Method and apparatus for muting signaling in a wireless communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9203583-B2
Application number	US-201414260553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2014
Priority date	Mar 17, 2010
Publication date	Dec 1, 2015
Grant date	Dec 1, 2015

Abstract

In one aspect, the present invention provides a simple method of signaling reference signal muting information to receiving radio equipment, such as items of user equipment (UEs). The reference signals may be positioning reference signals and/or cell-specific reference signals, for example. In one or more embodiments, the present invention proposes a general solution whereby the receiving radio equipment is informed not only on whether muting is used in general in a cell, but also the particular timing and formatting of such muting. Further, the contemplated method provides for the use of dynamic muting patterns, and thus avoids the need for statically defined muting patterns, and provides for coordinated muting control, across two or more network cells. In at least one embodiment, static or less dynamic aspects of the muting configuration is signaled via higher-layer signaling, while lower-layer signaling is used to signal more dynamic aspects of the muting configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A positioning node for use with a wireless communication network, said positioning node comprising:
one or more processing circuits configured to determine a muting configuration used by one or more base stations for controlling muting of positioning reference signals transmitted at recurring positioning occasions by the one or more base stations to radio equipment in the wireless communication network, the one or more processing circuits being configured to determine the muting configuration from signaling received from the one or more base station; and
a communication interface operatively associated with the one or more processing circuits and configured to perform:
receiving the signaling from the one or more base stations; and
sending corresponding muting configuration information as higher-layer signaling for receipt by the radio equipment receiving the positioning reference signals from the one or more base stations;

wherein the muting configuration information includes a bandwidth parameter identifying the portion of positioning reference signal bandwidth to which muting applies and a muting occasion parameter indicating positioning occasions to which muting applies; and
wherein each of the positioning occasions comprises two or more consecutive subframes that repeat at a predetermined periodicity.

2. The positioning node of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is further configured to send muting control signaling to the one or more base stations, to control positioning reference signal muting by said one or more base stations, in accordance with the muting configuration.

3. The positioning node of claim 1 , wherein the positioning node is configured to generate the muting configuration information to indicate when or how muting will be applied by the one or more base stations, for indicated or known positioning occasions, and to send at least a portion of the muting configuration information as higher-layer signaling, for transmission by the one or more base stations to the radio equipment receiving the positioning reference signals.

4. The positioning node of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to control muting of the positioning reference signals in coordinated fashion across two or more cells of a radio access network, said two or more cells associated with said one or more base stations, and wherein the muting control signaling sent by the positioning node is configured to effect coordinated muting control across the two or more cells.

5. The positioning node of claim 4 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to coordinate, as across the two or more cells, at least one of the following: the timing or selection of which positioning occasions have muting applied to them; the positioning reference signal bandwidth to which muting is applied in one or more positioning occasions; and the number of consecutive subframes to which muting is applied within a given positioning occasion.

6. A method at a positioning node, for use within a wireless communication network, said method comprising:
determining a muting configuration, used by one or more base stations for controlling muting of positioning reference signals transmitted at recurring positioning occasions from the one or more base stations to radio equipment in the wireless communication network, by receiving signaling from the one or more base stations, and determining the muting configuration of the one or more base stations from said received signaling; and
sending the muting configuration information as higher-layer signaling for receipt by the radio equipment receiving the positioning reference signals;
wherein the muting configuration information includes a bandwidth parameter identifying the portion of positioning reference signal bandwidth to which muting applies and a muting occasion parameter indicating positioning occasions to which muting applies;
wherein each of the positioning occasions comprise two or more consecutive subframes that repeat at a predetermined periodicity.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising sending muting control signaling to the one or more base stations, to control positioning reference signal muting by said one or more base stations, in accordance with the muting configuration.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising generating the muting configuration information such that it indicates when or how muting will be applied by the one or more base stations, for indicated or known positioning occasions, and sending at least a portion of the muting configuration information as higher-layer signaling, for transmission by the one or more base stations to radio equipment receiving the positioning reference signals.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein said muting control signaling coordinates muting of the positioning reference signals across two or more cells of the wireless communication network, wherein the two or more cells are associated with the one or more base stations.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the muting control signaling is generated to coordinate at least one of the following across the two or more cells: the timing or selection of which positioning occasions have muting applied to them; the positioning reference signal bandwidth to which muting is applied in one or more positioning occasions; and the number of consecutive subframes to which muting is applied within a given positioning occasion.

11. A method in a radio apparatus of controlling measurement of positioning reference signals that are transmitted by a wireless communication network at recurring positioning occasions, said method comprising:
receiving signaling from the wireless communication network that conveys the following muting parameters: a bandwidth parameter identifying the portion of positioning reference signal bandwidth to which muting applies, and a muting occasion parameter indicating positioning occasions to which muting applies, wherein each of the positioning occasions comprises two or more consecutive subframes and the positioning occasions recur at a pre-set periodicity; and
controlling positioning reference signal measurement by the radio apparatus, in accordance with the received muting parameters.

12. A radio apparatus comprising:
a receiver configured to receive positioning reference signals transmitted from a wireless communication network at recurring positioning occasions, and to receive signaling from the wireless communication network that conveys the following muting parameters that define a muting configuration used by the wireless communication network for muting the positioning reference signals in one or more cells of the wireless communication network, said muting parameters including: a bandwidth parameter identifying the portion of positioning reference signal bandwidth to which muting applies; and a muting occasion parameter indicating positioning occasions to which muting applies, wherein each of the positioning occasions comprises two or more consecutive subframes and the positioning occasions recur at a pre-set periodicity; and
one or more processing circuits that are operatively associated with the receiver and are configured to control positioning reference signal measurement by the radio apparatus, in accordance with the received muting parameters.

13. The positioning node of claim 1 , wherein the muting configuration information further includes a subframes parameter indicating the number of consecutive subframes within a positioning occasion to which muting applies.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the muting configuration

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Siomina Iana
• Kazmi Muhammad Ali

Classifications

• G01S1/042

  Transmitters · CPC title

• H04L5/0044 Primary

  Allocation of payload; Allocation of data channels, e.g. PDSCH or PUSCH · CPC title

• H04W74/002

  Transmission of channel access control information · CPC title

• H04W64/00

  Locating users or terminals {or network equipment} for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management · 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