5G NR Control Channel REG Bundling for Precise Channel Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The 5G NR mobile communications system faces challenges in channel estimation performance due to limited resource overheads for demodulation reference signals (DMRS), which affects the coverage and reliability of control channels.
Innovation Solution
The method involves determining and using multiple resource element groups (REGs) to form REG sets or bundles, allowing for joint channel estimation and improving channel estimation precision by utilizing available DMRSs within these sets, and employing interleaving techniques to optimize resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If DMRS resource overhead is limited to save resources, then resource efficiency is improved, but channel estimation precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple REGs into REG bundles and performs joint channel estimation across these bundled REGs. This merging approach allows the system to use limited DMRS resources more effectively by pooling channel estimation opportunities across multiple resource element groups, thereby maintaining estimation precision while keeping DMRS overhead low.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends channel estimation from a single REG to multiple REGs in the time-frequency domain by creating REG bundles. This dimensional extension allows the system to gather more channel state information across different time and frequency resources, compensating for the limited DMRS overhead through increased spatial-temporal sampling.
2Device complexity
If DMRS resources are concentrated in limited positions, then resource allocation is simplified, but channel estimation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the control channel resources into multiple REGs that are further grouped into REG bundles. This segmentation allows DMRS to be distributed across multiple segmented units (REGs) rather than concentrated in a single location, improving channel estimation performance by providing multiple independent estimation opportunities while maintaining manageable allocation complexity through the bundling structure.
3Device complexity
If reference signals are located only in specific PRBs or REGs, then resource management is simplified, but coverage performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates REG bundles that can be formed from multiple REGs across different PRBs and time symbols. This multi-functional structure allows the same DMRS resources to serve multiple REGs within a bundle, enabling the reference signals to provide coverage enhancement across a broader time-frequency area while maintaining simplified resource management through the standardized bundling approach.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to communication methods and communication apparatus. One example method includes determining a quantity and a position of control channel element (CCE) used by a control channel of user equipment, where each of the CCE corresponds to a plurality of resource element groups (REGs), the plurality of REGs form at least one REG bundle, and any REG bundle in the at least one REG bundle includes a plurality of resource blocks (RBs) that are consecutive or adjacent in at least one of time domain or frequency domain, and receiving, from a network device, the control channel by using the CCE.