Resource Block Bundling for LTE-A Channel Estimation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current LTE systems face challenges in achieving accurate channel estimation and demodulation, particularly for high rank transmissions, due to the limitations of resource block (RB) based precoding, which can result in power imbalance across OFDM symbols and increased overhead in feedback reporting.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of RB bundling, where the base station performs the same downlink precoding vectors across multiple continuous RBs, allowing the user equipment (UE) to perform channel estimation and demodulation jointly across bundled RBs, thereby improving channel estimation performance while reducing precoding flexibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If RB-based precoding is used in LTE systems, then channel estimation and demodulation can be performed, but channel estimation accuracy deteriorates and feedback overhead increases for high rank transmissions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechannel estimation accuracyVSAvoidfeedback overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent bundles multiple resource blocks (RBs) together to form a single precoding unit, merging the precoding operations across multiple RBs. This allows the UE to perform channel estimation and demodulation jointly across the bundled RBs, improving channel estimation accuracy while reducing the feedback overhead by reporting a single CQI/PMI/RI for the entire bundle rather than separately for each RB.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Measurement precision

If RB bundling is implemented, then channel estimation accuracy improves, but precoding flexibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechannel estimation accuracyVSAvoidprecoding flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic control mechanisms where the network can configure the bundling size and number of bundles adaptively based on channel conditions and transmission requirements. This allows the system to switch between fine-grained per-RB precoding and coarse-grained bundled-RB precoding, maintaining precoding flexibility while enabling improved channel estimation when beneficial.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If per-RB precoding is used, then precoding flexibility is maintained, but power imbalance across OFDM symbols increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecoding flexibilityVSAvoidpower imbalance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

By merging multiple RBs into a single precoding bundle, the patent averages out the power variations that occur across individual RBs and OFDM symbols. This reduces the peak-to-average power ratio and mitigates power imbalance issues while still allowing adaptive precoding at the bundle level, thus maintaining reasonable precoding flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2779516B1Method and system for enabling resource block bundling in LTE-A systems

Publication Date: 2020.03.04 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

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AI summary

A base station is provided. The base station includes a transmit path circuitry to transmit information for reporting to a subscriber station, and to set that same precoding is applied to all physical resource block within a resource block group, if the precoding matrix indicator/rank indicator (PMI/RI) reporting is configured according to the information for reporting and if the subscriber station is configured for a predetermined transmission mode. The base station also includes a receive path circuitry to receive a reporting from the subscriber station.