Method and apparatus for communicating to UE an indication of available RS, based on MIMO mode settings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9693247-B2
Application number	US-201414540780-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2014
Priority date	Feb 14, 2008
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

The present solution ensures that the UEs are able to make use of all the available reference signals that can be used in a cell for performing UE measurements, estimations or demodulations. That is achieved by indicating on a downlink common or shared channel, the MIMO mode settings associated with a specific network node. The indicated MIMO mode settings explicitly or implicitly indicate available common reference signals and/or dedicated reference signals to be used for said UE measurements, estimations or demodulations, which implies that measurements, estimations or demodulations can be performed based on said received indication.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method in a network node of a cellular communication network of enabling a user equipment (UE) to perform measurements, estimations, or demodulations, the method comprising:
determining Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) mode settings associated with the network node; and
transmitting, on a downlink common or shared channel, an indication signal indicating the determined MIMO mode settings to the UE, wherein the indication signal also indicates available common reference signals or dedicated reference signals that are usable in said UE measurements, estimations, or demodulations, wherein the indication of available reference signals further comprises an indication of reference signal availability based on MIMO modes used in at least one different network node in the cellular communication network operating a neighbor cell.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE measurements, estimations, or demodulations are selected from the group consisting of neighbor cell measurement, channel estimation, demodulation, and Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) estimation.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined MIMO mode settings further indicate whether beamforming is used.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined MIMO mode settings further indicate a MIMO mode used in at least one neighbor cell.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined MIMO mode settings further indicate a bit pattern of a MIMO setting with a smallest number of available common reference signals.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network node is a serving node for the UE.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the downlink common or shared channel is a Broadcast Channel (BCH).

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the downlink common or shared channel is a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the determined MIMO mode settings further indicate whether the MIMO mode settings of the at least one neighbor cell differ from the MIMO mode settings of a serving cell of the UE.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network node is not the serving node for the UE.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the downlink common or shared channel is a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH).

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the downlink common or shared channel is a Synchronization Channel (SCH).

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication signal is transmitted via higher layer signaling.

14. A method in a user equipment (UE) of enabling the UE to perform measurements, estimations, or demodulations, the method comprising:
receiving an indication signal, on a downlink common or shared channel, indicating determined Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) mode settings associated with a network node in a cellular communication network, wherein the indication signal also indicates available common reference signals or dedicated reference signals that are usable in said UE measurements, estimations, or demodulations, wherein the indication of available reference signals further comprises an indication of reference signal availability based on MIMO modes used in at least one different network node in the cellular communication network operating a neighbor cell; and
performing measurements, estimations, or demodulations based on said received indication signal.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the UE measurements, estimations, or demodulations are selected from the group consisting of: neighbor cell measurement, channel estimation, demodulation, and Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) estimation.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determined MIMO mode settings indicate whether beamforming is used.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determined MIMO mode settings indicate MIMO mode settings used in at least one neighbor cell.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determined MIMO mode settings further indicate a bit pattern of a MIMO setting with a smallest number of available common reference signals.

19. A network node of a cellular communication network for enabling a user equipment (UE) to perform measurements, estimations, or demodulations, the network node comprising:
a first unit circuit configured to determine Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) mode settings associated with the network node; and
a second unit circuit configured to transmit, on a downlink common or shared channel, an indication signal indicating the determined MIMO mode settings to the UE, wherein the indication signal also indicates available common reference signals or dedicated reference signals that are usable in said UE measurements, estimations or demodulations, wherein the indication of available reference signals further comprises an indication of reference signal availability based on MIMO modes used in at least one different network node in the cellular communication network operating a neighbor cell.

20. The network node of claim 19 , wherein the UE measurements, estimations, or demodulations are selected from the group consisting of: neighbor cell measurement, channel estimation, demodulation, and Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) estimation.

21. The network node of claim 19 , wherein the determined MIMO mode settings indicate whether beamforming is used.

22. The network node of claim 19 , wherein the second unit circuit is further configured to indicate the MIMO mode used in at least one neighbor cell to the UE.

23. The network node of claim 19 , wherein the determined MIMO mode settings further indicate a bit pattern of a MIMO setting with a smallest number of available common reference signals.

24. The network node of claim 19 , wherein the downlink common or shared channel is a Broadcast Channel (BCH).

25. The network node of claim 19 , wherein the downlink common or shared channel is a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

26. The network node of claim 22 , wherein the determined MIMO mode settings indicate whether the MIMO mode settings of the at least one neighbor cell differ from the MIMO mode settings of a serving cell of the UE.

27. The network node of claim 19 , wherein the downlink common or shared channel is a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH).

28. The network node of claim 19 , wherein the downlink common or shared channel is a Synchronization Channel (SCH).

29. A user equipment (UE) operative to perform measurements, estimations, or demodulations, comprising:
a receiver configured to receive an indication signal, on a downlink common or shared channel, indicating determined MIMO mode settings associated with a network node in a cellular communication network, wherein the indication signal also indicates available common reference signals or dedicated reference signals that are usable in said UE measurements, estimations, or demodulations, wherein the indication of available reference signals further comprises an indication of reference signal availability based on MIMO modes used in at least one different network node in the cellular communication network operating a neighbor cell; and
a unit circuit configured to perform measurements, estimations, or demodulations based on said received indication.

30. A method in a network node of a cellular communication network of enabling a user equipment (UE) to perform measurements, estimations, or demodulations, the method comprising:

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M
• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Wan Lei
• Astely David
• Kazmi Muhammad

Classifications

• H04L5/0053

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

• H04W24/08 Primary

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic · CPC title

• H04L5/0007

  the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A) or DMT · CPC title

• H04B7/0413

  MIMO systems · CPC title

• H04J11/0093 Primary

  Neighbour cell search · CPC title