Coherent Uplink Reference Signals Across Multiple Serving Cells

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in ensuring coherence for wideband reference signals, particularly in 5G and beyond, due to variations in phase and power across different frequency bands and cells, which affect the accuracy of signal transmission and reception.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for coherent transmission and reception of reference signals involve configuring and transmitting uplink reference signals in multiple serving cells with identical energy per resource element, power control, and beam determination, ensuring the signals are transmitted with the same power and phase alignment, even when overlapping with other signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If wideband reference signals are transmitted across multiple serving cells, then the coverage and capacity of the communication system are improved, but phase and power variations across different frequency bands and cells cause coherence degradation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidsignal coherence
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting power control parameters (P0, alpha, pathloss reference signals) and phase alignment parameters (comb offsets, frequency shifts) for reference signals transmitted across multiple serving cells. These parameter adjustments ensure that reference signals maintain consistent power levels and phase relationships despite being transmitted over different frequency bands and through different cellular paths, thereby resolving the coherence degradation issue while maintaining expanded coverage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements equipotentiality by equalizing the power levels of reference signals across all serving cells through power control mechanisms. By ensuring that reference signals have identical power spectral density and energy per resource element regardless of which serving cell transmits them, the system eliminates power variations that would otherwise cause coherence issues, allowing reliable wideband reference signal transmission across multiple cells

Inventive Principle:
Principle #12Equipotentiality

2Measurement precision

If reference signals are transmitted with high power to improve reception quality, then signal-to-noise ratio is improved, but power variations across cells cause phase inconsistency

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereception qualityVSAvoidphase consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses parameter changes to simultaneously achieve high reception quality and phase consistency by dynamically adjusting power control parameters based on pathloss measurements and cell-specific configurations. The system modifies transmission power parameters while maintaining phase relationships through coordinated parameter setting across cells, ensuring that high power transmission does not compromise phase consistency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the base station measures the quality of received reference signals from multiple serving cells and adjusts power control parameters accordingly. This closed-loop feedback ensures that power levels are optimized for reception quality while maintaining phase consistency across cells, as the system continuously monitors and adjusts parameters based on actual transmission conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If power control parameters are independently configured for each serving cell, then cell-specific optimization is achieved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell-specific performanceVSAvoidconfiguration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by using a common pathloss reference signal configuration across multiple serving cells. Instead of independently configuring all power control parameters for each cell, the system uses a universal pathloss reference that can be applied across cells, reducing configuration complexity while still allowing cell-specific optimizations through parameters like P0 and alpha that can be adjusted per cell based on common measurements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12574860B2Method and apparatus for coherent transmission and reception of reference signal
Publication Date: 2026.03.10 ELECTRONICS & TELECOMM RES INST
  • US12574860B2 patent drawing
  • US12574860B2 patent drawing
  • US12574860B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A method of a terminal may comprise: receiving, from a base station, configuration information of uplink reference signal (UL RS) for two or more serving cells; transmitting a first UL RS to the base station based on the configuration information in a first cell of the two or more serving cells; and transmitting a second UL RS to the base station based on the configuration information in a second cell of the two or more serving cells.