Methods and systems for CSI-RS resource allocation in LTE-advance systems

1. A method of allocating resource elements in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) system for transmission of a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), comprising:

converting one or more resource elements to a two-dimensional frequency-time domain;

partitioning the one or more converted resource elements to units of a physical resource block (PRB); and

patterning one or more resource elements over at least a portion of the PRB for transmission of the CSI-RS,

wherein the CSI-RS resource elements per cell are patterned within the PRB as pairs of CSI-RS resource elements located within the same two OFDM symbols and at the first, sixth and seventh pair of subcarriers counting downward from the pair of CSI-RS resource elements with a largest subcarrier index on the two OFDM symbols in one PRB.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the time-domain dimension of one PRB is one subframe.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting the CSI-RS using one or more resource elements determined based on whether the one or more resource elements are available to the CSI-RS in a regular downlink subframe that includes at least one of a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and a demodulation reference signal (DMRS).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the same two OFDM symbols where pairs of CSI-RS resource elements can be allocated are symbol 5 and symbol 6 in either slot of one subframe, or symbol 2 and symbol 3 in the second slot of one subframe.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the largest subcarrier index of the pair of CSI-RS resource elements in one PRB can be any value from {7,9,11}.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the CSI-RS resource elements are allocated to symbols {9,10}, and a reuse factor is three, or

the CSI-RS resource elements are allocated to symbols {5,6}, {9,10} and {12,13}, and a reuse factor is five.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein CSI-RS RE index ordering in each pattern can be taken by time domain ordering and frequency domain ordering, and the location within the PRB of the i-th CSI-RS RE, represented by (k i ,l i ), is given by l i =l′+(i mod 2) for 0≦<8 and

k

2

⁢

j

=

k

2

⁢

j

+

1

=

k

′

-

(

j

⁢

⁢

mod

⁢

⁢

2

)

×

6

-

⌊

j

2

⌋

for 0≦j<4, where (k′,l′) is the location of a CSI-RS resource element with a largest subcarrier index and smallest symbol index in each CSI-RS per-cell pattern.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein

if a number of antenna ports in a certain cell is less than eight, a subset of resource elements with indices 0-3 or 0-1 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern is used as a new CSI-RS per-cell pattern to transmit the CSI-RS, and

resource elements with indices 4-7 or 2-7 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern are used to transmit CSI-RS from additional cells to increase a pattern reuse factor, with 4-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 4-7, and 2-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 2j and 2j+1, wherein j is an integer.

9. A method of allocating resource elements in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) system for transmission of a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), comprising:

converting one or more resource elements to a two-dimensional frequency-time domain;

partitioning the one or more converted resource elements to units of a physical resource block (PRB); and

patterning one or more resource elements over at least a portion of the PRB for transmission of the CSI-RS,

wherein the CSI-RS resource elements per cell are patterned within the PRB as pairs of CSI-RS resource elements located within the same two ODFM symbols at every third pair of subcarriers counting downward from the pair of CSI-RS resource elements with a largest subcarrier index on the two OFDM symbols in one PRB, and wherein the same two OFDM symbols where pairs of CSI-RS resource elements can be allocated are symbol 9 and symbol 10, resulting in a reuse factor equal to 3.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein CSI-RS RE index ordering in each pattern can be taken by time domain ordering and frequency domain ordering, and the location within the PRB of the i-th CSI-RS RE, represented by (k i ,l i ), is given by l i =l′+(i mod 2)for 0≦i<8 and

k

2

⁢

j

=

k

2

⁢

j

+

1

=

k

′

-

(

j

⁢

⁢

mod

⁢

⁢

2

)

×

6

-

⌊

j

2

⌋

×

3

for 0≦j<4, where (k′,l′) is the location of a CSI-RS resource element with a largest subcarrier index and smallest symbol index in each CSI-RS per-cell pattern.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein

if a number of antenna ports in a certain cell is less than eight, a subset of resource elements with indices 0-3 or 0-1 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern is used as a new CSI-RS per-cell pattern to transmit a 4-port CSI-RS or 2-port CSI-RS, and

resource elements with indices 4-7 or 2-7 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern are used to transmit CSI-RS from additional cells to increase a pattern reuse factor, with 4-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 4-7, and 2-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 2j and 2j+1, where j is an integer.

12. A station configured to allocate resource elements in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) system for transmission of a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), comprising:

a converting unit configured to convert one or more resource elements to a two-dimensional frequency-time domain;

a partitioning unit configured to partition the one or more converted resource elements to units of a physical resource block (PRB); and

a patterning unit configured to pattern one or more resource elements over at least a portion of the PRB for transmission of the CSI-RS,

wherein the CSI-RS resource elements per cell are patterned within the PRB as pairs of CSI-RS resource elements located within the same two OFDM symbols and at the first, sixth and seventh pair of subcarriers counting downward from the pair of CSI-RS resource elements with a largest subcarrier index on the two OFDM symbols in one PRB.

13. The station of claim 12 , wherein the time-domain dimension of one PRB is one subframe.

14. The station of claim 12 , further comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit the CSI-RS using one or more resource elements determined based on whether the one or more resource elements are available to the CSI-RS in a regular downlink subframe that includes at least one of a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and a demodulation reference signal (DMRS).

15. The station of claim 12 , wherein the same two OFDM symbols where pairs of CSI-RS resource elements can be allocated are symbol 5 and symbol 6 in either slot of one subframe, or symbol 2 and symbol 3 in the second slot of one subframe.

16. The station of claim 12 , wherein the largest subcarrier index of the pair of CSI-RS resource elements in one PRB can be any value from {7,9,11}.

17. The station of claim 12 , wherein

the CSI-RS resource elements are allocated to symbols {9,10}, and a reuse factor is three, or

the CSI-RS resource elements are allocated to symbols {5,6}, {9,10} and {12,13}, and a reuse factor is five.

18. The station of claim 12 , wherein CSI-RS RE index ordering in each pattern can be taken by time domain ordering and frequency domain ordering, and the location within the PRB of the i-th CSI-RS RE, represented by (k i ,l i ), is given by l i =l′+(i mod2) for 0≦i<8 and

k

2

⁢

j

=

k

2

⁢

j

+

1

=

k

′

-

(

j

⁢

⁢

mod

⁢

⁢

2

)

×

6

-

⌊

j

2

⌋

for 0≦j<4, where (k′,l′) is the location of a CSI-RS resource element with a largest subcarrier index and smallest symbol index in each CSI-RS per-cell pattern.

19. The station of claim 18 , wherein

if a number of antenna ports in a certain cell is less than eight, a subset of resource elements with indices 0-3 or 0-1 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern is used as a new CSI-RS per-cell pattern to transmit the CSI-RS, and

resource elements with indices 4-7 or 2-7 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern are used to transmit CSI-RS from additional cells to increase a pattern reuse factor, with 4-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 4-7, and 2-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 2j and 2j+1, wherein j is an integer.

20. The station of claim 12 , wherein the station is a base station.

21. A station configured to allocate resource elements in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) system for transmission of a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), comprising:

a converting unit configured to convert one or more resource elements to a two-dimensional frequency-time domain;

a partitioning unit configured to partition the one or more converted resource elements to units of a physical resource block (PRB); and

a patterning unit configured to pattern one or more resource elements over at least a portion of the PRB for transmission of the CSI-RS,

wherein the CSI-RS resource elements per cell are patterned within the PRB as pairs of CSI-RS resource elements located within the same two ODFM symbols at every third pair of subcarriers counting downward from the pair of CSI-RS resource elements with a largest subcarrier index on the two OFDM symbols in one PRB, and wherein the same two OFDM symbols where pairs of CSI-RS resource elements can be allocated are symbol 9 and symbol 10, resulting in a reuse factor equal to 3.

22. The station of claim 21 , wherein CSI-RS RE index ordering in each pattern can be taken by time domain ordering and frequency domain ordering, and the location within the PRB of the i-th CSI-RS RE, represented by (k i ,l i ), is given by l i =l′+(i mod 2) for 0≦i<8 and

k

2

⁢

j

=

k

2

⁢

j

+

1

=

k

′

-

(

j

⁢

⁢

mod

⁢

⁢

2

)

×

6

-

⌊

j

2

⌋

×

3

for 0≦j<4, where (k′,l′) is the location of a CSI-RS resource element with a largest subcarrier index and smallest symbol index in each CSI-RS per-cell pattern.

23. The station of claim 21 , wherein

if a number of antenna ports in a certain cell is less than eight, a subset of resource elements with indices 0-3 or 0-1 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern is used as a new CSI-RS per-cell pattern to transmit a 4-port CSI-RS or 2-port CSI-RS, and

resource elements with indices 4-7 or 2-7 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern are used to transmit CSI-RS from additional cells to increase a pattern reuse factor, with 4-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 4-7, and 2-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 2j and 2j+ 1 , where j is an integer.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon to perform a method of allocating resource elements in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) system for transmission of a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), the method comprising:

converting one or more resource elements to a two-dimensional frequency-time domain;

partitioning the one or more converted resource elements to units of a physical resource block (PRB); and

patterning one or more resource elements over at least a portion of the PRB for transmission of the CSI-RS,

wherein the CSI-RS resource elements per cell are patterned within the PRB as pairs of CSI-RS resource elements located within the same two OFDM symbols and at the first, sixth and seventh pair of subcarriers counting downward from the pair of CSI-RS resource elements with a largest subcarrier index on the two OFDM symbols in one PRB.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 , wherein the time-domain dimension of one PRB is one subframe.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 , the method further comprising:

transmitting the CSI-RS using one or more resource elements determined based on whether the one or more resource elements are available to the CSI-RS in a regular downlink subframe that includes at least one of a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and a demodulation reference signal (DMRS).

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 , wherein the same two OFDM symbols where pairs of CSI-RS resource elements can be allocated are symbol 5 and symbol 6 in either slot of one subframe, or symbol 2 and symbol 3 in the second slot of one subframe.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 , wherein the largest subcarrier index of the pair of CSI-RS resource elements in one PRB can be any value from {7,9,11}.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 , wherein

the CSI-RS resource elements are allocated to symbols {9, 10}, and a reuse factor is three, or

the CSI-RS resource elements are allocated to symbols {5,6}, {9,10} and {12,13}, and a reuse factor is five.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 24 , wherein CSI-RS RE index ordering in each pattern can be taken by time domain ordering and frequency domain ordering, and the location within the PRB of the i-th CSI-RS RE, represented by (k i ,l i ), is given by l i =l′+(i mod 2) for 0≦i<8 and

k

2

⁢

j

=

k

2

⁢

j

+

1

=

k

′

-

(

j

⁢

⁢

mod

⁢

⁢

2

)

×

6

-

⌊

j

2

⌋

for 0≦j<4, where (k′, l′) is the location of a CSI-RS resource element with a largest subcarrier index and smallest symbol index in each CSI-RS per-cell pattern.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 , wherein

if a number of antenna ports in a certain cell is less than eight, a subset of resource elements with indices 0-3 or 0-1 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern is used as a new CSI-RS per-cell pattern to transmit the CSI-RS, and

resource elements with indices 4-7 or 2-7 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern are used to transmit CSI-RS from additional cells to increase a pattern reuse factor, with 4-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 4-7, and 2-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 2j and 2j+1, wherein j is an integer.

32. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon to perform a method of allocating resource elements in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) system for transmission of a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), the method comprising:

converting one or more resource elements to a two-dimensional frequency-time domain;

partitioning the one or more converted resource elements to units of a physical resource block (PRB); and

patterning one or more resource elements over at least a portion of the PRB for transmission of the CSI-RS,

wherein the CSI-RS resource elements per cell are patterned within the PRB as pairs of CSI-RS resource elements located within the same two ODFM symbols at every third pair of subcarriers counting downward from the pair of CSI-RS resource elements with a largest subcarrier index on the two OFDM symbols in one PRB and wherein the same two OFDM symbols where pairs of CSI-RS resource elements can be allocated are symbol 9 and symbol 10, resulting in a reuse factor equal to 3.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 , wherein CSI-RS RE index ordering in each pattern can be taken by time domain ordering and frequency domain ordering, and the location within the PRB of the i-th CSI-RS RE, represented by (k i ,l i ), is given by l i =l′+(i mod 2) for 0≦i<8 and

k

2

⁢

j

=

k

2

⁢

j

+

1

=

k

′

-

(

j

⁢

⁢

mod

⁢

⁢

2

)

×

6

-

⌊

j

2

⌋

×

3

for 0≦j<4, where (k′, l′) is the location of a CSI-RS resource element with a largest subcarrier index and smallest symbol index in each CSI-RS per-cell pattern.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 32 , wherein

if a number of antenna ports in a certain cell is less than eight, a subset of resource elements with indices 0-3 or 0-1 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern is used as a new CSI-RS per-cell pattern to transmit a 4-port CSI-RS or 2-port CSI-RS, and

resource elements with indices 4-7 or 2-7 in the CSI-RS per-cell pattern are used to transmit CSI-RS from additional cells to increase a pattern reuse factor, with 4-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 4-7, and 2-port CSI-RS on resource elements with indices 2j and 2j+1, where j is an integer.