Wireless communication device control over wireless network antenna configurations
A wireless communication device receives wireless communications comprising omnidirectional reference signals, beam-formed reference signals, and beam-formed user data. The wireless communication device determines a difference between omnidirectional reference signal quality and beam-formed reference signal quality. The wireless communication device selects an omnidirectional network antenna configuration based on the difference between the omnidirectional reference signal quality and the beam-formed reference signal quality. The wireless communication device transmits wireless signaling indicating the selected omnidirectional network antenna configuration. Responsive to the wireless signaling, the wireless communication device receives additional wireless communications comprising omnidirectional reference signals and omnidirectional user data. In some examples, the network antenna configurations comprise Long Term Evolution (LTE) Transmission Modes (TMs).
1. A method of operating a wireless communication device to control beamforming, the method comprising:
receiving first wireless communications comprising omnidirectional reference signals, beam-formed reference signals, and beam-formed user data;
determining a difference between omnidirectional reference signal quality and beam-formed reference signal quality;
selecting an omnidirectional network antenna configuration based on the difference between the omnidirectional reference signal quality and the beam-formed reference signal quality and transmitting wireless signaling indicating the selected omnidirectional network antenna configuration; and
responsive to the wireless signaling, receiving second wireless communications comprising omnidirectional reference signals and omnidirectional user data.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
receiving the beam-formed reference signals comprises receiving Long Term Evolution (LTE) Transmission Mode 9 (TM9) reference signals; and
receiving the beam-formed user data comprises receiving LTE TM9 user data.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein:
receiving the beam-formed reference signals comprises receiving Long Term Evolution (LTE) Transmission Mode 8 (TM8) reference signals; and
receiving the beam-formed user data comprises receiving LTE TM8 user data.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein:
receiving the beam-formed reference signals comprises receiving Long Term Evolution (LTE) Transmission Mode 7 (TM7) reference signals; and
receiving the beam-formed user data comprises receiving LTE TM7 user data.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the beam-formed reference signals comprises receiving Long Term Evolution (LTE) reference signals over at least one of LTE Antenna Ports 5 , 7 , and 8 .
6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the first wireless communications comprising the omnidirectional reference signals comprises receiving Long Term Evolution (LTE) reference signals from at least one of LTE Antenna Ports 0 , 1 , 2 , and 3 .
7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
selecting the omnidirectional network antenna configuration comprises selecting Long Term Evolution (LTE) Transmission Mode 4 (TM4);
transmitting the wireless signaling indicating the selected omnidirectional network antenna configuration comprises transmitting the wireless signaling indicating the LTE TM4;
receiving the second wireless communications comprising the omnidirectional user data and the omnidirectional reference signals comprises receiving LTE TM4 user data and LTE TM4 reference signals.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
selecting the omnidirectional network antenna configuration comprises selecting Long Term Evolution (LTE) Transmission Mode 3 (TM3);
transmitting the wireless signaling indicating the selected omnidirectional network antenna configuration comprises transmitting the wireless signaling indicating the LTE TM3;
receiving the second wireless communications comprising the omnidirectional user data and the omnidirectional reference signals comprises receiving LTE TM3 user data and LTE TM3 reference signals.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the difference between omnidirectional reference signal quality and the beam-formed reference signal quality comprises:
determining an omnidirectional reference signal signal-to-interference and noise ratio;
determining a beam-formed reference signal signal-to-interference and noise ratio.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the difference between the omnidirectional reference signal quality and the beam-formed reference signal quality comprises determining a difference between a Long Term Evolution (LTE) omnidirectional reference signal Channel Quality Index (CQI) and an LTE beam-formed reference signal CQI.
11. A wireless communication device to control beamforming comprising:
a wireless transceiver system configured to receive first wireless communications comprising omnidirectional reference signals, beam-formed reference signals, and beam-formed user data;
a data processing system configured to determine a difference between omnidirectional reference signal quality and beam-formed reference signal quality;
the data processing system configured to select an omnidirectional network antenna configuration based on the difference between the omnidirectional reference signal quality and the beam-formed reference signal quality; and
the wireless transceiver system configured to transmit wireless signaling indicating the selected omnidirectional network antenna configuration and responsively receive second wireless communications comprising omnidirectional reference signals and omnidirectional user data.
12. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless transceiver system is configured to receive Long Term Evolution (LTE) Transmission Mode 9 (TM9) reference signals LTE TM9 user data.
13. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless transceiver system is configured to receive Long Term Evolution (LTE) Transmission Mode 8 (TM8) reference signals LTE TM8 user data.
14. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless transceiver system is configured to receive Long Term Evolution (LTE) Transmission Mode 7 (TM7) reference signals LTE TM7 user data.
15. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless transceiver system is configured to receive Long Term Evolution (LTE) reference signals over at least one of LTE Antenna Ports 5 , 7 , and 8 .
16. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the wireless transceiver system is configured to receive Long Term Evolution (LTE) reference signals over at least one of LTE Antenna Ports 0 , 1 , 2 , and 3 .
17. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein:
the data processing system is configured to select Long Term Evolution (LTE) Transmission Mode 4 (TM4) as the network antenna configuration;
the wireless transceiver system is configured to transmit the wireless signaling indicating the LTE TM4 and receive LTE TM4 user data and LTE TM4 reference signals.
18. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein:
the data processing system is configured to select Long Term Evolution (LTE) Transmission Mode 3 (TM3) as the network antenna configuration;
the wireless transceiver system is configured to transmit the wireless signaling indicating the LTE TM3 and receive LTE TM3 user data and LTE TM3 reference signals.
19. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the data processing system is configured to determine an omnidirectional reference signal signal-to-interference and noise ratio and a beam-formed reference signal signal-to-interference and noise ratio.
20. The wireless communication device of claim 11 wherein the data processing system is configured to determine a difference between a Long Term Evolution (LTE) omnidirectional reference signal Channel Quality Index (CQI) and an LTE beam-formed reference signal CQI.