Dedicated reference signal design for network MIMO

• US 9,337,976 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2015
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hou, Jilei, Montojo, Juan, Palanki, Ravi
• Primary Examiner(s): Masur, Paul H
• Application Number:
  US14/593,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20150117389A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: 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: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

Aspects describe utilizing a dedicated reference signal for supporting Network MIMO, distributed MIMO, Coordinated MultiPoint, and the like. A data modulation symbol is transmitting in the same direction as a pilot modulation symbol is transmitted. Two or more wireless devices can coordinate communications such that transmission of the same pilot modulation symbol and the same data modulation symbol are transmitted to a device in different directions, each direction associated with a wireless device and intended for a particular mobile device. Cluster-specific scrambling and/or user-group specific scrambling can be employed and a scrambling code can be communicated prior to transmission of the pilot modulation symbols and data modulation symbols.

Claims

1. A method performed by a first base station for using a dedicated reference signal for supporting Coordinated MultiPoint transmission, comprising:

communicating with a second base station to coordinate a data transmission to a first user device from the first base station and the second base station;

applying a cluster-specific scrambling to a first pilot modulation symbol;

transmitting, in a first direction, the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol from the first base station such that transmission of the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol is coordinated with a transmission of the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol by the second base station in a second direction; and

transmitting, in the first direction, a first data modulation symbol of the data transmission from the first base station such that transmission of the first data modulation symbol is coordinated with a transmission of the first data modulation symbol by the second base station in the second direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a scrambling code for the cluster-specific scrambling is predetermined.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

conveying on a control channel to the first user device a scrambling code for the cluster-specific scrambling.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a user-group specific scrambling before transmitting in the first direction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with the second base station to coordinate a data transmission to a second user device from the first base station and the second base station;

transmitting, from the first base station, a second pilot modulation symbol in a third direction; and

transmitting in the third direction, from the first base station, a second data modulation symbol intended for the second user device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, based on the coordination between the first base station and the second base station:

transmitting, from the second base station, the second pilot modulation symbol in a fourth direction; and

transmitting in the fourth direction, from the second base station, the second data modulation symbol intended for the second user device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting in the first direction comprises transmitting the first pilot modulation symbol on a first layer and the transmitting in the third direction comprises transmitting the second pilot modulation symbol on a second layer.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

including the first pilot modulation symbol in a first dedicated reference signal and the second pilot modulation symbol in a second dedicated reference signal; and

transmitting the first dedicated reference signal on a first layer and the second dedicated reference signal on a second layer, wherein the first layer and the second layer are mutually orthogonal.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein transmitting the first pilot modulation symbol in the first direction and the second pilot modulation symbol in the third direction comprises transmitting the first pilot modulation symbol and the second pilot modulation symbol on orthogonal resources.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the transmitting includes transmitting the first pilot modulation symbol in the first direction and the second pilot modulation symbol in the third direction on Time Division Multiplexed resources, Frequency-Division Multiplexed resources, Code-Division Multiplexed resources, or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

including the first pilot modulation symbol in a first dedicated reference signal and the second pilot modulation symbol in a second dedicated reference signal, wherein the first dedicated reference signal and the second dedicated reference signal target Physical Downlink Shared Channel demodulation.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

processing the first dedicated reference signal and the second dedicated reference signal through a pre-coding operation.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

including the first dedicated reference signal and the second dedicated reference signal in resource blocks and layers scheduled by the first base station for the transmission.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordination between the first base station and the second base station comprises employing cooperative beam-forming.

15. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instruction stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

communicate with a second base station to coordinate a data transmission to a first mobile device between a first base station and the second base station;

apply a cluster-specific scrambling to a first pilot modulation symbol;

transmit, in a first direction, the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol such that transmission of the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol is coordinated with a transmission of the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol by the second base station in a second direction; and

transmit, in the first direction, a first data modulation symbol of the data transmission such that transmission of the first data modulation symbol is coordinated with a transmission of the first data modulation symbol by the second base station in the second direction.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

convey to the first mobile device a scrambling code for the cluster-specific scrambling.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the coordination between the first base station and the second base station comprises employing cooperative beam-forming.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

communicate with the second base station to coordinate a data transmission to a second mobile device from the first base station and the second base station;

transmit a second pilot modulation symbol in a third direction; and

transmit in the third direction a second data modulation symbol intended for the second mobile device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

transmit the first pilot modulation symbol and the second pilot modulation symbol on Time Division Multiplexed resources, Frequency-Division Multiplexed resources, Code-Division Multiplexed resources, or combinations thereof.

20. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for communicating with a second base station to coordinate a data transmission to a first user device from a first base station and the second base station;

means for applying a cluster-specific scrambling to a first pilot modulation symbol;

means for transmitting in a first direction the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol from the first base station such that transmission of the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol is coordinated with a transmission of the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol by the second base station in a second direction; and

means for transmitting in the first direction a first data modulation symbol of the data transmission from the first base station such that transmission of the first data modulation symbol is coordinated with a transmission of the first data modulation symbol by the second base station in the second direction.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for transmitting in a third direction a second pilot modulation symbol and a second data modulation symbol from the first base station in accordance with the communicating, wherein the means for transmitting in the first direction transmits the first pilot modulation symbol on a first layer and the means for transmitting in the third direction transmits the second pilot modulation symbol on a second layer.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for inserting the first pilot modulation symbol in a first dedicated reference signal and a second pilot modulation symbol in a second dedicated reference signal, wherein the means for transmitting in the first direction transmits the first dedicated reference signal on a first layer and the means for transmitting in the second direction transmits the second dedicated reference signal on a second layer, wherein the first layer and the second layer are mutually orthogonal.

23. The apparatus of claim 20,

wherein a scrambling code for the cluster-specific scrambling is predetermined;

and

wherein the apparatus further comprises;

means for sending the scrambling code to the first user device and the second base station.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable to:

communicate with a second base station to coordinate a data transmission to a first mobile device;

apply a cluster-specific scrambling to a first pilot modulation symbol;

transmit in a first direction the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol such that transmission of the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol is coordinated with a transmission of the scrambled first pilot modulation symbol by the second base station in a second direction; and

transmit in the first direction a first data modulation symbol of the data transmission such that transmission of the first data modulation symbol is coordinated with a transmission of the first data modulation symbol by the second base station in the second direction.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions are executable to:

apply the cluster-specific scrambling before transmitting in the first direction; and

convey to the first mobile device a scrambling code for the cluster-specific scrambling.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions are executable to:

communicate with the second base station to coordinate a data transmission to a second mobile device;

transmit a second pilot modulation symbol in a third direction; and

transmit in the third direction a second data modulation symbol.

27. A method performed by a mobile device for receiving a dedicated reference signal for supporting Coordinated MultiPoint, comprising:

receiving a scrambled pilot modulation symbol from a first direction;

receiving the scrambled pilot modulation symbol from a second direction substantially concurrent to the receiving the scrambled pilot modulation symbol from the first direction, wherein a cluster-specific scrambling is applied to the pilot modulation symbol by a first base station and a second base station before receiving from the first direction and before receiving from the second direction;

receiving from the first direction a data modulation symbol intended for the mobile device; and

receiving from the second direction the data modulation symbol intended for the mobile device, wherein the data modulation symbol is received at the mobile device in connection with a coordinated transmission between the first base station and at least the second base station.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising

receiving on a control channel a scrambling code for the cluster-specific scrambling.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving a user-group specific scrambling, wherein the user-group specific scrambling is applied by the first base station and the second base station before receiving from the first direction and from the second direction.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the receiving the pilot modulation symbol from the first direction and the second direction comprises receiving the pilot modulation symbol on Time Division Multiplexed resources, Frequency-Division Multiplexed resources, Code-Division Multiplexed resources, or combinations thereof.

31. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

receive a scrambled pilot modulation symbol from a first direction;

receive the scrambled pilot modulation symbol from a second direction substantially concurrent to the receiving the scrambled pilot modulation symbol from the first direction, wherein a cluster-specific scrambling is applied to the pilot modulation symbol by a first base station and a second base station before receiving from the first direction and before receiving from the second direction;

receive from the first direction a data modulation symbol; and

receive from the second direction the data modulation symbol, wherein the data modulation symbol is received at the apparatus in connection with a coordinated transmission between the first base station and at least the second base station.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

receive on a control channel a scrambling code for the cluster-specific scrambling.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

receive the pilot modulation symbol on Time Division Multiplexed resources, Frequency-Division Multiplexed resources, Code-Division Multiplexed resources, or combinations thereof.

34. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving a scrambled pilot modulation symbol from a first direction;

means for receiving the scrambled pilot modulation symbol from a second direction substantially current to the receiving the scrambled pilot modulation symbol from the first direction, wherein a cluster-specific scrambling is applied to the pilot modulation symbol by a first base station and a second base station before receiving from the first direction and before receiving from the second direction;

means for receiving from the first direction a data modulation symbol; and

means for receiving from the second direction the data modulation symbol, wherein the data modulation symbol is received at the apparatus in connection with a coordinated transmission between the first base station and at least the second base station.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising:

means for obtaining a scrambling code for the cluster-specific scrambling.

36. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for wireless communication, the code comprising instructions executable to:

receive a scrambled pilot modulation symbol from a first direction;

receive the scrambled pilot modulation symbol from a second direction substantially concurrent to the receiving the scrambled pilot modulation symbol from the first direction, wherein a cluster-specific scrambling is applied to the pilot modulation symbol by a first base station and a second base station before receiving from the first direction and before receiving from the second direction;

receive from the first direction a data modulation symbol; and

receive from the second direction the data modulation symbol, wherein the data modulation symbol is received in connection with a coordinated transmission between the first base station and at least the second base station.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions are executable to:

receive a scrambling code for the cluster-specific scrambling.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions are executable to:

receive the pilot modulation symbol on Time Division Multiplexed resources, Frequency-Division Multiplexed resources, Code-Division Multiplexed resources, or combinations thereof.