Pilot Shifting

• US 20120307729A1
• Filed: 05/30/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Selén, Yngve, Baldemair, Robert, Sachs, Joachim
• Granted Patent: US 8,995,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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

Some example embodiments presented herein may be directed towards a method in a Base Station, which may be comprised in a Radio Network, for transmitting a combined wireless communication signal. The combined wireless communication signal may comprise a primary and a secondary signal component. The method may comprise transmitting the secondary signal component to be received by an user equipment, the secondary signal component may comprise secondary pilot resources that may be dynamically shifted, where the dynamic shifting may be based on a current estimation procedure.

Some example embodiments presented herein may be directed towards a method in an user equipment, which may be comprised in a Radio Network, for estimating the combined communication channel. The method may comprise receiving from the Base Station the dynamically shifted combined wireless communication signal comprising primary and secondary signal components. The method may also comprise estimating the primary channel when the current estimation procedure is a primary channel estimation procedure, and estimating the secondary channel when the current estimation procedure is a secondary channel estimation procedure.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. 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:

transmitting the secondary signal component to be received by a user equipment, the secondary signal component comprising secondary pilot resources that are dynamically shifted, the dynamic shifting being based on a current estimation procedure.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the network node is a Base Station.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining a value of the current estimation procedure within the network node and sending said value to the user equipment.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising obtaining a value of the current estimation procedure from the user equipment.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the current estimation procedure is a primary channel estimation procedure, and wherein the method further comprises dynamically shifting the secondary pilot resources to provide a maximum overlap with primary pilot resources of the primary signal component.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the current estimation procedure is a secondary channel estimation procedure, the method further comprising dynamically shifting the secondary pilot resources to provide a minimum overlap with primary pilot resources of the primary signal component.

33. The method of claim 27, wherein the primary signal component is a broadcast communication signal.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the secondary signal component is a broadband communication signal.

35. 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, secondary pilot resources of the secondary signal component being shifted based on a current estimation procedure;

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

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

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the network node is a Base Station.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising determining a value of the current estimation procedure within the user equipment and sending said value to the network node.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising obtaining a value of the current estimation procedure from the network node.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising shifting the secondary pilot resources to provide a maximum overlap with primary pilot resources of the primary signal component during the primary channel estimation procedure.

40. The method of claim 35, further comprising shifting the secondary pilot resources to provide a minimum overlap with primary pilot resources of the primary signal component during the secondary channel estimation procedure.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein the primary signal component is a broadcast communication signal.

42. The method of claim 35, wherein the secondary signal component is a broadband communication signal.

43. 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 shifting unit configured to dynamically shift secondary pilot resources of the secondary signal component based on a current estimation procedure.

44. The network node of claim 43, wherein the network node is a Base Station.

45. The network node of claim 43, wherein the primary signal component is a broadcast communication signal.

46. The network node of claim 43, wherein the secondary signal component is a broadband communication signal.

47. 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, secondary pilot resources of the secondary signal component being shifted based on a current estimation procedure;

an estimation unit configured to estimate the primary channel when the current estimation procedure is a primary channel estimation procedure; and

the estimation unit further configured to estimate the secondary channel when the current estimation procedure is a secondary channel estimation procedure.

48. The user equipment of claim 47, wherein the network node is a Base Station.

49. The user equipment of claim 47, wherein the primary signal component is a broadcast communication signal.

50. The user equipment of claim 47, wherein the secondary signal component is a broadband communication signal.