EPDCCH Channel Estimation Using Virtual Antenna Ports

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless communication systems face challenges in performing channel estimation and receiving control information on an Enhanced Physical Downlink Control Channel (EPDCCH), particularly when a transmitter has a single physical antenna, as existing methods struggle to maintain channel estimation performance in such scenarios.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves ensuring predetermined channel estimation performance by employing a method that allows channel estimation using multiple DMRS ports, even when a transmitter has a single physical antenna, by assuming the same precoding is applied to all allocated DMRS ports, and using this information for improved channel estimation and control information reception on the EPDCCH.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a transmitter has a single physical antenna, then device complexity is reduced, but channel estimation performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of physical antennasVSAvoidchannel estimation performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates virtual antenna ports (DMRS ports) that copy the functionality of multiple physical antennas. By assuming the same precoding is applied to all allocated DMRS ports, the system generates multiple reference signal ports from a single physical antenna, enabling channel estimation as if multiple antennas were present. This copying approach maintains channel estimation performance while using only one physical antenna.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of antenna port configuration by allocating multiple DMRS ports (e.g., ports 7, 8, 9, 10) to a single physical antenna. This parameter change allows the receiver to perform channel estimation using multiple ports while the transmitter uses only one physical antenna, thus resolving the contradiction between device complexity and measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If multiple DMRS ports are allocated for channel estimation, then channel estimation performance is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel estimation performanceVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the single physical antenna universal by applying the same precoding to all allocated DMRS ports. This multi-functionality approach allows one physical antenna to serve multiple virtual ports (7, 8, 9, 10), enabling the system to achieve channel estimation performance comparable to multiple physical antennas while maintaining simple hardware architecture.

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

Data Source

PatentEP2884677B1Method and apparatus for receiving control information in wireless communication system
Publication Date: 2020.04.15 LG ELECTRONICS INC
  • EP2884677B1 patent drawingFigure 1(a)~1(b)
  • EP2884677B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2884677B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for receiving control information through an enhanced physical downlink control channel (EPDCCH) in a wireless communication system, including the steps of: channel estimation in an EPDCCH related physical resource block (PRB) pair set; and, on the basis of the channel estimation, monitoring the EPDCCH in the PRB pair set, wherein, when the number of physical antennas of a transmission point transmitting the EPDCCH is 1, the terminal is assumed to identically precode allocated ports for the EPDCCH.