Signaling information in physical broadcast channel (PBCH) demodulation reference signals (DMRS)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11025386-B2
Application number	US-202016853284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2020
Priority date	Jun 16, 2017
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to signaling information in physical broadcast channel (PBCH) demodulation reference signals (DMRS). In one example, a network entity may transmit the signaling information carried by a DMRS in one or more resource elements of physical broadcast channel (PBCH) symbols within a bandwidth of a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal of a synchronization signal block. In another example, a user equipment (UE) may receive the signaling information carried by the DMRS within one or more resource elements of PBCH symbols within a bandwidth of a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal of a synchronization signal block on a broadcast channel from the network entity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of wireless communications at a network entity, comprising:
transmitting signaling information within a phase of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) in one or more resource elements of at least one physical broadcast channel (PBCH) symbol within a bandwidth of a primary synchronization signal or a secondary synchronization signal of a synchronization signal block, wherein transmitting the signaling information includes at least one of:
forgoing transmission of the signaling information outside the bandwidth of the primary synchronization signal or the secondary synchronization signal, or
transmitting distinct signaling information different from the signaling information carried by the DMRS outside the bandwidth of the primary synchronization signal or the bandwidth of the secondary synchronization signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the signaling information includes transmitting the DMRS according to one or more distinct DMRS sequences.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more distinct DMRS sequences are based on a number of signaling bits.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the signaling information within the phase of the DMRS includes:
generating a DMRS sequence in a frequency domain; and
applying a phase offset to the DMRS sequence to obtain an offset DMRS sequence, wherein the phase of the DMRS corresponds to the phase offset.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the signaling information further includes:
transmitting the signaling information in the DMRS outside the bandwidth of the primary synchronization signal or the bandwidth of the secondary synchronization signal.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the DMRS includes at least a portion of a system frame number or at least a portion of a synchronization signal block time index value.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the signaling information includes transmitting within a physical broadcast channel portion based on at least one of a distinct scrambling scheme, as part of a payload, or a distinct resource element mapping.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the signaling information facilitates completion of network synchronization by at least one of a set of UEs or a subset of the set of UEs.

9. A method of wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving signaling information within a phase of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) within one or more resource elements of physical broadcast channel (PBCH) symbols within a bandwidth of a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal of a synchronization signal block on a broadcast channel from a network entity, wherein receiving the signaling information includes receiving distinct signaling information different from the signaling information carried by the DMRS outside the bandwidth of the primary synchronization signal or the bandwidth of the secondary synchronization signal.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining whether to utilize the signaling information for synchronization with the network entity;
performing synchronization with the network entity using the signaling information based on determining to utilize the signaling information for synchronization with the network entity; and
forgoing utilization of the signaling information for synchronization with the network entity based on determining not to utilize the signaling information for synchronization.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein receiving the signaling information includes receiving the DMRS according to one or more distinct DMRS sequences.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more distinct DMRS sequences are based on a number of signaling bits.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the phase of the DMRS corresponds to a phase offset applied to a DMRS sequence.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein receiving the signaling information further includes:
receiving the signaling information in the DMRS outside the bandwidth of the primary synchronization signal or the bandwidth of the secondary synchronization signal.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the DMRS includes at least a portion of a system frame number or at least a portion of a synchronization signal block time index value.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein receiving the signaling information includes receiving within a physical broadcast channel portion based on at least one of a distinct scrambling scheme, as part of a payload, or a distinct resource element mapping.

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the signaling information facilitates completion of network synchronization by the UE.

18. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory; and
a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to:
transmit signaling information within a phase of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) in one or more resource elements of at least one physical broadcast channel (PBCH) symbol within a bandwidth of a primary synchronization signal or a secondary synchronization signal of a synchronization signal block, wherein transmitting the signaling information includes at least one of:
forgo transmission of the signaling information outside the bandwidth of the primary synchronization signal or the secondary synchronization signal, or
transmit distinct signaling information different from the signaling information carried by the DMRS outside the bandwidth of the primary synchronization signal or the bandwidth of the secondary synchronization signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein to transmit the signaling information, the processor is further configured to transmit the DMRS according to one or more distinct DMRS sequences.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein to transmit the signaling information, the processor is further configured to:
transmit the signaling information in the DMRS outside the bandwidth of the primary synchronization signal or the bandwidth of the secondary synchronization signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the DMRS includes at least a portion of a system frame number or at least a portion of a synchronization signal block time index value.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein to transmit the signaling information, the processor is further configured to transmit within a physical broadcast channel portion based on at least one of a distinct scrambling scheme, as part of a payload, or a distinct resource element mapping.

23. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communications, comprising: a memory; and a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to: receive signaling information within a phase of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) within one or more resource elements of physical broadcast channel (PBCH) symbols within a bandwidth of a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal of a synchronization signal block on a broadcast channel from a network entity, wherein to receive the signaling information, the processor is further configured to receive distinct signaling information different from the signaling information carried by the DMRS outside the bandwidth of the primary synchronization signal or the bandwidth of the secondary synchronization signal.

24. The UE of claim 23 , wherein to receive the signaling information, the processor is further configured to receive the DMRS according to

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Ly Hung
• Luo Tao
• Lee Heechoon

Classifications

• H04W72/23

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04L27/2613

  Structure of the reference signals · CPC title

• H04L27/26136 Primary

  Pilot sequence conveying additional information · CPC title

• H04L5/0048 Primary

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title

• H04L5/0053

  Allocation of signalling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals · CPC title