Apparatus, method and computer program product providing common pilot channel for soft frequency reuse

1. A method comprising:

allocating, by an apparatus, a first plurality of pilot resources to a first frequency sub-band comprising a plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands;

allocating, by the apparatus, a second plurality of pilot resources to a second frequency sub-band comprising a plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands;

generating, by the apparatus, a first signal comprising a first pilot-data power offset between said first plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands, wherein the first pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said first plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of first sub-carriers;

generating, by the apparatus, a second signal comprising a second pilot-data power offset between said second plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands, wherein the second pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said second plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of second sub-carriers; and

wirelessly transmitting said first and/or second signals;

where a pilot resource pattern, common to the users on the higher power sub-bands and the users on the lower power sub-bands, remains unchanged.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first density of said first plurality of pilot resources in said first frequency sub-band is different from a second density of said second plurality of pilot resources in said second frequency sub-band and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a density of said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources is constant in at least one of a time domain or a frequency domain.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources comprise a common pilot sequence.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: provisioning said first and said second plurality of pilot resources into said first and said second frequency sub-bands utilizing at least one of a Time Division Multiplex (TDM), a Code Division Multiplex (CDM), a Frequency Division Multiplex (FDM), or a staggered method.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one pilot resource is allocated on at least every eighth sub-carrier.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a device in an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network.

8. A memory storing a program of machine-readable instructions, execution of the program by a processor resulting in actions comprising:

allocating a first plurality of pilot resources to a first frequency sub-band comprising a plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands;

allocating a second plurality of pilot resources to a second frequency sub-band comprising a plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands;

generating a first signal comprising a first pilot-data power offset between said first plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands, wherein the first pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said first plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of first sub-carriers;

generating a second signal comprising a second pilot-data power offset between said second plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands, wherein the second pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said second plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of second sub-carriers; and

wirelessly transmitting said first and/or second signals;

where a pilot resource pattern, common to the users on the higher power sub-bands and the users on the lower power sub-bands, remains unchanged.

9. The memory of claim 8 , wherein a first density of said first plurality of pilot resources in said first frequency sub-band is different from a second density of said second plurality of pilot resources in said second frequency sub-band and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

10. The memory of claim 8 , wherein a density of said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources is constant in at least one of a time or a frequency domain.

11. The memory of claim 8 , wherein the memory is embodied in an apparatus that comprises a device in an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions,

where the memory and the program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

allocate a first plurality of pilot resources to a first frequency sub-band comprising a plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands;

allocate a second plurality of pilot resources to a second frequency sub-band comprising a plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands;

generate a first signal comprising a first pilot-data power offset between said first plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands, wherein the first pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said first plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of first sub-carriers;

generate a second signal comprising a second pilot-data power offset between said second plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands, wherein the second pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said second plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of second sub-carriers; and

wirelessly transmit said first and/or second signals;

where a pilot resource pattern, common to the users on the higher power sub-bands and the users on the lower power sub-bands, remains unchanged.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a first density of said first plurality of pilot resources in said first frequency sub-band is different from a second density of said second plurality of pilot resources in said second frequency sub-band and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the apparatus comprises a device in an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources comprise a common pilot sequence.

16. An apparatus comprising a processor; and a memory storing program instructions, where the memory and the program instructions are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive via a wireless receiver a first pilot-data power offset between a first plurality of pilot resources and a plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands and a second pilot-data power offset between a second plurality of pilot resources and a plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands,

wherein a first frequency sub-band comprises said first plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands,

wherein a second frequency sub-band comprises said second plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of second sub carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands,

wherein the first pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said first plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of first sub-carriers,

wherein the second pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said second plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of second sub-carriers; and

depending upon whether the apparatus is or is associated with a user on the higher power sub-bands or on the lower power sub-bands, at least one of: wirelessly receive a signal on said first plurality of pilot resources related to said first pilot-data power offset or wirelessly receive a signal on said second plurality of pilot resources related to said second pilot-data power offset,

where a pilot resource pattern, common to the users on the higher power sub-bands and the users on the lower power sub-bands, remains unchanged.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a first density of said first plurality of pilot resources in said first frequency sub-band is different from a second density of said second plurality of pilot resources in said second frequency sub-band and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a pilot density of said first and said second plurality of pilot resources across said first and said second frequency sub-bands is between approximately ½ and 1/10.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a density of said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources is constant in at least one of a time domain or a frequency domain.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources comprise a common pilot sequence.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the apparatus comprises a device in an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network.

22. An integrated circuit comprising:

first allocation circuitry operable to allocate a first plurality of pilot resources to a first frequency sub-band comprising a plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands and to allocate a second plurality of pilot resources to a second frequency sub-band comprising a plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands;

second generation circuitry operable to generate a first signal comprising a first pilot-data power offset between said first plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands and a second signal comprising a second pilot-data power offset between said second plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands, where the first pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said first plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of first sub-carriers and the second pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said second plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of second sub-carriers, and where a pilot resource pattern, common to the users on the higher power sub-bands and the users on the lower power sub-bands, remains unchanged; and

a transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit said first and/or second signals.

23. An integrated circuit comprising:

first reception circuitry operable to wirelessly receive a first pilot-data power offset between a first plurality of pilot resources and a plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands and to wirelessly receive a second pilot-data power offset between a second plurality of pilot resources and a plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands,

wherein a first frequency sub-band comprises said first plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands,

wherein a second frequency sub-band comprises said second plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands,

wherein the first pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said first plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of first sub-carriers, and

wherein the second pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said second plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of second sub-carriers; and

second usage circuitry operable to, depending upon whether the integrated circuit comprises part of a user device associated with the higher power sub-bands or associated with the lower power sub-bands, receive a signal on at least one of said first plurality of pilot resources related to said first pilot-data power offset or receive a signal on said second plurality of pilot resources related to said second pilot-data power offset related to said second pilot-data power offset, where a pilot resource pattern, common to the users on the higher power sub-bands and the users on the lower power sub-bands, remains unchanged.

24. An apparatus comprising:

means for allocating a first plurality of pilot resources to a first frequency sub-band comprising a plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands;

means for allocating a second plurality of pilot resources to a second frequency sub-band comprising a plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands;

means for generating a first signal comprising a first pilot-data power offset between said first plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands, wherein the first pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said first plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of first sub-carriers;

means for generating a second signal comprising a second pilot-data power offset between said second plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands, wherein the second pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said second plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of second sub-carriers; and

means for wirelessly transmitting said first and/or second signals;

where a pilot resource pattern, common to the users on the higher power sub-bands and the users on the lower power sub-bands, remains unchanged.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein a first density of said first plurality of pilot resources in said first frequency sub-band is different from a second density of said second plurality of pilot resources in said second frequency sub-band and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

26. The apparatus of claim 24 , embodied at least partially in an integrated circuit.

27. The integrated circuit of claim 22 , wherein a density of said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources is constant in at least one of a time domain or a frequency domain.

28. The integrated circuit of claim 22 , wherein a first density of said first plurality of pilot resources in said first frequency sub-band is different from a second density of said second plurality of pilot resources in said second frequency sub-band and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

29. The integrated circuit of claim 23 , wherein a density of said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources is constant in at least one of a time domain or a frequency domain.

30. The integrated circuit of claim 23 , wherein a first density of said first plurality of pilot resources in said first frequency sub-band is different from a second density of said second plurality of pilot resources in said second frequency sub-band and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

31. A method comprising:

wirelessly receiving a first pilot-data power offset between a first plurality of pilot resources and a plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands and a second pilot-data power offset between a second plurality of pilot resources and a plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands,

wherein a first frequency sub-band comprises said first plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands,

wherein a second frequency sub-band comprises said second plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands,

wherein the first pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said first plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of first sub-carriers, and

wherein the second pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said second plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of second sub-carriers; and

depending upon whether the method is performed in a device being or associated with a user on the higher power sub-bands or is performed in a device being or associated with a user on the lower power sub-bands, at least one of receiving a signal on said first plurality of pilot resources related to said first pilot-data power offset or receiving a signal on said second plurality of pilot resources related to said second pilot-data power offset,

where a pilot resource pattern, common to the users on the higher power sub-bands and the users on the lower power sub-bands, remains unchanged.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein a density of said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources is constant in at least one of a time domain or a frequency domain.

33. The method of claim 31 , wherein a first density of said first plurality of pilot resources in said first frequency sub-band is different from a second density of said second plurality of pilot resources in said second frequency sub-band and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

34. The method of claim 31 , wherein a pilot density of said first and said second plurality of pilot resources across said first and said second frequency sub-bands is between approximately ½ and 1/10.

35. The method of claim 31 , wherein said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources comprise a common pilot sequence.

36. A memory storing a program of machine-readable instructions, execution of the program by a processor resulting in actions comprising:

receiving via wireless receiver a first pilot-data power offset between a first plurality of pilot resources and a plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands and a second pilot-data power offset between a second plurality of pilot resources and a plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands,

wherein a first frequency sub-band comprises said first plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of first sub-carriers allocated to users on higher power sub-bands,

wherein a second frequency sub-band comprises said second plurality of pilot resources and said plurality of second sub-carriers allocated to users on lower power sub-bands,

wherein the first pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said first plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of first sub-carriers, and

wherein the second pilot-data power offset is a differing power of pilot transmission on said second plurality of pilot resources and data transmission on said plurality of second sub-carrier; and

depending upon whether the memory comprises part of an apparatus associated with a user on the higher power sub-bands or comprises part of an apparatus associated with a user on the lower power sub-bands, at least one of receiving a signal on said first plurality of pilot resources related to said first pilot-data power offset or receiving a signal on said second plurality of pilot resources related to said second pilot-data power offset,

where a pilot resource pattern, common to the users on the higher power sub-bands and the users on the lower power sub-bands, remains unchanged.

37. The memory of claim 36 , wherein a density of said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources is constant in at least one of a time domain or a frequency domain.

38. The memory of claim 36 , wherein a first density of said first plurality of pilot resources in said first frequency sub-band is different from a second density of said second plurality of pilot resources in said second frequency sub-band and wherein said first density is greater than said second density.

39. The memory of claim 36 , wherein a pilot density of said first and said second plurality of pilot resources across said first and said second frequency sub-bands is between approximately ½ and 1/10.

40. The memory of claim 36 , wherein said first plurality of pilot resources and said second plurality of pilot resources comprise a common pilot sequence.