identifier, and a cell identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a maximum number of reference signal sequences in the group of reference signal sequences is greater than a maximum number of beams in the plurality of beams.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of reference signal sequences comprises a group of reference signal sequences associated with odd numbered beam reference identifiers or a group of reference signal sequences associated with even numbered beam reference identifiers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of reference signal sequences comprises a group of reference signal sequences associated with a contiguous range of beam reference identifiers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of reference signal sequences comprises a group of reference signal sequences associated with a modulo n of the associated beam reference identifiers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of reference signal sequences comprises a group of reference signal sequences generated from a hash function performed on the associated beam reference identifiers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating to another network node a subset of the group of reference signal sequences that the other network node may use for transmitting reference signals.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference signal comprises a mobility reference signal (MRS).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference signal comprises a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

12. A network node capable of transmitting reference signals on a plurality of beams in a wireless communication network, the network node comprising a memory coupled to a processor, the processor operable to:

obtain a node identifier for the network node, the node identifier being unique for neighboring network nodes within a particular coverage area of the wireless communication network;

obtain a group of reference signal sequences, the group of reference signal sequences comprising a subset of a pool of possible reference signal sequences for use in the wireless communication network, each reference signal sequence associated with a beam reference identifier;

select a reference signal sequence from the obtained group of reference signal sequences;

scramble a reference signal transmission pattern using the obtained node identifier and the selected reference signal sequence with associated beam reference identifier; and

transmit the scrambled reference signal transmission pattern to a user equipment on one of the beams among the plurality of beams.

13. The network node of claim 12, the processor further operable to determine, based on the obtained node identifier, time or frequency resources for transmission of the scrambled reference signal transmission pattern for each beam of the plurality of beams.

14. The network node of claim 12, wherein the node identifier comprises one of an access node identifier, an eNodeB identifier, a gNodeB identifier, and a cell identifier.

15. The network node of claim 12, wherein a maximum number of reference signal sequences in the group of reference signal sequences is greater than a maximum number of beams in the plurality of beams.

16. The network node of claim 12, wherein the group of reference signal sequences comprises a group of reference signal sequences associated with odd numbered beam reference identifiers or a group of reference signal sequences associated with even numbered beam reference identifiers.

17. The network node of claim 12, wherein the group of reference signal sequences comprises a group of reference signal sequences associated with a contiguous range of beam reference identifiers.

18. The network node claim 12, wherein the group of reference signal sequences comprises a group of reference signal sequences associated with a modulo n of the associated beam reference identifiers.

19. The network node of claim 12, wherein the group of reference signal sequences comprises a group of reference signal sequences generated from a hash function performed on the associated beam reference identifiers.

20. The network node of claim 12, the processor further operable to communicate to another network node a subset of the group of reference signal sequences that the other network node may use for transmitting reference signals.

21. The network node of claim 12, wherein the reference signal comprises a mobility reference signal (MRS).

22. The network node of claim 12, wherein the reference signal comprises a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS).

23. A network node capable of transmitting reference signals on a plurality of beams in a wireless communication network, the network node comprising a determining module, a communication module, and a receiving module;

the receiving module operable to;

obtain a node identifier for the network node, the node identifier being unique for neighboring network nodes within a particular coverage area of the wireless communication network;

obtain a group of reference signal sequences, the group of reference signal sequences comprising a subset of a pool of possible reference signal sequences for use in the wireless communication network, each reference signal sequence associated with a beam reference identifier;

the determining module operable to;

select a reference signal sequence from the obtained group of reference signal sequences;

scramble a reference signal transmission pattern using the obtained node identifier and the selected reference signal sequence with associated beam reference identifier; and

the communication module operable to transmit the scrambled reference signal transmission pattern to a user equipment on one of the beams among the plurality of beams.