Radio communication system, base station apparatus, mobile terminal apparatus and interference measurement method

• US 9,369,890 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagata, Satoshi, Kishiyama, Yoshihisa, Benjebbour, Anass, Xi, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOM, SHICK C
• Application Number:
  US14/355,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20140307576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 1/00 Frequency-division multiplex systems H04J14/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 11/00 Orthogonal multiplex systems, e.g. using WALSH codesH04J13/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0001 Systems modifying transmission characteristics according to link quality, e.g. power backoff adaptive data allocation for multicarrier modulation H04L5/0044; controlling transmission power for radio systems H04W52/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0027 Scheduling of signalling, e.g. occurrence thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0051 of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0473 the resource being transmission power

Abstract

To increase the number of CSI-RSs for interference measurement to improve interference measurement accuracy, a first reference signal for channel state measurement and a second reference signal for interference measurement are assigned to reference signal resources defined for transmission of the first reference signal, and a mobile terminal apparatus that supports both the first reference signal and the second reference signal is notified of pattern information to identify an assignment pattern of the first reference signal and the second reference signal. A second mobile terminal apparatus that supports the first reference signal and that does not support the second reference signal is notified of pattern information to identify an assignment pattern of the first reference signal, and of assignment information indicating that resources assigned the second reference signal are assigned a third reference signal of zero power for channel state measurement.

Claims

1. A radio communication system comprising:

a plurality of base station apparatuses that transmits a first reference signal for channel state measurement; and

first and second mobile terminal apparatuses that connect to one of the plurality of base station apparatuses, wherein

each of the base station apparatuses is provided with a reference signal assignment section that assigns the first reference signal to a first resource element in a reference signal resource defined for transmission of the first reference signal, while assigning a second reference signal for interference measurement to a second resource element in the reference signal resource, and a notification section that notifies the first mobile terminal apparatus that supports both the first reference signal and the second reference signal of pattern information to identify an assignment pattern of the first reference signal and the second reference signal,

the first mobile terminal apparatus is provided with a reception section that receives notified pattern information, and an interference measurement section that performs interference measurement using both the first reference signal and the second reference signal or only the second reference signal, based on the notified pattern information,

the reference signal assignment section assigns a reference signal for both channel state measurement and interference measurement to the second resource element, as the second reference signal, based on an assignment pattern of the first reference signal that the second mobile terminal apparatus supports, and

the first mobile terminal apparatus performs channel state measurement and interference measurement using the second reference signal.

2. A base station apparatus connected to a plurality of mobile terminal apparatuses, comprising:

a reference signal assignment section that assigns a first reference signal for channel state measurement to a first resource element in a reference signal resource defined for transmission of the first reference signal, while assigning a second reference signal for interference measurement to a second resource element in the reference signal resource; and

a notification section that notifies a first mobile terminal apparatus that supports both the first reference signal and the second reference signal of pattern information to identify an assignment pattern of the first reference signal and the second reference signal,

wherein the reference signal assignment section assigns, as the second reference signal, a reference signal for both channel state measurement and interference measurement to the second resource element, based on an assignment pattern of the first reference signal that a second mobile terminal apparatus supports, and

the first mobile terminal apparatus performs channel state measurement and interference measurement using the second reference signal.

3. A mobile terminal apparatus connected to a base station apparatus, comprising:

a reception section that receives pattern information of a first reference signal for channel state measurement and pattern information to identify an assignment pattern of a second reference signal for interference measurement assigned to a reference signal resource defined for transmission of the first reference signal, transmitted from the base station apparatus; and

an interference measurement section that performs interference measurement using both the first reference signal and the second reference signal or only the second reference signal, based on the received pattern information,

wherein, as the second reference signal, a reference signal for both channel state measurement and interference measurement is assigned to a resource element in the reference signal resource, based on an assignment pattern of the first reference signal that another mobile terminal apparatus supports, and

the mobile terminal apparatus performs channel state measurement and interference measurement using the second reference signal.

4. An interference measurement method comprising:

assigning a first reference signal for channel state measurement to a first resource element in a reference signal resource to transmit the first reference signal, while assigning a second reference signal for interference measurement to a second resource element in the reference signal resource;

notifying a first mobile terminal apparatus that supports both the first reference signal and the second reference signal of pattern information to identify an assignment pattern of the first reference signal and the second reference signal;

in the first mobile terminal apparatus, receiving the pattern information; and

performing interference measurement using both the first reference signal and the second reference signal or only the second reference signal, based on the received pattern information,

wherein, as the second reference signal, a reference signal for both channel state measurement and interference measurement is assigned to the second resource element, based on an assignment pattern of the first reference signal that a second mobile terminal apparatus supports, and

the first mobile terminal apparatus performs channel state measurement and interference measurement using the second reference signal.

5. A radio communication system, comprising:

a plurality of base station apparatuses that transmits a first reference signal for channel state measurement; and

first and second mobile terminal apparatuses that connect to one of the plurality of base station apparatuses, wherein

each of the base station apparatuses is provided with a reference signal assignment section that assigns the first reference signal to a first resource element in a reference signal resource defined for transmission of the first reference signal, while assigning a second reference signal for interference measurement to a second resource element in the reference signal resource, and a notification section that notifies the first mobile terminal apparatus that supports both the first reference signal and the second reference signal of pattern information to identify an assignment pattern of the first reference signal and the second reference signal,

the first mobile terminal apparatus is provided with a reception section that receives notified pattern information, and an interference measurement section that performs interference measurement using both the first reference signal and the second reference signal or only the second reference signal, based on the notified pattern information,

the reference signal assignment section assigns, as the second reference signal, a reference signal dedicated to interference measurement to the second resource element, based on an assignment pattern of the first reference signal that the second mobile terminal apparatus supports, and

the first mobile terminal apparatus performs interference measurement using the first reference signal and the reference signal dedicated to interference measurement.

6. A base station apparatus connected to a plurality of mobile terminal apparatuses, comprising:

a reference signal assignment section that assigns a first reference signal for channel state measurement to a first resource element in a reference signal resource defined for transmission of the first reference signal, while assigning a second reference signal for interference measurement to a second resource element in the reference signal resource; and

a notification section that notifies a first mobile terminal apparatus that supports both the first reference signal and the second reference signal of pattern information to identify an assignment pattern of the first reference signal and the second reference signal,

wherein the reference signal assignment section assigns, as the second reference signal, a reference signal dedicated to interference measurement to the second resource element, based on an assignment pattern of the first reference signal that a second mobile terminal apparatus supports, and

the first mobile terminal apparatus performs interference measurement using the first reference signal and the reference signal dedicated to interference measurement.

7. A mobile terminal apparatus connected to a base station apparatus, comprising:

a reception section that receives pattern information of a first reference signal for channel state measurement and pattern information to identify an assignment pattern of a second reference signal for interference measurement assigned to a reference signal resource defined for transmission of the first reference signal, transmitted from the base station apparatus; and

an interference measurement section that performs interference measurement using both the first reference signal and the second reference signal or only the second reference signal, based on the received pattern information,

wherein, as the second reference signal, a reference signal dedicated to interference measurement is assigned to a resource element in the reference signal resource, based on an assignment pattern of the first reference signal that another mobile terminal apparatus supports, and

the mobile terminal apparatus performs interference measurement using the first reference signal and the reference signal dedicated to interference measurement.

8. An interference measurement method comprising:

assigning a first reference signal for channel state measurement to a first resource element in a reference signal resource to transmit the first reference signal, while assigning a second reference signal for interference measurement to a second resource element in the reference signal resource;

notifying a first mobile terminal apparatus that supports both the first reference signal and the second reference signal of pattern information to identify an assignment pattern of the first reference signal and the second reference signal;

in the first mobile terminal apparatus,

receiving the pattern information; and

performing interference measurement using both the first reference signal and the second reference signal or only the second reference signal, based on the received pattern information,

wherein, as the second reference signal, a reference signal dedicated to interference measurement is assigned to the second resource element based on an assignment pattern of the first reference signal that a second mobile terminal apparatus supports, and

the first mobile terminal apparatus performs interference measurement using the first reference signal and the reference signal dedicated to interference measurement.