Pilot shifting

• US 8,995,341 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Seln, Yngve, Baldemair, Robert, Sachs, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh-Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): BHATTI, HASHIM S
• Application Number:
  US13/510,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20120307729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0224 using 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 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0062 Avoidance of ingress interference, e.g. ham radio channels

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a network node transmits secondary signal component of a combined wireless communication signal to a user equipment. The combined wireless communication signal includes the secondary signal component and a primary signal component. Secondary pilot resources of the secondary signal component are dynamically shifted relative to primary pilot resources of the primary signal component by an amount that is based on whether a current estimation procedure at the user equipment is a primary channel estimation procedure or a secondary channel estimation procedure. In a corresponding example embodiment, the user equipment receives the combined wireless communication signal with the dynamically shifted pilot resources. The user equipment estimates the primary channel in the primary channel estimation procedure and estimates the secondary channel in the secondary channel estimation procedure.

Claims

1. A method in a network node for transmitting a combined wireless communication signal, wherein the combined wireless communication signal comprises a primary and a secondary signal component, the network node is configured for operation in a radio network, and the method comprises:

shifting secondary pilot resources of the secondary signal component relative to primary pilot resources in the primary signal component by an amount that is based on whether a current estimation procedure at a user equipment is a primary channel estimation procedure or a secondary channel estimation procedure;

transmitting the secondary signal component to be received by the user equipment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network node is a Base Station.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the current estimation procedure is the primary channel estimation procedure or the secondary channel estimation procedure and sending a corresponding value to the user equipment, to indicate to the user equipment whether the current estimation procedure is the primary channel estimation procedure or the secondary channel estimation procedure.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a value from the user equipment and determining from the value whether the current estimation procedure is the primary channel estimation procedure or the secondary channel estimation procedure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, for the case where the current estimation procedure is the primary channel estimation procedure, shifting the secondary pilot resources comprises shifting the secondary pilot resources so as to provide a maximum overlap with the primary pilot resources of the primary signal component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, for the case where the current estimation procedure is the secondary channel estimation procedure, shifting the secondary pilot resources comprises shifting the secondary pilot resources so as to provide a minimum overlap with the primary pilot resources of the primary signal component.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary signal component is a broadcast communication signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary signal component is a broadband communication signal.

9. A method in a user equipment for estimating a primary and a secondary channel, wherein the secondary channel is a subset of the primary channel, wherein the user equipment is configured for operation in a radio network and the method comprises:

receiving from a network node a combined wireless communication signal comprising primary and secondary signal components, wherein secondary pilot resources of the secondary signal component are shifted relative to primary pilot resources of the primary signal component by an amount that is based on whether a current estimation procedure is a primary channel estimation procedure or a secondary channel estimation procedure;

estimating the primary channel when the current estimation procedure is the primary channel estimation procedure; and

estimating the secondary channel when the current estimation procedure is the secondary channel estimation procedure.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the network node is a Base Station.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the user equipment determines whether the current estimation procedure is the primary channel estimation procedure or the secondary channel estimation procedure, and sends a corresponding value to the network node.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising obtaining a value of the current estimation procedure from the network node, which value indicates to the user equipment whether the current estimation procedure is the primary channel estimation procedure or the secondary channel estimation procedure.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the secondary pilot resources have a maximum overlap with primary pilot resources of the primary signal component for the primary channel estimation procedure.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the secondary pilot resources have a minimum overlap with primary pilot resources of the primary signal component for the secondary channel estimation procedure.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the primary signal component is a broadcast communication signal.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the secondary signal component is a broadband communication signal.

17. A network node for transmitting a combined wireless communication signal, the combined wireless communication signal comprising a primary and a secondary signal component, wherein the network node is configured for operation in a radio network and comprises:

a communications port configured to transmit the secondary signal component to a user equipment; and

a processing circuit configured to shift secondary pilot resources of the secondary signal component relative to primary pilot resources of the primary signal component by an amount that is based on whether a current estimation procedure at the user equipment is a primary channel estimation procedure or a secondary channel estimation procedure.

18. The network node of claim 17, wherein the network node is a Base Station.

19. The network node of claim 17, wherein the primary signal component is a broadcast communication signal.

20. The network node of claim 17, wherein the secondary signal component is a broadband communication signal.

21. A user equipment for estimating a primary and a secondary channel, wherein the secondary channel is a subset of the primary channel and the user equipment is configured for operation in a radio network and comprises:

a communications port configured to receive from a network node a combined wireless communication signal comprising primary and secondary signal components, wherein secondary pilot resources of the secondary signal component are shifted relative to primary pilot resources of primary signal component by an amount that is based on whether a current estimation procedure is a primary channel estimation procedure or a secondary channel estimation procedure;

a processing circuit configured to estimate the primary channel when the current estimation procedure is the primary channel estimation procedure, and to estimate the secondary channel when the current estimation procedure is the secondary channel estimation procedure.

22. The user equipment of claim 21, wherein the network node is a Base Station.

23. The user equipment of claim 21, wherein the primary signal component is a broadcast communication signal.

24. The user equipment of claim 21, wherein the secondary signal component is a broadband communication signal.