Uplink Reference Signal Transmission via Zero-Power Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In communications systems, particularly in New Radio (NR) and LTE systems, uplink measurement reference signals from user equipment (UE) at cell edges experience interference due to shared time-frequency resources, affecting channel sounding quality and requiring effective interference measurement and mitigation.
Innovation Solution
The method involves configuring a zero-power uplink measurement reference signal and a non-zero-power uplink measurement reference signal with distinct time-frequency resources, allowing the network device to measure interference and perform power control or interference cancellation, thereby reducing interference and improving channel estimation accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If different UEs in neighboring cells send uplink measurement reference signals on the same time-frequency resource, then resource utilization is improved, but interference between UEs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the time-frequency resource into two distinct parts: a first time-frequency resource for zero-power uplink measurement reference signals and a second time-frequency resource for non-zero-power uplink measurement reference signals. This segmentation allows different UEs to use the same overall resource pool while preventing interference by separating signal types spatially and temporally, thus resolving the contradiction between resource utilization and interference avoidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a zero-power uplink measurement reference signal as an intermediary element. This signal is transmitted at zero power level and serves as a placeholder that allows the network to measure interference from other UEs without causing harmful interference itself. The zero-power signal acts as a mediator between the need for resource sharing and the need for interference-free measurement.
2Device complexity
If zero-power uplink measurement reference signal and non-zero-power uplink measurement reference signal share the same time-frequency resource, then device complexity is reduced, but interference measurement accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the time-frequency resource into separate regions for zero-power and non-zero-power uplink measurement reference signals. This segmentation enables the network to accurately measure interference by receiving only the zero-power signal on the first resource while other UEs transmit non-zero-power signals on the second resource, thereby improving measurement precision without excessively increasing configuration complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different power levels and functions to different parts of the time-frequency resource. The first time-frequency resource is dedicated to zero-power signals for interference measurement, while the second time-frequency resource is dedicated to non-zero-power signals for actual channel sounding. This localized differentiation enables accurate interference measurement while maintaining manageable system complexity.
3Ease of operation
If uplink measurement reference signal transmission is performed without resource separation, then ease of operation is improved, but channel sounding quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the uplink measurement reference signal transmission into two distinct processes with separate time-frequency resources. This segmentation improves channel sounding quality by eliminating interference between different UE signals, while the segmentation is implemented through standardized configuration mechanisms that maintain ease of operation through automatic resource allocation and simplified network device processing.
Data Source
AI summary
An uplink reference signal transmission method is disclosed. User equipment receives first configuration information of a first uplink measurement reference signal and second configuration information of a second uplink measurement reference signal from a wireless network device. The first configuration information is used to configure a time-frequency resource of the first uplink measurement reference signal, and the second configuration information is used to configure a time-frequency resource of the second uplink measurement reference signal. The first uplink measurement reference signal is a zero-power uplink measurement reference signal, and the second uplink measurement reference signal is a non-zero-power uplink measurement reference signal. The user equipment sends, based on the first configuration information and the second configuration information, the second uplink measurement reference signal on a time-frequency resource, other than the time-frequency resource of the first uplink measurement reference signal, in the time-frequency resource of the second uplink measurement reference signal.