Multi-Slot SRS Resource Configuration for Coverage and Interference Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems, particularly in NR and LTE, face challenges in improving coverage and reliability of sounding reference signals (SRS) due to limitations in symbol repetition and interference, which affect the efficiency and effectiveness of channel sounding.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of SRS resources across multiple slots, utilizing intra-slot frequency hopping and beam-specific repetition to enhance coverage, allowing for increased symbol repetitions and orthogonal sequence use to mitigate interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If SRS transmission is limited to single slot or with restricted symbol repetition, then device complexity and interference are reduced, but coverage and reliability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The SRS resource is segmented across multiple slots with configurable symbol repetitions within each slot. The SRS resource set includes multiple SRS resources that can be transmitted in different slots, allowing the system to divide the coverage enhancement task across multiple time resources rather than concentrating all repetitions in a single slot.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic configurability of SRS parameters including the number of symbol repetitions per slot, the number of slots to span, frequency hopping patterns, and beam switching. This dynamic configuration allows the system to adapt the complexity level based on actual coverage requirements, balancing reliability improvement against device complexity.
2Reliability
If symbol repetitions are increased to improve coverage, then SRS coverage is enhanced, but interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic frequency hopping where the SRS frequency position changes according to a configured pattern across different slots and symbols. This periodic frequency variation allows the same SRS sequence to be transmitted multiple times (for coverage) while spreading the interference across different frequency resources, reducing the harmful impact of repeated transmissions on the same frequency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes multiple parameters simultaneously including frequency position, beam direction, and time slot allocation for SRS transmissions. By varying these parameters across different SRS resources within the set, the patent achieves coverage enhancement through multiple transmissions while reducing interference through parameter diversity.
3Reliability
If SRS resources are concentrated in single slot, then transmission timing is simplified, but coverage and robustness are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends SRS resource allocation from a single-slot dimension to a multi-slot dimensional space. By configuring SRS resources to span multiple slots with configurable symbol positions in each slot, the system adds the time dimension of multiple slots as a new resource dimension, enhancing coverage robustness while providing flexible configuration to manage the increased complexity.
4Reliability
If frequency hopping is disabled for SRS transmission, then device complexity and processing are reduced, but coverage and interference mitigation are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the frequency hopping function as an optional configurable feature within the SRS resource set. Rather than making frequency hopping mandatory for all SRS transmissions, the system allows the gNB to configure whether frequency hopping is enabled based on specific deployment scenarios, extracting the complexity only where needed for coverage enhancement while keeping it simple elsewhere.
Data Source
AI summary
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques for a multi-slot sounding reference signal (SRS) resource. A method that may be performed by a user equipment (UE) includes receiving a configuration of an SRS resource, wherein the SRS resource comprises a set of symbols for transmission of SRS across a plurality of slots, and transmitting the SRS using the set of symbols across the plurality of slots to a base station.