FDMA Pilot Block Design for PAPR Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pilot designs for single carrier FDMA wireless communications are inefficient due to high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) and excessive overhead, particularly in supporting high-speed mobile devices, and struggle to achieve optimal pilot densities in time and frequency.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a pilot block with a duration not greater than the data payload block, using different FFT sizes for pilot and payload symbols, and adjusting cyclic prefix sizes to maintain time slot structure, along with flexible pilot symbol spacing based on mobility speed, allows for improved channel estimation and reduced overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If scattered distributed pilots are embedded into each UL cluster, then channel estimation capability is improved, but PAPR increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel estimation capabilityVSAvoidPAPR
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the pilot transmission into two distinct components: a scattered pilot component embedded in each UL cluster for channel estimation, and a dedicated TDM pilot component transmitted in specific time slots for synchronization and timing. This segmentation allows each pilot type to perform its specialized function without the drawbacks of the other, maintaining low PAPR while preserving channel estimation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of energy

If TDM based pilot schemes are used, then PAPR is reduced, but pilot overhead becomes excessive for high speed mobile devices

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovePAPRVSAvoidpilot overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic pilot density adjustment where the scattered pilot density and TDM pilot timing are adapted based on mobile device speed. For high-speed devices, the system increases scattered pilot density in frequency domains and adjusts TDM pilot intervals to maintain adequate channel estimation accuracy without excessive overhead. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between low PAPR and acceptable overhead for high-speed scenarios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Loss of energy

If TDM based pilots are used, then PAPR is reduced, but optimal pilot densities in time and frequency cannot be achieved due to overly dense pilots in frequency vs. overly sparse pilots in time

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovePAPRVSAvoidpilot density optimization
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating pilot density requirements across different domains and device types. Scattered pilots provide local frequency-domain density for channel estimation, while TDM pilots provide time-domain sampling for synchronization. The system optimizes the density and distribution of each pilot type locally according to specific needs, allowing dense frequency-domain pilots for channel estimation and sparser time-domain pilots for timing, achieving overall optimality without uniform density constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP1911173B1Pilots for frequency division multiple access communications
Publication Date: 2018.09.12 BLACKBERRY LTD
  • EP1911173B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP1911173B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP1911173B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A method and system for wireless frequency division multiple access communications in the uplink and/or downlink directions, having an improved pilot insertion scheme for single carrier based communications is provided. A first time duration for transmission of a data payload block (7) is established, and the transmission is processed using a first frequency domain or a time domain. A second time duration for transmission of at least one pilot block (70) is established, and the transmission is processed using a second frequency domain or the time domain, the second time duration (70) is not greater than the first time duration (7).