Transmission Point Indication in CoMP Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

In CoMP systems, user equipment lacks the ability to identify the current transmission point, leading to inefficiencies and interference measurement issues due to the need to mute common reference signals across all nodes, which affects both CoMP-capable and legacy UEs.

Innovation Solution

The system enables user equipment to receive and utilize transmission point indices and CRS parameters for each base station, allowing it to produce a tailored PDSCH mapping pattern, thereby avoiding the need to mute CRS locations and reducing overhead, while maintaining accurate interference measurements for legacy UEs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If common reference signal (CRS) positions are muted across all nodes in the CoMP measurement set, then user equipment can perform interference measurement, but overhead increases and communication efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterference measurement accuracyVSAvoidcommunication overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by enabling user equipment to identify specific transmission points through CRS parameters and transmission point indices. This allows interference measurement to be performed selectively based on local transmission point characteristics rather than muting CRS positions globally across all nodes, thereby maintaining measurement accuracy while reducing overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If transmission point identity information is not provided to user equipment, then system complexity is reduced, but user equipment cannot accurately identify current transmission point characteristics

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidtransmission point identification information
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments transmission point identification into multiple components: CRS parameters for each base station and transmission point indices that identify which base station is currently transmitting. This segmentation allows user equipment to identify transmission point characteristics without requiring a single complex identification mechanism, thus maintaining information accuracy while managing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If CRS positions are muted for all nodes, then interference measurement is enabled, but productivity of the communication system decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterference measurement capabilityVSAvoidcommunication efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables user equipment to self-identify the current transmission point by receiving and processing CRS parameters and transmission point indices. This self-service capability allows the system to perform interference measurement without requiring CRS muting, as user equipment can autonomously determine which transmission point characteristics are relevant, thereby maintaining measurement capability while preserving communication efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2774398B1Transmission point indication in coordinated multi-point system
Publication Date: 2022.09.28 APPLE INC
  • EP2774398B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2774398B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2774398B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe devices, methods, computer-readable media and systems configurations for transmission point indication in a coordinated multipoint (CoMP) system. A user equipment (UE) may receive common reference signal (CRS) parameters associated with individual base stations of a CoMP measurement set. The UE may also receive a transmission point index corresponding to a first base station of the CoMP measurement set that is scheduled for communications with the UE. A mapping module of the UE may produce a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) mapping pattern based on the CRS parameters associated with the scheduled base station.