Methods and apparatus for sounding channel operation in millimeter wave communication systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9497047-B2
Application number	US-201414320018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2014
Priority date	Jul 2, 2013
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

A method includes configuring a first sounding channel to be an uplink sounding slot. The uplink sounding slot has at least one OFDM symbol in an uplink sub-frame in order to carry UL-SRSs corresponding to at least one transmit beam of a first set of transmit beams in a first sounding channel set of sub-bands. The first sounding channel set of sub-bands includes sub-bands that cover a first data bandwidth. The method includes transmitting, to an MS, a first UL sounding configuration message that sets a sounding sub-band bitmap value to a maximum specifiable value and indicates UL-SRS placement in the first sounding channel set of sub-bands. The method includes, receiving through the first sounding channel set of sub-bands from the MS, the UL-SRSs corresponding to at least the one transmit beam of the first set of transmit beams for channel estimation over the first data bandwidth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. For use by a base station (BS) in a wireless network, a method comprising:
configuring a first sounding channel to be an uplink sounding slot comprising at least one orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol in an uplink sub-frame in order to carry one or more uplink sounding reference symbols (UL-SRSs) corresponding to at least one transmit beam of a first set of transmit beams in a first sounding channel set of sub-bands, the first sounding channel set of sub-bands comprising one or more sub-bands that cover a first data bandwidth;
transmitting, to a mobile station (MS), a first UL sounding configuration message that sets a sounding sub-band bitmap value to a maximum specifiable value and indicates UL-SRS placement in the first sounding channel set of sub-bands;
receiving, through the first sounding channel set of sub-bands from the MS, the one or more UL-SRSs corresponding to at least the one transmit beam of the first set of transmit beams for channel estimation over the first data bandwidth;
configuring a second sounding channel to be a second uplink sounding slot comprising at least the one OFDM symbol in a second uplink sub-frame in order to carry one or more UL-SRSs corresponding to at least the one transmit beam of a second set of transmit beams in a second sounding channel set of sub-bands, the second sounding channel set of sub-bands comprising at least a subset of the first sounding channel set of sub-bands, the second set of transmit beams comprising at least a subset of the first set of transmit beams used in the first sounding channel;
transmitting, to the MS, a second UL sounding configuration message that sets a second sounding sub-band bitmap value to a value no greater than the maximum specifiable value and indicates UL-SRS placement in the second sounding channel set of sub-bands; and
receiving, through the second sounding channel set of sub-bands from the MS, the one or more UL-SRSs corresponding to at least the one transmit beam of the second set of transmit beams for channel estimation over a second data bandwidth, wherein the second data bandwidth is at least a subset of the first data bandwidth.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first UL sounding configuration message comprises a sounding channel index value; and
the sounding channel index value provides an indication to the MS of the sounding sub-band bitmap value and the UL-SRS configuration in the first sounding channel set of sub-bands.

3. The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
configuring a third sounding channel to be a third uplink sounding slot comprising at least the one OFDM symbol in a third uplink sub-frame in order to carry one or more UL-SRSs corresponding to at least one transmit beam of the third set of transmit beams in a third sounding channel set of sub-bands, the third sounding channel set of sub-bands comprising at least the subset of the first sounding channel set of sub-bands or at least a subset of the second sounding channel set of sub-bands, the third set of transmit beams comprising at least a subset of the first set of transmit beams or the second set of transmit beams;
transmitting, to the MS, a third UL sounding configuration message that sets a second sounding sub-band bitmap value to a value no greater than the maximum specifiable value and indicates UL-SRS placement in the third sounding channel set of sub-bands; and
receiving, through the third sounding channel set of sub-bands from the MS, the one or more UL-SRSs corresponding to at least the one transmit beam of the third set of transmit beams for channel estimation over a third data bandwidth, wherein the third data band width is at least a subset of one of the first data bandwidth or the second data bandwidth.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a random access channel (RACH) is used by the BS to identify received beams for receiving sound reference symbols on the configured sounding channel.

5. A base station (BS) for use in a wireless network, the BS comprising:
at least one processing device configured to:
configure a first sounding channel to be an uplink sounding slot comprising at least one orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol in an uplink sub-frame in order to carry one or more uplink sounding reference symbols (UL-SRSs) corresponding to at least one transmit beam of a first set of transmit beams in a first sounding channel set of sub-bands, the first sounding channel set of sub-bands comprising one or more sub-bands that cover a first data bandwidth;
initiate transmission, to a mobile station (MS), of a first UL sounding configuration message configured to set a sounding sub-band bitmap value to a maximum specifiable value and indicate UL-SRS placement in the first sounding channel set of sub-bands;
receive, through the first sounding channel set of sub-bands from the MS, the one or more UL-SRSs corresponding to at least the one transmit beam of the first set of transmit beams for channel estimation over the first data bandwidth;
configure a second sounding channel to be a second uplink sounding slot comprising at least the one OFDM symbol in a second uplink sub-frame in order to carry one or more UL-SRSs corresponding to at least one transmit beam of a second set of transmit beams in a second sounding channel set of sub-bands, the second sounding channel set of sub-bands comprising at least a subset of the first sounding channel set of sub-bands, the second set of transmit beams comprising at least a subset of the first set of transmit beams used in the first sounding channel;
initiate transmission, to the MS, of a second UL sounding configuration message that sets a second sounding sub-band bitmap value to a value no greater than the maximum specifiable value and indicates UL-SRS placement in the second sounding channel set of sub-bands; and
receive, through the second sounding channel set of sub-bands from the MS, the one or more UL-SRSs corresponding to at least the one transmit beam of the second set of transmit beams for channel estimation over a second data bandwidth, wherein the second data bandwidth is at least a subset of the first data bandwidth.

6. The BS of claim 5 , wherein:
the first UL sounding configuration message comprises a sounding channel index value; and
the sounding channel index value provides an indication to the MS of the sounding sub-band bitmap value and the UL-SRS configuration in the first sounding channel set of sub-bands.

7. The BS of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to:
configure a third sounding channel to be a third uplink sounding slot comprising at least the one OFDM symbol in a third uplink sub-frame in order to carry one or more UL-SRSs corresponding to at least one transmit beam of a third set of transmit beams in a third sounding channel set of sub-bands, the third sounding channel set of sub-bands comprising at least the subset of the first sounding channel set of sub-bands or at least a subset of the second sounding channel set of sub-bands, the third set of transmit beams comprising at least a subset of the first set of transmit beams or the second set of transmit beams;
transmit, to the MS, a third UL sounding configuration message that sets a second sounding sub-band bitmap value to a value no greater than the maximum specifiable value and indicates UL-SRS placement in the third sounding channel set of sub-bands; and
receive, through the third sounding channel set of sub-bands from the MS, the one or more UL-SRSs corresponding to at least the one transmit of the third set of transmit beams for channel estimation over a third data bandwidth, wherein the third data band width is at least a subset of one of the first data bandwidt

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Josiam Kaushik
• Taori Rakesh

Classifications

• H04L25/0224 Primary

  using sounding signals · CPC title

• H04L5/0051

  of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal · CPC title

• H04B7/0617

  for beam forming · CPC title

• H04L5/0053

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

• H04L5/0094

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