LTE-A Coordinated Multi-Point Reference Signal Puncturing

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Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless telephony, particularly in LTE and LTE-A networks, existing technologies face challenges in multiplexing and managing conflicts between reference signals from multiple user equipment, leading to interference and increased overhead during handovers and resource allocation.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves joint processing of downlink coordinated multi-point reference signaling, which includes combining reference signals, determining conflicts, puncturing signals from other cells, and transmitting non-punctured combined signals, allowing for efficient resource management and reduced interference through coherent and non-coherent combining methods.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If reference signals from multiple cells are transmitted simultaneously, then coverage and connectivity are improved, but interference between reference signals increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveconnectivityVSAvoidinterference

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts reference signal transmission by puncturing signals from certain cells based on real-time conflict detection, allowing the network to adapt between simultaneous transmission for coverage and selective suppression for interference reduction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful interference from multi-cell reference signals into a detectable conflict condition, then uses puncturing to eliminate the harmful effect while maintaining the beneficial coverage enhancement from coordinated multi-point transmission

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If reference signals are punctured to resolve conflicts, then interference is reduced, but signal overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveinterferenceVSAvoidsignal overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of uniformly transmitting or suppressing reference signals across all cells, the system applies puncturing selectively only to conflicting reference signals from specific cells, maintaining local optimization rather than global uniformity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial puncturing only to the extent necessary to resolve detected conflicts, rather than completely suppressing all reference signals or transmitting them all simultaneously, achieving adequate interference reduction with minimal overhead

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS8243696B2Joint processing downlink coordinated multi-point reference signal support

Publication Date: 2012.08.14 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INC

AI summary

This invention concerns multiplexing in Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) in Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) wireless telephony. Joint processing down link coordinated multi-point reference signaling includes combining resource signal types at a user equipment, determining conflicts between resource signals of plural user equipment, puncturing resource signals of other cell upon determining conflicts between resource signals of plural user equipment and transmitting non-punctured combined resource signals from a user equipment.