Coordinating transmission of positioning reference signals and non-reference signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016119095-A1
Application number	US-201414521329-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 22, 2014
Priority date	Oct 22, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A base station coordinates transmission of positioning reference signals and non-reference signals. The base station includes a transceiver to detect a reference signal transmitted by one or more other base stations in one or more physical resource blocks. The base station also includes a processor to identify a pattern of resources allocated to the one or more other base stations based on the one or more physical resource blocks including the reference signal. The transceiver is to bypass transmission of non-reference signals in physical resource blocks indicated by the pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
detecting, at a first base station, a reference signal transmitted by a second base station in at least one physical resource block; identifying a pattern of resources allocated to the second base station based on the at least one physical resource block including the reference signal; and bypassing transmission of non-reference signals from the first base station in physical resource blocks indicated by the pattern.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the reference signal comprises decoding a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmitted by the second base station in the at least one physical resource block.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein bypassing transmission of the non-reference signals from the first base station comprises blanking transmission in resources that overlap the physical resource blocks indicated by the pattern.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a timing offset by comparing a boundary of a first transmission time interval used by the first base station to a boundary of a second transmission time interval comprising the at least one physical resource block transmitted by the second base station.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
aligning the boundary of the first transmission time interval to the boundary of the second transmission time interval based on the timing offset.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein bypassing transmission of non-reference signals from the first base station in physical resource blocks indicated by the pattern comprises transmitting the reference signal from the first base station in the physical resource blocks indicated by the pattern.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
triggering monitoring of transmission from the second base station in response to the timing offset being above a threshold indicating that the boundary of the first transmission time interval is out of alignment with the boundary of the second transmission time interval; and determining a new timing offset by comparing a boundary of a third transmission time interval used by the first base station to a boundary of a fourth transmission time interval comprising the reference signal transmitted by the second base station.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the reference signal comprises detecting the reference signal in a plurality of physical resource blocks transmitted in at least one TTI during a monitoring time interval, and wherein identifying the pattern comprises identifying the pattern based on the plurality of physical resource blocks transmitted in the at least one TTI.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the pattern of resources allocated to the second base station comprises identifying a muting pattern indicating that the second base station muted transmission of the reference signal during a subset of the pattern of resources, and wherein bypassing transmission of the non-reference signals comprises bypassing transmission of the non-reference signals from the first base station in physical resource blocks indicated by the pattern and the muting pattern.

10 . An apparatus comprising:
a transceiver to detect a reference signal transmitted by at least one base station in at least one physical resource block; and a processor to identify a pattern of resources allocated to the at least one base station based on the at least one physical resource block including the reference signal, wherein the transceiver is to bypass transmission of non-reference signals in physical resource blocks indicated by the pattern.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is to decode a positioning reference signal (PRS) transmitted by the at least one base station in the at least one physical resource block.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the transceiver is to blank transmission in resources that overlap the physical resource blocks indicated by the pattern.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is to determine a timing offset by comparing a boundary of a first transmission time interval used by the transceiver to a boundary of a second transmission time interval comprising the at least one physical resource block transmitted by the at least one base station.

14 . The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the transceiver is to align the boundary of the first transmission time interval to the boundary of the second transmission time interval based on the timing offset.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the transceiver is to transmit the reference signal in the physical resource blocks indicated by the pattern.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the transceiver is to trigger monitoring of transmission from the at least one base station in response to the timing offset being above a threshold indicating that the boundary of the first transmission time interval is out of alignment with the boundary of the second transmission time interval, and wherein the processor is to determine a new timing offset by comparing a boundary of a third transmission time interval used by the transceiver to a boundary of a fourth transmission time interval comprising the reference signal transmitted by the at least one base station.

17 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the transceiver is to detect the at least one reference signal in a plurality of physical resource blocks transmitted in at least one transmission time interval during a monitoring time interval, and wherein the processor is to identify the pattern based on the plurality of physical resource blocks transmitted in the at least one transmission time interval.

18 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the processor is to identify a muting pattern indicating that the at least one base station muted transmission of the reference signal during a subset of the pattern of resources, and wherein the transceiver is to perform at least one of transmitting reference signals or bypassing transmission of non-reference signals transmission in physical resource blocks indicated by the pattern and the muting pattern.

19 . A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a set of executable instructions, the set of executable instructions to manipulate at least one processor to:
detect a reference signal transmitted by a base station in at least one physical resource block; identify a pattern of resources allocated to the base station based on the at least one physical resource block including the reference signal; and bypass transmission of non-reference signals in physical resource blocks indicated by the pattern.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the set of executable instructions is to manipulate the at least one processor to:
determine a timing offset by comparing a boundary of a first transmission time interval to a boundary of a second transmission time interval comprising the at least one physical resource block transmitted by the base station; and align the boundary of the first transmission time interval to the boundary of the second transmission time interval based on the timing offset.

Assignees

• Alcatel Lucent Usa Inc

Inventors

• Lee Nancy Y
• Gayde Ruth S

Classifications

• H04W88/08

  Access point devices · 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

• H04W72/0446

  Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames · CPC title

• H04W16/12

  Fixed resource partitioning · CPC title

• H04L5/0073

  Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences · CPC title