System and method for configuring channel state information in a communications system

1. A method for communicating in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:

selecting, by a network node, a first channel quality indicator (CQI) report configuration from a plurality of CQI report configurations, each of the plurality of CQI report configurations comprising a set of parameters specifying a manner in which CQls are reported, and each of the plurality of CQI report configurations is associated with a CQI report configuration identifier uniquely identifying a respective CQI report configuration from the plurality of CQI report configurations; and

transmitting, by the network node, a message comprising a channel state information (CSI) process (CSI-process) information element (IE) to a user equipment (UE), the CSI-process IE specifying a CSI process configuration on a serving frequency,

wherein the CSI-process IE carries one or more CSI-process fields, the one or more CSI-process fields including a first CQI report configuration identifier (cqi-ReportConfig-Id) associated with the first CQI report configuration and uniquely identifying the first CQI report configuration from the plurality of CQI report configurations, the first CQI report configuration comprising a first set of parameters specifying a first manner according to which CQls are reported, and

wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises a periodic CQI report configuration identifier identifying a periodic CQI report configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the message further comprises a CQI report configuration IE.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises an aperiodic CQI report configuration identifier identifying an aperiodic CQI report configuration.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises information about a single CSI process.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises information about CSI processes associated with a single receiving device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises a power offset.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a CQI report in accordance with the first CQI report configuration.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more CSI-process fields further comprise a csi-Process-ld, a csi-RS-Identity, or an imr-Id.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming includes instructions to:

select a first channel quality indicator (CQI) report configuration from a plurality of CQI report configurations, each of the plurality of CQI report configurations comprising a set of parameters specifying a manner in which CQls are reported, and each of the plurality of CQI report configurations is associated with a CQI report configuration identifier uniquely identifying a respective CQI report configuration from the plurality of CQI report configurations; and

transmit a message comprising a channel state information (CSI) process (CSI-process) information element (IE) to a user equipment (UE), the CSI-process IE specifying a CSI process configuration on a serving frequency,

wherein the CSI-process IE carries one or more CSI-process fields, the one or more CSI-process fields including a first CQI report configuration identifier (cqi-ReportConfig-Id) associated with the first CQI report configuration and uniquely identifying the first CQI report configuration from the plurality of CQI report configurations, the first CQI report configuration comprising a first set of parameters specifying a first manner according to which CQls are reported,

wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises a periodic CQI report configuration identifier identifying a periodic CQI report configuration.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the message further comprises a CQI report configuration IE.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises an aperiodic CQI report configuration identifier identifying an aperiodic CQI report configuration.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises information about a single CSI process.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises information about CSI processes associated with a single receiving device.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises a power offset.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the programming comprises further instructions to receive a CQI report in accordance with the first CQI report configuration.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the apparatus is one of an evolved NodeB and an entity tasked to configure CSI processes.

17. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the one or more CSI-process fields further comprise a csi-Process-ld, a csi-RS-Identity, or an imr-Id.

18. A method for communicating in a wireless communications system, the method comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment (UE) from a network node, a message comprising a channel state information (CSI) process (CSI-process) information element (IE), the CSI-process IE specifying a CSI process configuration on a serving frequency,

wherein the CSI-process IE carries one or more CSI-process fields, the one or more CSI-process fields including a first channel quality indicator (CQI) report configuration identifier (cqi-ReportConfig-Id) associated with an individual CQI report configuration of a plurality of CQI report configurations and uniquely identifying the individual CQI report configuration from the plurality of CQI report configurations, and each of the plurality of CQI report configurations comprising a set of parameters specifying a manner in which CQls are reported in a CSI process, and each of the plurality of CQI report configurations has an associated CQI report configuration identifier uniquely identifying a respective CQI report configuration from the plurality of CQI report configurations, wherein the individual CQI report configuration comprises a first set of parameters specifying a first manner according to which CQls are reported; and

selecting the individual CQI report configuration from the plurality of CQI report configurations in accordance with the first CQI report configuration identifier received; and

wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises a periodic CQI report configuration identifier identifying a periodic CQI report configuration.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises an aperiodic CQI report configuration identifier identifying an aperiodic CQI report configuration.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the UE, a CQI report in accordance with the individual CQI report configuration.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the one or more CSI-process fields further comprise one of a csi-Process-ld, a csi-RS-Identity, and an imr-Id.

22. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programing for execution by the processor, the programming includes instructions to:

receive, from network node, a message comprising a channel state information (CSI) process (CSI-process) information element (IE), the CSI-process IE specifying a CSI process configuration on a serving frequency,

wherein the CSI-process IE carries one or more CSI-process fields, the one or more CSI-process fields including a first channel quality indicator (CQI) report configuration identifier (cqi-ReportConfig-Id) associated with an individual CQI report configuration in a plurality of CQI report configurations and uniquely identifying the individual CQI report configuration from the plurality of CQI report configurations, the plurality of CQI report configurations comprising different sets of parameters specifying a manner in which CQls are reported in a CSI process, and each of the plurality of CQI report configurations has an associated CQI report configuration identifier uniquely identifying a respective CQI report configuration from the plurality of CQI report configurations, wherein the individual CQI report configuration comprises a first set of parameters specifying a first manner according to which CQls are reported; and

select the individual CQI report configuration from the plurality of CQI report configurations in accordance with the first CQI report configuration identifier received; and

wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises a periodic CQI report configuration identifier identifying a periodic CQI report configuration.

23. The UE of claim 22 , wherein the CSI-process IE further comprises an aperiodic CQI report configuration identifier identifying an aperiodic CQI report configuration.

24. The UE of claim 22 , wherein the programming comprises further instructions to transmit a CQI report in accordance with the individual CQI report configuration.

25. The UE of claim 22 , wherein the one or more CSI-process fields further comprise one of a csi-Process-ld, a csi-RS-Identity, and an imr-Id.