DM-RS Antenna Port Allocation in Wireless Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

In LTE-A systems, the existing methods for notifying User Equipment (UE) of DM-RS antenna ports are inefficient, leading to redundant control information and failure to provide interference-related information, which reduces system throughput and interferes with accurate interference measurement.

Innovation Solution

A method is proposed to minimize control information by using transport block and DM-RS antenna port allocation information, allowing UEs to determine their own and other UEs' DM-RS antenna ports, and to identify MU-MIMO signals, thereby enabling efficient interference cancellation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If existing methods are used to notify UE of DM-RS antenna ports, then control information can be transmitted, but control information becomes redundant and overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol information redundancyVSAvoidsystem throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential DM-RS antenna port allocation information from the full control signal set and transmits only this minimal necessary information. By removing redundant control information while preserving the critical DM-RS port allocation data, the system reduces control overhead and increases system throughput without losing necessary communication functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by transmitting only the specific DM-RS antenna port allocation information that is actually needed for channel estimation and interference measurement, rather than transmitting complete control information. This selective transmission approach reduces overhead while maintaining the necessary functionality for UE to identify its own and other UEs' DM-RS ports.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Loss of information

If existing notification methods are used, then DM-RS antenna port information can be conveyed, but interference-related information is not provided

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterference measurement accuracyVSAvoidcontrol information structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the control information structure multi-functional by designing the DM-RS antenna port allocation indication to serve dual purposes: it simultaneously provides the UE with information about its own allocated ports and the ports allocated to other UEs in the same time-frequency resource. This universal indication mechanism enables both channel estimation and interference measurement without requiring separate control signals, thereby improving interference measurement accuracy while avoiding increased device complexity.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses the DM-RS antenna port allocation indication as an intermediary that carries multiple types of information. Instead of directly transmitting separate interference information, the system uses this intermediate control signal to encode both the UE's own port allocation and the ports used by other UEs, thereby enabling indirect but efficient transmission of interference-related information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If more control information is transmitted to indicate DM-RS antenna ports, then accurate port identification is achieved, but control information overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveDM-RS antenna port identification accuracyVSAvoidcontrol information amount
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential DM-RS antenna port allocation information from the full control signal set and transmits only this minimal necessary information. By removing redundant control information while preserving the critical DM-RS port allocation data, the system reduces control overhead and increases system throughput without losing necessary communication functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation by using a compact indication mechanism that encodes DM-RS antenna port allocation information in a space-efficient manner. Instead of transmitting full port configuration details, the system uses parameter changes in the control signal to convey the essential allocation information, thereby reducing the quantity of control information while maintaining identification accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3761550B1Method for indicating a DM-RS antenna port in a wireless communication system
Publication Date: 2021.07.07 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3761550B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3761550B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3761550B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A control information reception method of a terminal in a mobile communication system, comprising receiving, by the terminal, control information including antenna port related information, identifying whether a codeword 0 is enabled and a codeword 1 is disabled, or both the codeword 0 and the codeword 1 are enabled based on the control information and identifying a number of at least one antenna port based on the antenna port related information according to a result of the identification.