MIMO wireless communication method and apparatus for transmitting and decoding resource block structures based on a dedicated reference signal mode

1. A wireless communication method of detecting data in resource blocks (RBs), the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of RBs, each RB comprising a plurality of resource elements (REs), wherein the plurality of resource elements comprise at least one common reference signal (CRS) for a plurality of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs), at least one dedicated reference signal (DRS) specific to a single WTRU, and at least one data symbol;

determining which of the REs include the at least one CRS;

determining which of the REs include the at least one DRS based on a DRS mode indicator signaled by way of at least one control-type data symbol, wherein the DRS mode indicator indicates any of first and second DRS modes, wherein the first DRS mode indicates the at least one DRS comprises a respective at least one single beamformed or precoded pilot, and wherein the second DRS mode indicates the at least one DRS comprises a respective at least one composite beamformed or precoded pilot;

estimating an effective channel response; and

detecting data in the at least one data symbol based on the effective channel estimate response.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one DRS comprises a single beamformed or precoded pilot.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one CRS does not include a beamformed or precoded pilot.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein each of the RBs comprises at least one “control type” data symbol that includes at least one DRS mode indicator bit that indicates a particular DRS mode associated with the RB.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the particular DRS mode is associated with an RB structure in which each DRS includes a single beamformed or precoded pilot.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the particular DRS mode is associated with an RB structure in which each DRS includes a composite beamformed or precoded pilot.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the particular DRS mode is associated with an RB structure in which at least one RB includes a plurality of REs reserved for DRSs including single beamformed or precoded pilots, and another RB includes a plurality of REs reserved for DRSs including composite beamformed or precoded pilots.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the particular DRS mode is associated with an RB structure in which one RB includes a first group of plurality of REs reserved for DRSs including single beamformed or precoded pilots, and a second group of REs reserved for DRSs including composite beamformed or precoded pilots, and another RB includes a plurality of REs reserved for DRSs including composite beamformed or precoded pilots, and does not include any REs reserved for DRSs including single beamformed or precoded pilots.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the particular DRS mode is associated with an RB structure in which each RB includes a first group of plurality of REs reserved for DRSs including single beamformed or precoded pilots, and a second group of REs reserved for DRSs including composite beamformed or precoded pilots.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a DRS mode indicator signaling a DRS operating mode via higher layer signaling or lower layer signaling, wherein the DRS operating mode indicates the configuration of DRSs in the RBs.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the indicated any of the first and second DRS modes are associated with the RB.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the DRS mode indicator further indicates any of the first DRS mode, the second DRS mode, and a third DRS mode; and

the third DRS mode indicates (i) the at least one DRS comprises a plurality of DRSs, and (ii) the plurality of DRSs comprise at least one single beamformed or precoded pilot and at least one composite beamformed or precoded pilot.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the DRS mode indicator is signaled by way of signaling for a layer above a physical layer.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the RBs comprises at least one control-type data symbol that includes at least one DRS mode indicator bit that indicates the any of the first and the second DRS modes associated with the at least one RB.

15. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) comprising:

a multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) antenna configured to receive a plurality of resource blocks (RBs), each RB comprising a plurality of resource elements (REs), wherein the plurality of resource elements comprise at least one common reference signal (CRS) for a plurality of WTRUs, at least one dedicated reference signal (DRS) specific to the WTRU, and at least one data symbol;

a channel estimation unit configured to estimate an effective channel response based on the received REs in the RBs; and

a data detection unit configured to:

determine which of the REs include the at least one CRS;

determine which of the REs include the at least one DRS based on a DRS mode indicator signaled by way of at least one control-type data symbol, wherein the DRS mode indicator indicates any of first and second DRS modes, wherein the first DRS mode indicates the at least one DRS comprises a respective at least one single beamformed or precoded pilot, and wherein the second DRS mode indicates the at least one DRS comprises a respective at least one composite beamformed or precoded pilot;

detect data in the at least one data symbol based on an effective channel estimate response generated by the channel estimation unit; and

output decoded data.

16. The WTRU of claim 15 , wherein the at least one DRS comprises a single beamformed or precoded pilot.

17. The WTRU of claim 16 wherein the at least one CRS does not include a beamformed or precoded pilot.

18. The WTRU of claim 17 wherein each of the RBs comprises at least one “control type” data symbol that includes at least one DRS mode indicator bit that indicates a particular DRS mode associated with the RB.

19. The WTRU of claim 18 wherein the particular DRS mode is associated with an RB structure in which each DRS includes a single beamformed or precoded pilot.

20. The WTRU of claim 18 wherein the particular DRS mode is associated with an RB structure in which each DRS includes a composite beamformed or precoded pilot.

21. The WTRU of claim 18 wherein the particular DRS mode is associated with an RB structure in which at least one RB includes a plurality of REs reserved for DRSs including single beamformed or precoded pilots, and another RB includes a plurality of REs reserved for DRSs including composite beamformed or precoded pilots.

22. The WTRU of claim 18 wherein the particular DRS mode is associated with an RB structure in which one RB includes a first group of plurality of REs reserved for DRSs including single beamformed or precoded pilots, and a second group of REs reserved for DRSs including composite beamformed or precoded pilots, and another RB includes a plurality of REs reserved for DRSs including composite beamformed or precoded pilots, and does not include any REs reserved for DRSs including single beamformed or precoded pilots.

23. The WTRU of claim 18 wherein the particular DRS mode is associated with an RB structure in which each RB includes a first group of REs reserved for DRSs including single beamformed or precoded pilots, and a second group of REs reserved for DRSs including composite beamformed or precoded pilots.

24. The WTRU of claim 15 wherein a DRS mode indicator signaling a DRS operating mode is received via higher layer signaling or lower layer signaling, wherein the DRS operating mode indicates the configuration of DRSs in the RBs.

25. The WTRU of claim 15 , wherein the indicated any of the first and second DRS modes are associated with the RB.

26. The WTRU of claim 15 , wherein:

the DRS mode indicator further indicates any of the first DRS mode, the second DRS mode, and a third DRS mode; and

the third DRS mode indicates (i) the at least one DRS comprises a plurality of DRSs, and (ii) the plurality of DRSs comprise at least one single beamformed or precoded pilot and at least one composite beamformed or precoded pilot.

27. The WTRU of claim 15 , wherein the DRS mode indicator is signaled by way of signaling for a layer above a physical layer.

28. The WTRU of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the RBs comprises at least one control-type data symbol that includes at least one DRS mode indicator bit that indicates the any of the first and the second DRS modes a DRS mode associated with the at least one RB.