Inter-point parameter signaling in coordinated multi-point (CoMP) networks

1. A transmission point (TP) comprising:

a processor configured to generate a transmission parameter for the TP, wherein the transmission parameter comprises at least one of a transmission rank, a beamforming matrix, a transmission power, and an on/off status; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the transmission parameter as part of a coordinated multi-point (CoMP) scheme.

2. The TP of claim 1 , wherein the transmission parameter comprises a transmission rank, and wherein the transmission rank indicates a number of spatial layers transmitted by the TP.

3. The TP of claim 1 , wherein the transmission parameter comprises a beamforming matrix, and wherein the beamforming matrix indicates a beamforming/precoding operation of the TP.

4. The TP of claim 1 , wherein the transmission parameter comprises a transmission power, and wherein the transmission power indicates a power of the transmitter when transmitting data.

5. The TP of claim 4 , wherein the transmission power is indicated as an absolute power.

6. The TP of claim 4 , wherein the transmission power is indicated as a power relative to a reference power.

7. The TP of claim 1 , wherein the transmission parameter comprises an on/off status, and wherein the on/off status indicates whether or not the TP is actively transmitting.

8. The TP of claim 7 , wherein the on/off status comprises on/off data for each frequency resource in a subframe.

9. The TP of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the transmission parameter for all frequency resources in a subframe.

10. The TP of claim 1 , wherein the transmitter is further configured to transmit the transmission parameter for less than all frequency resources in a subframe.

11. The TP of claim 1 , wherein the desired transmission parameter is a transmission parameter that the TP desires another TP to implement.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a transmission parameter from a transmission point (TP) as part of a coordinated multi-point (CoMP) scheme wherein the transmission parameter corresponds to the TP;

a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to:

process the transmission parameter, and

generate transmission instructions based on the transmission parameter; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit a radio subframe based on the transmission instructions.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the transmission instructions to reduce inter-cell interference (ICI).

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the transmission instructions to comprise instructions to transmit with a first beamforming matrix that is substantially orthogonal to a second beamforming matrix associated with the transmission parameter.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the transmission parameter is a transmission rank.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the transmission parameter is a beamforming matrix.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the transmission parameter is a transmission power.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the transmission parameter is an on/off status.

19. A transmission point (TP) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a transmission parameter from another transmission point (TP) wherein the transmission parameter is for use by the another TP as part of a coordinated multi-point (CoMP) scheme, wherein the transmission parameter is at least one of a transmission rank, a beamforming matrix, a transmission power, and an on/off status;

a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to:

process the transmission parameter, and

generate transmission instructions based on the transmission parameter, wherein the transmission instructions comprise instructions to adjust at least one of a transmission power, a transmission direction, and a transmission scheduling of the TP; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit a radio subframe based on the transmission instructions.

20. The TP of claim 19 , wherein the transmission parameter is based on an average over a number of radio subframes.

21. The TP of claim 19 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the transmission instructions to comprise instructions to transmit with a first beamforming matrix that is substantially orthogonal to a second beamforming matrix associated with the transmission parameter.

22. A method comprising:

receiving a transmission parameter from a transmission point (TP) as part of a coordinated multi-point (CoMP) scheme wherein the transmission parameter corresponds to the TP;

processing the transmission parameter;

generating transmission instructions based on the transmission parameter; and

transmitting a radio subframe based on the transmission instructions.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the transmission parameter is received over an X2 interface using an X2 application protocol (X2AP).

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the transmission parameter is based on an average over a number of radio subframes.

25. The method of claim 22 , wherein the transmission parameter is one of a transmission rank, a beamforming matrix, a transmission power, and an on/off status.

26. A transmission point (TP) comprising:

a processor configured to handle multiple coordinated multipoint (CoMP) hypotheses wherein each hypothesis has a corresponding channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS); and

a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit using one of the CoMP hypotheses as part of a coordinated multi-point (CoMP) scheme.

27. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive multiple channel state information reference signals (CSI-RSs) wherein each CSI-RS is affiliated with a coordinated multipoint (CoMP) hypothesis;

a processor configured compute a channel state information (CSI) process for each of the received CSI-RSs; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit using the CSI process feedback.

28. A transmission point (TP) comprising:

a processor configured to handle multiple transmission parameters wherein each transmission parameter corresponds to at least one entry in a set of possible coordinated multipoint (CoMP) resource allocations; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit using at least one of the transmission parameters as part of a coordinated multi-point (CoMP) scheme.

29. A user equipment (UE) comprising:

a receiver configured to receive multiple channel state information reference signals (CSI-RSs) wherein each CSI-RS is affiliated with a transmission parameter wherein each transmission parameter corresponds to at least one entry in a set of possible coordinated multipoint (CoMP) resource allocations;

a processor configured compute a channel state information (CSI) process for each of the received CSI-RSs; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit using the CSI process feedback.