Efficient signaling of common reference signal shifts and physical downlink control channel region mismatch in coordinated multipoint transmission

• US 9,853,782 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Koivisto, Tommi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US15/040,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20160164649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 370252, 370329, 370430
• 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 5/001 the frequencies being arranged in component carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0035 Resource allocation in a cooperative multipoint environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/005 of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network

Abstract

Information about a set of cells potentially taking part in coordinated multipoint transmission is obtained, information about at least one of reference signal configuration and data region size configuration for each of the set of cells is obtained, further an indication of which of the reference signals configuration and the data region size configuration should be assumed in resource mapping for data is obtained, and data according to the resource mapping is received. Information about at least one of reference signal configuration and data region size configuration for each cell of a set of cells potentially taking part in coordinated multipoint transmission is provided, and an indication of which of the reference signals configuration and the data region size configuration should be assumed in resource mapping for data is provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to

obtain information about a set of cells potentially taking part in coordinated multipoint transmission;

obtain information about a reference signal configuration for each cell of the set of cells;

generate and transmit feedback including channel state information corresponding to the set of cells;

obtain an indication of which cells of the set of cells are selected to take part in the coordinated multipoint transmission in response to the feedback, wherein the indication indicates at least a first state indicating serving cell-only transmission, a second state indicating that a subset of the set of cells are selected to take part in the coordinated multipoint transmission, or a third state indicating a configuration different from the first state and the second state; and

receive data according to the state indicated by the indication of which cells of the set of cells are selected to take part in the coordinated multipoint transmission.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the reference signal configuration comprises a number of reference signal ports.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the reference signal configuration comprises a frequency shift.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the indication includes an indication of which reference signal configuration should be assumed in resource mapping for data in response to the feedback.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the indication of which reference signal configuration should be assumed in resource mapping for data indicates the second state.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the indication of which reference signal configuration should be assumed in resource mapping for data indicates the first state.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the circuitry is to receive the data of the resource mapping by performing rate matching around reference signals indicated by the indication of which reference signal configuration should be assumed in resource mapping for data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the reference signal configurations are different for at least two cells of the set of cells.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the apparatus is a user equipment.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the feedback includes a recommendation of one or more transmitting points selected from among the set of cells.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein

the second state indicates that the recommendation of the one or more transmitting points selected from among the set of cells is followed.

12. An apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to

provide information about a reference signal configuration for each cell of a set of cells potentially taking part in coordinated multipoint transmission;

receive feedback including channel state information corresponding to the set of cells; and

provide an indication of which cells of the set of cells are selected to take part in the coordinated multipoint transmission in response to the feedback, wherein the indication indicates at least a first state indicating serving cell-only transmission, a second state indicating that a subset of the set of cells are selected to take part in the coordinated multipoint transmission, or a third state indicating a configuration different from the first state and the second state.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein

the reference signal configuration comprises at least one of a number of reference signal ports and a frequency shift.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein

the reference signal configurations are different for at least two cells of the set of cells.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein

the apparatus is an enhanced NodeB (eNB).

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein

the feedback information includes a recommendation of one or more transmitting points selected from among the set of cells.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein

the second state indicates that the recommendation of the one or more transmitting points selected from among the set of cells is followed.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein

the indication includes an indication of which reference signal configuration should be assumed in resource mapping for data in response to the feedback.

19. A method comprising:

obtaining information about a set of cells potentially taking part in coordinated multipoint transmission;

obtaining information about a reference signal configuration for each cell of the set of cells;

generating and transmitting feedback including channel state information corresponding to the set of cells;

obtaining an indication of which cells of the set of cells are selected to take part in the coordinated multipoint transmission in response to the feedback, wherein the indication indicates at least a first state indicating serving cell-only transmission, a second state indicating that a subset of the set of cells are selected to take part in the coordinated multipoint transmission, or a third state indicating a configuration different from the first state and the second state; and

receive data according to the state indicated by the indication of which cells of the set of cells are selected to take part in the coordinated multipoint transmission.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein

the feedback includes a recommendation of one or more transmitting points selected from among the set of cells, and

the second state indicates that the recommendation of the one or more transmitting points selected from among the set of cells is followed.