Quasi Co-Location Signaling for MIMO Control Channel Reception

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Solution Overview

Problem

In MIMO and coordinated multipoint systems, terminal devices face complexity in receiving physical downlink control channels due to non-quasi co-location of antenna ports, leading to inaccurate channel estimation and decreased performance.

Innovation Solution

A communication method is introduced where quasi co-location information is sent to terminal devices, indicating quasi co-location characteristics of antenna port sets within a control resource set, allowing the device to receive signals more efficiently and reduce complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the terminal device receives PDCCHs from multiple transmission/reception points or different antenna ports with different quasi co-location characteristics, then the system achieves better coverage and reliability, but the device complexity increases and channel estimation accuracy decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol channel reception performanceVSAvoidcomplexity of receiving PDCCH
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the control resource set into multiple antenna port sets, where each set contains antenna ports with the same quasi co-location characteristics. This segmentation allows the terminal device to process each set separately using appropriate channel estimation methods, reducing overall complexity while maintaining reliability through diversified reception paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different channel estimation methods to different antenna port sets based on their specific quasi co-location characteristics. For example, antenna ports with the same spatial reception parameter use spatial correlation-based estimation, while others use different approaches. This localized optimization improves accuracy without uniformly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of information

If the terminal device performs channel estimation for antenna ports with different quasi co-location characteristics, then comprehensive channel information is obtained, but the estimation accuracy decreases due to increased complexity

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel characteristic informationVSAvoidchannel estimation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent determines channel characteristics separately for each antenna port set based on its specific quasi co-location properties. By matching the channel estimation method to the local characteristics of each set rather than using a uniform approach, the system maintains high estimation accuracy while comprehensively capturing diverse channel information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The network device pre-configures quasi co-location information for different antenna port sets before the terminal device performs channel estimation. This preliminary provision of information allows the terminal to efficiently select appropriate estimation methods without increasing complexity, thereby maintaining accuracy while obtaining comprehensive channel characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3565169B1Communication methods and apparatuses for determining quasi co-location
Publication Date: 2022.07.27 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3565169B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3565169B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP3565169B1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

This application provides a communication method, a network device, a terminal device, and a system. The communication method includes: determining, by a network device, a plurality of pieces of quasi co-location information, where the plurality of pieces of quasi co-location information correspond to a plurality of antenna port sets of a first control resource set, and each piece of quasi co-location information in the plurality of pieces of quasi co-location information is used to indicate a quasi co-location characteristic of an antenna port set corresponding to each piece of quasi co-location information; and sending, by the network device, the plurality of pieces of quasi co-location information to a terminal device. In embodiments of this application, the plurality of pieces of quasi co-location information are used to indicate the quasi co-location characteristics of the antenna ports to the terminal device, to improve communication efficiency.