Transmission of Reference Signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016142190-A1
Application number	US-201615005370-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 25, 2016
Priority date	Aug 16, 2010
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Resources for reference signalling on at least one component carrier of a plurality of aggregated component carriers can be determined by a station. Information indicative the at least one component carrier and the associated resources is then communicated to another station for configuration of the other station. A trigger is then sent for reference signalling, and in response to the trigger, at least one reference signal is sent from the other station using the indicated at least one component carrier and resources.

First claim

1 . A method for reference signalling, said method comprising:
determining resources for reference signalling on at least one component carrier of a plurality of aggregated component carriers; sending information indicative the at least one component carrier and the associated resources for configuration of a station for reference signalling; sending a trigger for reference signalling; and in response to the trigger, receiving at least one reference signal from the station on the indicated at least one component carrier.

2 . A method for reference signalling, said method comprising:
receiving at a station information indicative of at least one component carrier of aggregated component carriers and associated resources for use in reference signalling; and in response to a trigger, sending from the station at least one reference signal using the indicated at least one component carrier and resources.

3 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the reference signal comprises an aperiodic sounding reference signal.

4 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the information of resources associated with a component carrier comprises an indication of at least one time instance on which reference signalling can be sent on the given component carrier.

5 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the associated resources comprise transmission parameters for the at least one component carrier, the transmission parameters defining at least one of a set of cell specific and/or user equipment specific reference signal subframes, reference signal starting position, reference signal bandwidth, reference signal comb, reference signal hopping configuration, and reference signal sequence.

6 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , comprising providing the station with a time pattern indicative of possible subframes for sending of reference signalling.

7 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , comprising receiving or sending a reference signal in the first available subframe following a subframe carrying the trigger.

8 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , comprising analysing the information and the trigger by a user equipment to determine component carrier, timing and other resources for the triggered reference signalling.

9 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said information and the trigger are communicated in separate messages.

10 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein indication of the at least one component carrier and the trigger are communicated in the same message.

11 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein indication of the at least one component carrier to be used is carried by a resource assignment message.

12 . A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the resource assignment message comprises an uplink grant or a downlink grant signalled on a physical control channel.

13 . A method as claimed in claim 10 , comprising determining at least one component carrier for use in reference signalling based on analysis of predefined bits of the message.

14 . A method as claimed in claim 10 , comprising:
determining that the message is only for assigning resources for signalling of aperiodic channel state information; and checking the state of the trigger for reference signalling.

15 . A method as claimed in claim 14 , comprising:
determining, based on the message, that only reference signalling is to be transmitted; and determining at least one component carrier for reference signalling based on analysis of a predefined field of the message.

16 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , comprising signalling the information on a signalling layer that is higher than the layer used for signalling of the at least one reference signal.

17 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , comprising using a single component carrier for reference signalling at a time.

18 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , comprising using at least two component carriers for reference signalling at a time.

19 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , comprising prioritizing component carriers.

20 . A method as claimed in claim 2 , comprising determining the at least one component carrier based on a linked component carrier.

21 . A method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein linkage between a resource allocation grant and a uplink component carrier carrying aperiodic sounding reference signal is made based on system information.

22 . A control apparatus for a first station, the control apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor,
to determine resources for reference signalling on at least one component carrier of a plurality of aggregated component carriers, and to cause sending of information to a second station indicative of the at least one component carrier of a plurality of aggregated component carriers and the associated resources to be used for reference signalling by the second station.

23 . A control apparatus, the control apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor,
to determine, from signalling received from a first station, information indicative of at least one component carrier of aggregated component carriers and associated resources for use in reference signalling by a second station, and in response to a trigger, to cause sending from the second station at least one reference signal using the indicated at least one component carrier and resources.

24 . A control apparatus as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the reference signal comprises an aperiodic sounding reference signal.

25 . A control apparatus as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the information of resources associated with a component carrier comprise an indication of at least one time instance on which reference signalling can be sent on the given component carrier.

26 . A control apparatus as claimed in claim 23 , configured to provide the second station with resource information comprising at least one of a set of cell specific and/or user equipment specific reference signal subframes, reference signal starting position, reference signal bandwidth, reference signal comb, reference signal hopping configuration, and reference signal sequence.

27 . A control apparatus as claimed in claim 23 , configured to provide the second station with a time pattern indicative of possible subframes for sending of reference signalling.

28 . A control apparatus as claimed in claim 23 , configured to cause sending of a reference signal in the first available subframe in response to the trigger.

29 . A control apparatus as claimed in claim 23 , configured to communicate indication of the at least one component carrier and the trigger in a single message.

30 . A control apparatus as claimed in claim 23 , configured to communicate indication of the at least one component carrier for reference signalling by means of a resource assignment message.

31 . A control apparatus as claimed in claim 29 , configured to determine at least one component carrier for use in reference signalling based on analysis of predefined parts of the message.

Assignees

• Nokia Solutions & Networks Oy
• Nokia Solutions and Network OY

Inventors

• Lunttila Timo Erkki
• Tiirola Esa Tapani
• Pajukoski Kari Pekka
• Hooli Kari Juhani

Classifications

• H04W72/20

  Control channels or signalling for resource management · CPC title

• H04W72/54

  based on quality criteria · CPC title

• H04L5/001 Primary

  the frequencies being arranged in component carriers · CPC title

• H04L5/0094

  Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated · CPC title

• H04W72/0446

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