Flexible Reference Signal Configuration for Multi-Antenna Port Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current LTE systems are limited to a maximum of eight antenna ports, which is insufficient for handling increased communications traffic in certain scenarios, necessitating a more flexible reference signal configuration to support multiple antenna ports.
Innovation Solution
A method for configuring and sending reference signals that allows for a variable number of antenna ports greater than eight, enabling flexible reference signal port configuration and improved channel state information measurement by determining reference signal resource configuration, including port, subframe, and resource element configurations, to support more antenna ports and reduce interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the LTE system uses a fixed maximum of eight antenna ports configuration, then the system complexity is controlled and compatibility is maintained, but the system cannot handle increased communications traffic in scenarios requiring more than eight antenna ports
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the reference signal configuration flexible and adjustable. Specifically, the reference signal port configuration is no longer fixed at eight ports but can be dynamically configured to support more than eight antenna ports based on traffic requirements. The system can adapt the number of antenna ports and reference signal resources according to actual communication needs, transforming a static configuration into a dynamic one that evolves with system demands.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes key parameters of the reference signal configuration, including the number of antenna ports, reference signal resource allocation, and port indexing schemes. By modifying these parameters, the system transitions from supporting a maximum of eight antenna ports to supporting an extended number of ports (e.g., up to 16 or more). This parameter change enables the system to handle increased traffic while maintaining configuration manageability through standardized extension methods.
2Productivity
If the system increases the number of antenna ports beyond eight to handle more traffic, then the adaptability improves, but the reference signal resource configuration becomes more complex and interference management becomes harder
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the reference signal resources into distinct groups or layers corresponding to different antenna ports. When supporting more than eight antenna ports, the system segments the reference signal time-frequency resources, code resources, or spatial resources to assign to each port or port group. This segmentation prevents resource conflicts and reduces interference between reference signals from different antenna ports, enabling scalable support for increased traffic capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces additional dimensions for reference signal resource allocation when extending beyond eight antenna ports. This may include utilizing additional time-domain resources (different subframes or slots), frequency-domain resources (different resource blocks), or spatial-domain resources (different beam directions or layers). By adding these dimensional resources, the system can accommodate more antenna ports without increasing interference, as each port has dedicated resources in at least one dimension.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a reference signal configuration method, a reference signal sending method, a user equipment, and a base station. According to solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, reference signal resource configuration is determined, where the reference signal resource configuration includes reference signal port configuration, reference signal subframe configuration, and reference signal configuration, and a quantity of ports configured in the reference signal port configuration is N; a reference signal is received according to the reference signal resource configuration; and measurement is performed based on the received reference signal, so as to obtain channel state information and/or signal quality information. In the embodiments of the present invention, determined network-side reference signal resource configuration includes reference signal port configuration, where a quantity of ports configured in the reference signal port configuration is N; and a quantity of supported ports may vary with different values of N. This can improve flexibility of the reference signal port configuration and help to support more antenna ports