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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE49368-E
Application number	US-202117240004-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Apr 26, 2021
Priority date	Feb 14, 2008
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

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 used in at least one neighbor cell; and
indicating, on a downlink common and/or shared channel, the determined MIMO mode settings to the UE,
wherein the indicated MIMO mode settings explicitly or implicitly indicate available common reference signals and/or dedicated reference signals available for said UE measurements, estimations or demodulations, and
wherein the determined MIMO mode settings are indicated in a common reference signal via one or both of:
a single bit indicating a presence or absence of dedicated reference signals, and
a plurality of bits together containing an index or an identity of the available dedicated reference signals.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UE measurements, estimations or demodulations comprise 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 indicated MIMO mode settings indicate whether beamforming is used or not.

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

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

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network node is the 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 1, wherein the indicated MIMO mode settings further indicate whether the determined MIMO mode settings of used in the at least one neighboring cell differ or not from the MIMO mode settings of the a serving cell for the UE.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network node is not the a 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 of available common reference signals to be used for neighbor cell measurements by the UE 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, on a downlink common and/or shared channel, of determined Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) mode settings associated with a network node used in at least one neighbor cell,
wherein the indicated MIMO mode settings explicitly or implicitly indicate available common reference signals and/or dedicated reference signals available for said UE measurements, estimations or demodulations, and
wherein the indication is received in a common reference signal, the indication comprising one or both of:
a single bit indicating a presence or absence of dedicated reference signals, and a plurality of bits together containing an index or an identity of the available dedicated reference signals; and
performing measurements, estimations, or demodulations based on said received indication.

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 indicated MIMO mode settings indicate whether beamforming is used or not.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the UE further receives the MIMO mode used in at least one neighbor cell.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the indicated MIMO mode settings further indicate the a bit pattern of the MIMO setting with the 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 configured to determine Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) mode settings associated with the network node used in at least one neighbor cell; and
a second unit configured to indicate, on a downlink common and/or shared channel, the determined MIMO mode settings to the UE,
wherein the indicated MIMO mode settings explicitly or implicitly indicate available common reference signals and/or dedicated reference signals available for said UE measurements, estimations or demodulations, and
wherein the determined MIMO mode settings are indicated in a common reference signal via one or both of:
a single bit indicating a presence or absence of dedicated reference signals, and
a plurality of bits together containing an index or an identity of the available dedicated reference signals.

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 indicated MIMO mode settings indicate whether beamforming is used or not.

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

23. The network node of claim 19 , wherein the indicated MIMO mode settings further indicate the a bit pattern of the MIMO setting with the 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 19, wherein the indicated MIMO mode settings further indicate whether the determined MIMO mode settings of used in the at least one neighboring cell differ or not from the MIMO mode settings of the a serving cell for 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, on a downlink common and/or shared channel, of determined MIMO mode settings associated with a network node used in at least one neighbor cell,
wherein the indicated MIMO mode settings explicitly or implicitly indicate available common reference signals and/or dedicated reference signals available for said UE measurements, estimations or demodulations, and
wherein the indication is received in a common reference signal, the indication comprising one or both of:

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Wan Lei
• Astely David
• Kazmi Muhammad

Classifications

• H04B7/0617

  for beam forming · CPC title

• H04W24/08 Primary

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

• H04L5/005

  of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals · CPC title

• H04B7/0413

  MIMO systems · CPC title

• H04L5/0007

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