Patent Grant
10411932
The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 365 to International Patent Application No. PCT/KR2016/004017 filed Apr. 18, 2016, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0054654 filed Apr. 17, 2015, each of which are incorporated herein by reference into the present disclosure as if fully set forth herein.
The present invention relates to transmission and reception of reference signals in a wireless communication system.
To meet the demand for wireless data traffic having increased since deployment of 4th generation (4G) communication systems, efforts have been made to develop an improved 5th generation (5G) or pre-5G communication system. Therefore, the 5G or pre-5G communication system is also called a ‘Beyond 4G Network’ or a ‘Post Long Term Evolution (LTE) System’.
The 5G communication system is considered to be implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands, e.g., 60 GHz bands, so as to accomplish higher data rates. To decrease propagation loss of the radio waves and increase the transmission distance, the beamforming, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, an analog beam forming, large scale antenna techniques are discussed in 5G communication systems.
In addition, in 5G communication systems, development for system network improvement is under way based on advanced small cells, cloud Radio Access Networks (RANs), ultra-dense networks, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, moving network, cooperative communication, Coordinated Multi-Points (CoMP), reception-end interference cancellation and the like.
In the 5G system, Hybrid frequency shift keying (FSK) and quadrature amplitude modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC) as an advanced coding modulation (ACM), and filter bank multi carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) as an advanced access technology have been developed.
An embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus and a method for transmitting reference signals in a wireless communication system.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus and a method for transmitting reference signals for Multi-User (MU)-Multiple Input and Multiple Output (MIMO) in a wireless communication system.
Yet another embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus and a method for transmitting reference signals for MU-MIMO of a high order in a wireless communication system.
Still another embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus and a method for improving of channel estimation performance in MU-MIMO communication in a wireless communication system.
A further embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus and a method for transmitting control information for reference signals for MU-MIMO communication in a wireless communication system.
A method for operating a terminal in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes receiving control information for reference signals from a base station, and receiving the reference signals according to the control information, wherein the control information includes information indicating a length of an orthogonal code applied to the reference signals.
A method for operating a terminal in a wireless communication system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes receiving control information according to control information, and performing blind detection for the reference signals, wherein the blind detection is performed by considering different situations for at least one of whether reference signals for another multiplexing group are transmitted and a power boosting value applied to the reference signals.
A method for operating a base station in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes transmitting control information for reference signals to a terminal, and transmitting the reference signals to the terminal according to the control information, wherein the control information includes information indicating a length of an orthogonal code applied to the reference signals.
An apparatus of a terminal in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a receiving unit for receiving control information for reference signals from a base station, and receiving the reference signals according to the control information, wherein the control information includes information indicating a length of an orthogonal code applied to the reference signals.
An apparatus of a terminal in a wireless communication system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a receiving unit for receiving reference signals according to control information, and a control unit for performing blind detection for the reference signals, wherein the blind detection is performed by considering different situations for at least one of whether reference signals for another multiplexing group are transmitted and a power boosting value applied to the reference signals.
An apparatus of a base station in a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a transmitting unit for transmitting control information for reference signals to a terminal, and transmitting the reference signals to the terminal according to the control information, wherein the control information includes information indicating a length of an orthogonal code applied to the reference signals.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the control information can further include at least one of information indicating the number of multiplexed terminals, information indicating whether reference signals for other multiplexing group are transmitted, a power boosting value applied to the reference signals, a reference signal related parameter of a subband unit, and information indicating the number of subbands applying the same parameter.
Reference signals can be transmitted efficiently according to the number of terminals multiplexed through Multi-User (MU)-Multiple Input and Multiple Output (MIMO) in a wireless communication system.
Hereinafter, an operational principle of the present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following explanations, well-known functions or constitutions will not be described in detail if they would unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention. Also, terminologies to be described below are defined in consideration of functions in the present invention and can vary depending on a user's or an operator's intention or practice. Thus, their definitions should be defined based on all the contents of the specification.
Hereafter, the present invention describes a technique for transmitting and receiving reference signals in a wireless communication system.
Hereafter, terms for indicating signals, terms for indicating network entities, terms for indicating channels, terms for identifying antennas, and terms for indicating control information or parameters in the control information are used to ease the understanding. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to those terms and can adopt other terms indicating targets having technically equivalent meanings.
Hereafter, the present invention explains a wireless communication system of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)/Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) scheme by way of example. Also, to ease the understanding, terms and names defined in 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard are used. However, the present invention is not limited to those terms and names, and can be equally applied to a system conforming to other standards.
To increase system capacity of the wireless communication system, techniques for increasing and using antennas in a base station are developing. A system using a large number of antennas can greatly increase the system capacity by facilitating Multi-User (MU) multi-antenna, that is, MU-Multiple Input and Multiple Output (MIMO) transmission through array gain. Hence, various embodiments of the present invention describe a structure and a design of reference signals for the MU-MIMO transmission.
A system such as LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) uses reference signals for channel information estimation of a receiving stage to receive data from a transmitting stage. Thus, a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention can use the reference signals as shown in
In MU-MIMO transmission, even when data resources are transmitted at the same time to enhance a transmission rate, a reference signal resource for the channel estimation is required to be allocated orthogonally for accuracy of the channel estimation. Hence, as the number of terminals serviced in the MU-MIMO or the number of data streams increases, more reference signal resources can be consumed. Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention provide a reference signal transmission and reception technique for the MU-MIMO of a higher order.
As shown in
The communication unit 210 performs functions for transmitting and receiving signals over a radio channel. For example, the communication unit 210 performs a conversion function between a baseband signal and a bit stream according to a physical layer standard of a system. For example, in data transmission, the communication unit 210 generates complex symbols by encoding and modulating a transmit bit stream. In so doing, the communication unit 210 can map the complex symbols to subcarriers, and generate OFDM symbols through an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) operation. Also, in data reception, the communication unit 210 restores a receive bit stream by demodulating and decoding a baseband signal. Also, the communication unit 210 up-converts the baseband signal to a Radio Frequency (RF) band signal, transmits it via an antenna, and down-converts an RF band signal received via the antenna to a baseband signal. For example, the communication unit 210 can include a transmit filter, a receive filter, an amplifier, a mixer, an oscillator, a Digital to Analog Convertor (DAC), an Analog to Digital Convertor (ADC), and the like.
Also, the communication unit 210 can include a plurality of RF chains. Further, the communication unit 210 can conduct beamforming. For the beamforming, the communication unit 210 can adjust a phase and a magnitude of signals transmitted and received over a plurality of antennas or antenna elements. Also, the communication unit 210 can precode a plurality of data streams transmitted. Hence, the base station can perform the MU-MIMO communication. The communication unit 210 transmits and receives the signals as mentioned above. Accordingly, the communication unit 210 can be referred to as a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, or a transceiving unit.
The storage unit 220 stores a basic program for the operations of the base station, an application program, and data such as setting information. Also, the storage unit 220 provides the stored data according to a request of the control unit 230.
The control unit 230 controls general operations of the base station. For example, the control unit 220 transmits/receives signals through the communication unit 210. Also, the control unit 230 records and reads data in and from the storage unit 220. For doing so, the control unit 230 can include at least one processor. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 230 can include a reference signal mapping unit 232 for generating and mapping reference signals. Also, the control unit 230 can include a control information generating unit 234 for generating control information for the reference signals. For example, the control unit 230 can control the base station to transmit the control information and the reference signals, to be explained.
As shown in
The communication unit 310 performs functions for transmitting and receiving signals over a radio channel. For example, the communication unit 310 performs a conversion function between a baseband signal and a bit stream according to a physical layer standard of a system. For example, in data transmission, the communication unit 310 generates complex symbols by encoding and modulating a transmit bit stream. Also, in data reception, the communication unit 310 restores a receive bit stream by demodulating and decoding a baseband signal. In so doing, the communication unit 310 can restore the complex symbols per subcarrier by splitting the received signal on the OFDM symbol unit and performing an FFT operation on the OFDM symbol. Also, the communication unit 310 up-converts the baseband signal to an RF band signal, transmits it via an antenna, and down-converts an RF band signal received via the antenna to a baseband signal. For example, the communication unit 310 can include a transmit filter, a receive filter, an amplifier, a mixer, an oscillator, a DAC, an ADC, and the like.
Also, the communication unit 310 can include a plurality of RF chains. Further, the communication unit 310 can conduct beamforming. For the beamforming, the communication unit 310 can adjust a phase and a magnitude of signals transmitted and received over a plurality of antennas or antenna elements. The communication unit 310 transmits and receives the signals as mentioned above. Accordingly, the communication unit 310 can be referred to as a transmitting unit, a receiving unit, or a transceiving unit.
The storage unit 320 stores a basic program for the operations of the terminal, an application program, and data such as setting information. Also, the storage unit 320 provides the stored data according to a request of the control unit 330.
The control unit 330 controls general operations of the terminal. For example, the control unit 330 transmits/receives signals through the communication unit 310. Also, the control unit 330 records and reads data in and from the storage unit 320. For doing so, the control unit 330 can include at least one processor. For example, the control unit 330 can include a Communication Processor (CP) for controlling the communication and an Application Processor (AP) for controlling a higher layer such as application program. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 330 can include a reference signal detecting unit 332 for interpreting the control information for the reference signals received from the base station and analyzing the reference signals based on the control information. For example, the control unit 330 can control the terminal to receive the control information and the reference signals, to be explained.
Referring to
Reference signals for antenna ports 7, 8, 11, and 13 are transmitted on the same REs. Also, reference signals for antenna ports 9, 10, 12, and 14 are transmitted on the same REs. That is, the reference signals for the antenna ports 7, 8, 11, and 13 and the reference signals for the antenna ports 9, 10, 12, and 14 are transmitted over different resources. The reference signals for the antenna ports 7, 8, 11, and 13 and the reference signals for the antenna ports 9, 10, 12, and 14 transmitted over the same resources can be distinguished based on Code Division Multiplexing (CDM). Thus, the antenna ports 7, 8, 11, and 13 transmitted over the same resources are classified to a CDM group#1, and the antenna ports 9, 10, 12, and 14 transmitted over the different resources are classified to a CDM group#2. The CDM group#1 and the CDM group#2 are sets of the antenna ports, the reference signals, or the terminals multiplexed in the same resources. To ease the understanding, the CDM group can be referred to as a group, a multiplexing group, and so on.
According to the CDM, reference signals for antenna ports in one CDM group are multiplied by an Orthogonal Covering Code (OCC). The OCC can be allocated to each antenna port as shown in Table 1.
In Table 1, while the same OCC sequences are applied to the antenna ports 7 and 9, the antenna ports 8 and 10, the antenna ports 11 and 12, and the antenna ports 13 and 14, they can be distinguished because they use different REs, that is, their CDM groups are different. The reference signals for the antenna ports in the same CDM group can be distinguished by the OCC. For example, the antenna port 8 uses the OCC sequence [+1 −1 +1 −1]. Accordingly, the reference signal for the antenna port 8 is transmitted over REs 401, 402, 403, and 404, the reference signal transmitted over the RE 401 is multiplied by +1 and then transmitted, the reference signal transmitted over the RE 402 is multiplied by −1 and then transmitted, the reference signal transmitted over the RE 403 is multiplied by +1 and then transmitted, and the reference signal transmitted over the RE 404 is multiplied by +1 and then transmitted.
Hence, by combining the number corresponding to the OCC length, that is, the reference signals received over the four REs, the terminal can identify one reference signal value corresponding to its allocated antenna port. In so doing, the terminal can receive control information as shown in Table 2 and obtain information about its allocated reference signal from the control information.
In Table 2, the codeword indicates a coding block, the number of layers indicates the number of ranks, and nSCID denotes a scrambling sequence index. That is, the case where the 2-layer is used in one codeword indicates that one coding blocking is divided into two transmission units and then transmitted through two pots.
Various embodiments of the present invention can be divided into a case where four reference signal ports are used for one CDM group and a case where four reference signal ports are used for two CDM groups. Additionally, the present invention provides various embodiments for transmitting control information of reference signals per subband.
In brief, when the four reference signal ports are used for the one CDM group, the OCC can be applied differently according to the number of the multiplexed terminals. When the four reference signal ports are used for the two CDM groups, a reference signal power and data channel muting can be applied differently according to the number of the multiplexed terminals. When the control information is configured per subband, a new Resource Block (RB) size can be defined to transmit reference signal port information. Alternatively, part of the reference signal port information can be shared for WideBand (WB), and the rest can be distinguished per subband (SB).
Hereafter, various embodiments for various reference signal configurations and control information configurations based on the number of CDM groups are described. In the following, to ease the understanding, the present invention illustrates that the antenna ports 7/8/11/13 are used for one CDM group. Also, the present invention illustrates that the antenna ports 7/8/9/10 are used for two CDM groups. However, the antenna port number can vary according to a specific embodiment.
Referring to
Next, the base station transmits reference signals according to the control information in step 503. In so doing, the base station can transmit the reference signals using orthogonal codes of the length indicated by the control information. Alternatively, the base station can mute a data resource for a second group with respect to REs carrying reference signals for a first group. Alternatively, the base station can boost the reference signals according to the value indicated by the control information.
Referring to
Next, the terminal receives reference signals according to the control information in step 603. In so doing, the terminal can detect the reference signals for the antenna ports allocated to the terminal using orthogonal codes of the length indicated by the control information. Alternatively, the terminal can interpret that REs carrying reference signals for another group are empty or carry data signals, or perform blind detection. Alternatively, the terminal can detect the reference signals by considering a power boosting value indicated by the control information. Alternatively, the terminal can obtain the control information for the terminal by combining the first portion applied to the plurality of the subbands and the second portion applied to each subband.
Embodiments when four reference signal ports are used for one CDM group are as follows. To describe the case where the four reference signal ports are used for the one CDM group, a situation of
The base station 110 transmits control information for reference signals, that is, control information to the terminals 120-1 through 120-4. The control information indicates the number of layers allocated to each terminal, that is, the number of streams or ports, and the allocated port number. For example, the control information can be configured as shown in Table 3.
In Table 3, ‘value’ is the value transmitted as the control information, and ‘contents’ is a corresponding parameter.
The terminals 120-1 through 120-4 receiving the control information apply the orthogonal code corresponding to the allocated antenna port, that is, the OCC. For example, correspondence between the antenna port and the orthogonal code can be defined as shown in Table 4.
Referring to the orthogonal codes in Table 4, it is noted that just some of the orthogonal codes have orthogonality. In particular, the orthogonal codes allocated to the port 7 and the port 8 have the orthogonality merely with two values as shown in Table 5.
The length of the orthogonal code for the CDM is greatly related to channel estimation performance. That is, as the length of the orthogonal code gets short, the number of resources (e.g., REs) to use to maintain the orthogonality reduces. The number of the resources reduces, more valid reference signals can be provided and thus the channel estimation performance can be enhanced. Hence, when only the port 7 and the port 8 are used, it is preferred to enhance the channel estimation performance by applying orthogonal codes of the length 2. Thus, a system according to an embodiment of the present invention can use orthogonal codes of different lengths according to the number of the multiplexed terminals in the same resource as shown in
As stated above, the length of the orthogonal code can vary according to the number of the terminals. In this case, information about the orthogonal code length to be applied by the terminals needs to be transmitted to the terminals. More specifically, the base station needs to inform the terminals of whether to apply the orthogonal code length 2 or the orthogonal code length 4. For doing so, the present invention suggests a reference signal port using method to transmit the orthogonal code length in addition to the existing reference signal port information. Herein, since the length depends on the number of the reference signals multiplexed in the same resource, the reference signal or terminal number information can replace the orthogonal code length.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the orthogonal code length can be added to the control information of the reference signals. However, since the situation where the orthogonal codes of the length 2 are limited, the control information can be configured more efficiently. When one CDM group uses only two of the four ports, the orthogonal code length 2 can be applied. Hence, the present invention suggests a control information structure which can change the orthogonal code length only for particular ports. For example, the control information can be configured as shown in Table 6.
In Table 6, ‘value’ is the value transmitted as the control information, and ‘port’ and ‘orthogonal code length’ are corresponding parameters. As shown in Table 6, two orthogonal code lengths (e.g., 2 or 4) can be selected only for the port 7 and the port 8. This is because the use of the ports 11 and 13 means that three or more terminals are multiplexed.
The information indicating the port and the orthogonal code length representable as shown in Table 6 can be delivered together with other information. For example, the control information can further indicate the number of layers, a scrambling sequence index, and the like. In this case, the control information according to an embodiment can be configured by further adding the orthogonal cod length to the control information constructed as shown in Table 1.
Referring to
Next, the base station transmits reference signals multiplexed using the orthogonal codes in step 903. That is, the base station transmits the reference signals using the orthogonal codes having the orthogonal code length indicated by the control information. More specifically, the base station can generate the reference signals for a plurality of terminals by multiplying the orthogonal codes to a set of reference signals, and transmit the reference signals over the same resource.
Referring to
Next, the terminal receives reference signals multiplexed using the orthogonal codes in step 1003. Hence, the terminal can obtain channel information by multiplying the orthogonal code corresponding to a reference signal port allocated to it, and the received reference signals. In so doing, the terminal multiplies the orthogonal code of the length indicated by the control information.
When the orthogonal code length is dynamically changed as shown in the embodiment of
As stated above, by using the orthogonal codes of the length 4 in one CDM group, MU-MIMO transmission to up to 4 terminals can be performed. In so doing, when one legacy terminal is included in the four terminals, available orthogonal codes can be limited. Herein, the legacy terminal indicates a terminal not capable of interpreting the orthogonal code of the length 4. When the legacy terminal is multiplexed together, orthogonal code allocation can be limited as shown in
As stated above, the legacy terminal 130 cannot interpret the orthogonal code of the length 4. Further, the legacy terminal 130 also cannot interpret the control information indicating the orthogonal code length as shown in Table 6. Hence, for the legacy terminal 130, the base station 110 can transmit the control information (e.g., Table 2) not indicating the orthogonal code length. In this case, since the interpretation of the control information varies according to the value contained in the control information, it is preferred to negotiate in advance about of which configuration the control information is used. Thus, through signaling with a higher layer, the base station can notify of whether the control information including the orthogonal code length information is transmitted or the control information not including the orthogonal code length information is transmitted.
Embodiments for a case where four reference signal ports are used for two CDM groups are as below. To explain the case where the four reference signal ports are used for the two CDM groups, a situation of
That is, to support MU-MIMO transmission for the four terminals, four orthogonal reference signal ports are needed. For doing so, two CDM groups can be used, and the reference signal ports 7/8/9/10 can be used as shown in
A data channel mapping problem according to the use of the two CDM groups are as follows. Referring to
Thus, the present invention suggests embodiments which i) interprets as reference signal transmission, ii) interprets as data signal transmission, or iii) interprets in consideration of both cases in REs which can carry reference signals of other CDM group.
The case where the REs for delivering the reference signals of the other CDM group transmit the reference signals is illustrated in
Referring to
Next, the terminal interprets at least one RE for transmitting the reference signals of the other group as empty, and detects data in step 1503. That is, the terminal interprets at least one RE allocable for the reference signals of the other group as empty, and detects the data. That is, the terminal tries to detect data by excluding at the at least one REs and demodulating and decoding signals received on other REs.
As an another embodiment of
Referring to
Next, the base station lowers an MCS level of the second group in step 1703. According to this embodiment, a terminal belonging to the second group interprets that data signals to the terminal are mapped to the at least one RE carrying the reference signals of the first group. However, since the data signals are not mapped to the at least one RE, a detection error probability of the terminal increases. Hence, the base station can conduct more robust coding and modulation by lowering the MCS level so as to overcome the detection error probability increase due to the at least one RE.
Referring to
Next, the terminal interprets that data signals are mapped to at least one RE for carrying the reference signals of the other group, and detects data in step 1803. That is, the terminal detects data by interpreting that at least one data signal for the terminal is mapped to at least one RE allocable for the reference signals of the other group. That is, the terminal tries the data detection by demodulating and decoding signals received over a plurality of REs including the at least one RE. In so doing, when the reference signals for the other group are mapped to the at least one RE, a detection error can occur.
As yet another embodiment of
Referring to
Next, the terminal interprets at least one RE for transmitting the reference signals of the other group as empty, and detects data in step 2003. That is, the terminal tries to detect data by excluding the at least one REs and demodulating and decoding signals received on other REs.
Next, the terminal interprets that data signals are mapped to at least one RE for carrying reference signals of the other group, and detects data in step 2005. That is, the terminal tries to detect data by demodulating and decoding signals received over a plurality of REs including the at least one RE.
Next, the terminal selects an error-free detection result in step 2007. That is, in the step 2003 and the step 2005, the terminal performed the detection twice while not knowing which signals are mapped to the at least one RE for carrying the reference signals of the other group. Accordingly, the terminal can determine a signal corresponding to the successful detection as the signal transmitted by the base station, and adopt a corresponding detection result. For example, the error can be determined by Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC).
In the embodiment of
As still another embodiment of
Referring to
Next, the base station transmits a symbol including the reference signals in step 2103. Some REs of the symbol include the reference signals, and some REs include data signals. In so doing, some REs of the symbol include at least one RE for delivering reference signals of other group. If the control information indicates the transmission of the reference signals of the other group, the reference signals for the other group are mapped to the at least one RE. When the control information indicates no transmission of the reference signals of the other group, the data signals for the group are mapped to the at least one RE.
Referring to
Next, the terminal receives a symbol including the reference signals in step 2203. Some REs of the symbol include the reference signals, and some REs include data signals. In so doing, some REs of the symbol include at least one RE for delivering the reference signals of the other group. If the control information indicates the transmission of the reference signals of the other group, the terminal interprets that the reference signals for the other group are mapped to the at least one RE. If the control information indicates no transmission of the reference signals of the other group, the terminal interprets that data signals for the terminal are mapped to the at least one RE.
Next, the terminal detects data according to the control information in step 2205. If the control information indicates the transmission of the reference signals of the other group, the terminal interprets the at least one RE as empty, and detects the data. That is, the terminal tries to detect the data by excluding the at least one REs and demodulating and decoding signals received on other REs. By contrast, when the control information indicates no transmission of the reference signals of the other group, the terminal interprets that the data signals are mapped to the at least one RE, and detects the data. That is, the terminal tries the data detection by demodulating and decoding signals received on a plurality of REs including the at least one REs.
When four reference signals ports are used for two CDM groups, there is another problem about the power difference between the reference signals and the data signals besides the problem about the aforementioned interpretation of the reference signals for the other group. That is, when four orthogonal reference signals are supported using two CDM groups, yet another problem is that a power boosting value of the reference signals can change. Specifically, the power boosting problem is shown in
Referring to
However, as shown in
That is, as shown in
As an embodiment of the power boosting value, the power difference between the reference signals and the data signals is fixed in
Referring to
The power boosting value can be fixed as shown in
As another embodiment of the power boosting value, the determination of the power boosting value can rely on blind detection of the terminal. That is, the base station adjusts the power boosting value for the reference signals according to the number of the terminal participating in the MU-MIMO, and the terminal repeatedly performs the detection based on every possible reception situation and then determines a power boosting value corresponding to successful reception as the power boosting value applied by the base station. In this case, the terminal can operate as shown in
Referring to
Next, the terminal interprets as the same power of the data signals and the reference signals and detects data in step 2503. In other words, the terminal interprets a power boosting value of the reference signals as 0 dB. That is, the terminal applies a size of channel information estimated through the reference signals to equalization of the data signals without scaling, demodulates and decodes the data signals, and thus attempts the data detection. Namely, the terminal compensates for distortion of the data signals using the channel information as it is.
Next, the terminal differently interprets the powers of the data signals and the reference signals, and detects data in step 2505. For example, the terminal interprets the power boosting value of the reference signals as 3 dB. That is, the terminal scales the size of the channel information estimated through the reference signals, applies the scaled channel information to the equalization of the data signals, demodulates and decodes the data signals, and thus attempts the data detection. Namely, the terminal compensates for distortion of the data signals using the channel information of the size adjusted according to the power boosting value.
Next, the terminal selects an error-free detection result in step 2507. That is, in the step 2503 and the step 2505, the terminal conducts the detection twice without knowing the power difference of the reference signals and the data signals, that is, the power boosting value applied to the reference signals. Hence, the terminal can determine the power boosting value corresponding to the successful detection as the power boosting value applied by the base station, and adopt a corresponding detection result. For example, the error can be determined using CRC.
As in the embodiment of
That is, according to the embodiment of
As another embodiment for the power boosting value, control information notifying the power boosting value applied to the reference signals can be provided. That is, the base station can notify the power boosting value through the control information. For example, the control information can be transmitted through an RRC signal of long duration or a control channel (e.g., PDCCH) per subframe. In this case, the base station can operate as shown in
Referring to
Next, the base station transmits reference signals in step 2703. In so doing, the base station transmits the reference signals with power corresponding to the power boosting value. That is, the base station adjusts the power of the reference signals according to the power boosting value indicated by the control information.
Referring to
Next, the terminal receives reference signals and data signals in step 2803. In so doing, the base station transmits the reference signals with power corresponding to the power boosting value. That is, the reference signals are transmitted with the power adjusted according to the power boosting value indicated by the control information. In other words, the reference signals and the data signals are transmitted with a power level corresponding to the power boosting value.
Next, the terminal detects data according to the control information in step 2805. If the control information indicates the same power of the reference signals and the data signals, the terminal interprets the same power of the reference signals and the data signals and detects data. In other words, the terminal interprets the power boosting value of the reference signals as 0 dB, and applies a size of channel information estimated through the reference signals to equalization of the data signals without scaling. By contrast, when the control information indicates different powers of the reference signals and the data signals, the terminal interprets different powers of the data signals and the reference signals and detects data. For example, the terminal interprets the power boosting value of the reference signals as 3 dB, scales the size of the channel information estimated through the reference signals, and then applies the scaled channel information to the equalization of the data signals.
As mentioned above, when two CDM groups are used, data channel muting by reference signals of other group or the power boosting value of the reference signals can be provided as the control information. Further, the data channel muting and the power boosting value can be provided together. For example, when the terminal uses other CDM group as its data channel, the terminal can interpret the power boosting value as 0 dB. Similarly, when the terminal uses other CDM group as a reference signal port for other terminal, the terminal can interpret the power boosting value as 3 dB. Additionally, the control information configuration as described above can be applied only to a particular reference signal port. For example, the control information can be configured as shown in Table 7.
In Table 7, ‘value’ is the value transmitted as the control information, and ‘muting’ and ‘power boosting value’ are corresponding parameters.
Referring to
The first problem is that the port cannot move. For example, although the subband #32950-3 does not use the port 8, the terminal 120-3 cannot use the port 9 because the terminal 120-3 is using the port 9 in the subband#22950-2. This is because the allocated port cannot be designated per subband. When the port 8 and the port 9 belong to different CDM groups, the first problem can additionally waste the reference signal resource. The second problem is that a terminal combination not multiplexed occurs. For example, when MU-MIMO is to be transmitted to the terminal 120-1 and the terminal 120-5 through the subband#42950-4, since both of the terminal 120-1 and the terminal 120-5 use the port 7, the terminal 120-1 and the terminal 120-5 cannot be MU paired.
Such problems are caused because the control information for the reference signals is not provided per subband. That is, when only one reference signal port information is transmitted for the whole resource, scheduling of the base station can be limited. Hence, the present invention provides various embodiments for the control information configuration.
According to an embodiment of the control information configuration for the reference signals, the control information is configured per subband as shown in
Referring to
According to another embodiment of the control information configuration for the reference signals, the control information is configured per subband group as shown in
Referring to
For doing so, resource group size information for reference signal port information transmission can be further added to resource group size information for legacy resource allocation. A specific value of the resource group size for the reference signals can be determined by considering trade-off between overhead of the control information and scheduling freedom of the base station.
The resource group size value can be predefined in the system, or transmitted through a long duration RRC signal. The resource group size for the reference signals can be referred to as ‘IDM-RS’. Specifically, the base station can transmit a parameter indicating the resource group size for the reference signal port through the RRC signal. Hence, the terminal can determine the resource group size for the reference signal port transmission by multiplying the resource group size used for general resource allocation by the parameter. For example, when the resource group size used for the general resource allocation is P and the parameter for the reference signal port is IDM-RS, the resource group size for the reference signal port transmission can be determined as P×IDM-RS. When the control information is configured as shown in
Referring to
Next, the base station transmits reference signals in step 3203. In so doing, the base station applies the same allocation information in subbands of the resource group size indicated by the control information. That is, the base station can apply different configurations (e.g., CDM group, antenna port) based on the subbands of the resource group size indicated by the control information.
Referring to
Next, the terminal transmits reference signals in step 3303. In so doing, the terminal applies the same allocation information in subbands of the resource group size indicated by the control information. That is, the terminal can determine a resource unit for applying the same parameter based on the resource group size, and detect at least one reference signal received in the resource unit based on the same parameter. Specifically, the terminal can apply different configurations (e.g., CDM group, antenna port) based on the subbands of the resource group size indicated by the control information.
According to another embodiment of the control information configuration for the reference signals, the control information is divided according to an application range in
Referring to
For example, referring to
Also, referring to
When the control information is configured as shown in
Referring to
Next, the base station transmits reference signals in step 3503. In so doing, the base station applies the parameters indicated by the first portion and the second portion of the control information. In so doing, the base station applies at least one parameter of the second portion to the subbands in common, and applies at least one parameter of the first portion to each subband. For example, the first portion can designate a CDM group, and the second portion can designate the order in the CDM group.
Referring to
Next, the terminal receives reference signals in step 3603. In so doing, the terminal applies the parameters indicated by the first portion and the second portion of the control information. In so doing, the terminal applies at least one parameter of the second portion to the subbands in common, and applies at least one parameter of the first portion to each subband. That is, the terminal determines the parameter per subband by combining the first portion and the second portion, and detects the reference signals based on the parameter per subband.
For example, the first portion can designate a CDM group, and the second portion can designate the order in the CDM group.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention for the control information configuration for the reference signals, the control information only for all of the subbands and the control information according to an embodiment of the present invention can be selectively used. Herein, the control information according to an embodiment of the present invention includes one of the control information per subband, the control information per resource group, and the control information divided to the WB information and the SB information. For example, the system can define the port information of the two types in different DCI formats, and the terminal can interpret the two DCI formats respectively and thus concurrently perform the detection. The terminal can determine the DCI format of the successful detection as the reference signal port information transmitted by the base station. In this case, the base station can determine whether to configure the reference signal port information for all of the subbands or per subband based on a pairing situation of the MU-MIMO terminals and a control level aggregation level per terminal.
The methods according to embodiments described in the claims or the specification of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.
As for the software implementation, a computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs (software modules) can be provided. One or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium can be configured for execution by one or more processors of an electronic device. One or more programs can include instructions for enabling the electronic device to execute the methods according to the embodiments described in the claims or the specification of the present invention.
Such a program (software module, software) can be stored to a random access memory, a non-volatile memory including a flash memory, a Read Only Memory (ROM), an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disc storage device, a compact Disc (CD)-ROM, Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs) or other optical storage devices, and a magnetic cassette. Alternatively, the program can be stored to a memory combining part or all of those recording media. Also, a plurality of memories may be included.
Also, the program can be stored in an attachable storage device accessible via a communication network such as Internet, Intranet, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide LAN (WLAN), or Storage Area Network (SAN), or a communication network by combining these networks. Such a storage device can access the device which carries out an embodiment of the present invention through an external port. Also, a separate storage device on the communication network may access the device of the present invention.
In the specific embodiments of the present invention, the elements included in the invention are expressed in a singular or plural form. However, the singular or plural expression is appropriately selected according to a proposed situation for the convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not limited to a single element or a plurality of elements. The elements expressed in the plural form may be configured as a single element and the elements expressed in the singular form may be configured as a plurality of elements.
While the specific embodiment has been described in the specification of the present invention, it will be understood that various changes can be made therein without departing from the scope of the present. Therefore, the scope of the invention is not limited to the described embodiments but is defined by the scope of the claims to be explained and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2015-0054654 | Apr 2015 | KR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/KR2016/004017 | 4/18/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2016/167630 | 10/20/2016 | WO | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20180076994 A1 | Mar 2018 | US |
