Method and apparatus for transmitting downlink reference signal in wireless communication system that supports multiple antennas

Abstract

A method for transmitting a channel status information reference signals (CSI-RSs) for a maximum of eight antenna ports includes mapping the CSI-RSs for a maximum of eight antenna ports onto a data region of a downlink subframe having a normal cyclic prefix (CP) configuration according to a predetermined pattern; and transmitting the downlink subframe to which the CSI-RSs mapped, wherein the predetermined pattern defines the CSI-RSs to be mapped onto two OFDM symbols of the data region in the downlink subframe and mapped to at least one of four subcarrier positions in each of the two OFDM symbols, and wherein the four subcarrier positions defined by the predetermined pattern may be two consecutive subcarrier positions and two other consecutive subcarrier positions spaced apart by four subcarriers.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for transmitting channel state information-reference signals, CSI-RSs, for 8 or fewer antenna ports at a base station, the method comprising:
 transmitting the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports, wherein the CSI-RSs are mapped according to a predetermined pattern to a data region of a downlink subframe having a normal cyclic prefix, CP, configuration, wherein the downlink subframe having the normal CP configuration has 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, OFDM, symbols, where the OFDM symbol index starts from 0;   wherein the predetermined pattern is defined such that the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports are mapped to two consecutive OFDM symbols in the data region of the downlink subframe and are mapped to one or more of four subcarrier locations in each of the two consecutive OFDM symbols, in one resource block pair,   wherein the two consecutive OFDM symbols are defined in the predetermined pattern and are OFDM symbol indexes 5 and 6, or OFDM symbol indexes 12 and 13,   wherein the CSI-RSs are subjected to code division multiplexing, CDM, using orthogonal codes, and   wherein CSI-RSs for two antenna ports are mapped to same OFDM symbols and same subcarriers, and are multiplexed by CDM over the two consecutive OFDM symbols.   
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the two consecutive OFDM symbols are OFDM symbols to which User Equipment-specific, UE-specific, reference signals are allowed to be mapped. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the four subcarrier locations defined in the predetermined pattern are shifted by one or two subcarriers on a per cell or per cell group basis. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the four subcarrier locations are subcarrier indexes 2, 3, 8 and 9. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports are grouped into a total of four groups such that CSI-RSs for two antenna ports configure one group;   the CSI-RSs for two antennas of each of the four groups are multiplexed at a same subcarrier location of the two consecutive OFDM symbols using a CDM scheme; and   the four groups are multiplexed at different subcarrier locations using a frequency division multiplexing, FDM, scheme.   
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are mapped to 8 resource elements in the one resource block pair. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the one resource block pair is defined as 14 OFDM symbols and 12 subcarriers. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the four subcarrier locations defined in the predetermined pattern include two consecutive subcarrier locations and two other consecutive subcarrier locations separated therefrom by a predetermined number of subcarriers. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined number is four. 
     
     
       10. A method of estimating a channel at a user equipment, UE, using channel state information-reference signals, CSI-RSs, for 8 or fewer antenna ports received from a base station, the method comprising:
 receiving the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports in a downlink subframe having an normal cyclic prefix, CP, configuration in which the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports are mapped to a data region according to a predetermined pattern, wherein the downlink subframe having the normal CP configuration has 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, OFDM, symbols, where the OFDM symbol index starts from 0; and   estimating the channel using the CSI-RSs,   wherein the predetermined pattern is defined such that the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports are mapped to two consecutive OFDM symbols in the data region and are mapped to one or more of four subcarrier locations in each of the two consecutive OFDM symbols, in one resource block pair,   wherein the two consecutive OFDM symbols are defined in the predetermined pattern and are OFDM symbol indexes 5 and 6 or OFDM symbol indexes 12 and 13,   wherein the CSI-RSs are subjected to code division multiplexing, CDM, using orthogonal codes, and   wherein CSI-RSs for two antenna ports are mapped to same OFDM symbols and same subcarriers, and are multiplexed by CDM over the two consecutive OFDM symbols.   
     
     
       11. A base station, BS, for transmitting channel state information-reference signals, CSI-RSs, for 8 or fewer antenna ports, the BS comprising:
 a reception module configured to receive an uplink signal from a user equipment, UE;   a transmission module configured to transmit a downlink signal to the UE; and   a processor configured to control the reception module and the transmission module,   wherein the processor is further configured to control the transmission module to transmit the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports to a data region of a downlink subframe having an normal cyclic prefix (CP) configuration, wherein the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports are mapped according to a predetermined pattern, wherein the downlink subframe having the normal CP configuration has 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, OFDM, symbols, where the OFDM symbol index starts from 0,   wherein the predetermined pattern is defined such that the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports are mapped to two consecutive OFDM symbols in the data region of the downlink subframe and are mapped to one or more of four subcarrier locations in each of the two consecutive OFDM symbols, in one resource block pair,   wherein the two consecutive OFDM symbols are defined in the predetermined pattern and are OFDM symbol indexes 5 and 6 or OFDM symbol indexes 12 and 13,   wherein the CSI-RSs are subjected to code division multiplexing, CDM, using orthogonal codes, and   wherein CSI-RSs for two antenna ports are mapped to same OFDM symbols and same subcarriers, and are multiplexed by CDM over the two consecutive OFDM symbols.   
     
     
       12. A user equipment, UE, for estimating a channel using channel state information-reference signals, CSI-RSs, for 8 or fewer antenna ports received from a base station, BS, the UE comprising:
 a reception module configured to receive a downlink signal from the BS;   a transmission module configured to transmit an uplink signal to the BS; and   a processor configured to control the reception module and the transmission module,   wherein the processor is further configured to receive the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports in a downlink subframe having an normal cyclic prefix (CP) configuration in which the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports are mapped to a data region according to a predetermined pattern, wherein the downlink subframe having the normal CP configuration has 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, OFDM, symbols, where the OFDM symbol index starts from 0,   wherein the processor is further configured to estimate the channel using the CSI-RSs,   wherein the predetermined pattern is defined such that the CSI-RSs for the 8 or fewer antenna ports are mapped to two consecutive OFDM symbols in the data region of the downlink subframe and are mapped to one or more among four subcarrier locations in each of the two consecutive OFDM symbols, in one resource block pair,   wherein the two consecutive OFDM symbols are defined in the predetermined pattern and are OFDM symbol indexes 5 and 6 or OFDM symbol indexes 12 and 13,   wherein the CSI-RSs are subjected to code division multiplexing, CDM, using orthogonal codes, and   
       wherein CSI-RSs for two antenna ports are mapped to same OFDM symbols and same subcarriers, and are multiplexed by CDM over the two consecutive OFDM symbols. 
     
     
       13. A method for transmitting channel state information-reference signals (CSI-RSs) for 8 antenna ports at a base station, the method comprising:
 transmitting the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports in a downlink region having a normal cyclic prefix (CP) configuration,   wherein the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are mapped according to a predetermined pattern to the downlink region,   wherein the downlink region having the normal CP configuration has 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, where the OFDM symbol index starts from 0,   wherein the predetermined pattern is defined such that the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are mapped to two consecutive OFDM symbols in the downlink region and are mapped to four subcarrier locations in each of the two consecutive OFDM symbols, in one resource regions having 14 OFDM symbols and 12 subcarriers,   wherein the two consecutive OFDM symbols are defined in the predetermined pattern and are OFDM symbol indexes 5 and 6, or OFDM symbol indexes 12 and 13,   wherein the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are subjected to code division multiplexing (CDM) using orthogonal codes, and   wherein CSI-RSs for two antenna ports of the 8 antenna ports are mapped to same OFDM symbols and same subcarriers, and are multiplexed by CDM over the two consecutive OFDM symbols.    
     
     
       14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the two consecutive OFDM symbols are OFDM symbols to which User Equipment-specific (UE-specific) reference signals are allowed to be mapped.  
     
     
       15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the four subcarrier locations defined in the predetermined pattern are shifted by one or two subcarriers on a per cell or per cell group basis.  
     
     
       16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the four subcarrier locations are subcarrier indexes 2, 3, 8 and 9.  
     
     
       17. The method according to claim 13, wherein:
 the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are grouped into a total of four groups comprising a unique two of the eight antenna ports such that the CSI-RSs for the two antenna ports configure one group of the four groups;   the CSI-RSs of each of the four groups are multiplexed at a same subcarrier location of the two consecutive OFDM symbols using a CDM scheme; and   the four groups are multiplexed at different subcarrier locations using a frequency division multiplexing (FDM) scheme.    
     
     
       18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the four subcarrier locations defined in the predetermined pattern include two consecutive subcarrier locations and two other consecutive subcarrier locations separated therefrom by a predetermined number of subcarriers.  
     
     
       19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined number is four.  
     
     
       20. A method of estimating a channel at a user equipment (UE) using channel state information-reference signals (CSI-RSs) for 8 antenna ports received from a base station, the method comprising:
 receiving the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports in a downlink region having an normal cyclic prefix (CP) configuration,   wherein the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are mapped to the downlink region according to a predetermined pattern,   wherein the downlink region having the normal CP configuration has 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, where the OFDM symbol index starts from 0; and   estimating the channel using the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports,   wherein the predetermined pattern is defined such that the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are mapped to two consecutive OFDM symbols in the downlink region and are mapped to four subcarrier locations in each of the two consecutive OFDM symbols, in one resource regions having 14 OFDM symbols and 12 subcarriers,   wherein the two consecutive OFDM symbols are defined in the predetermined pattern and are OFDM symbol indexes 5 and 6 or OFDM symbol indexes 12 and 13,   wherein the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are subjected to code division multiplexing (CDM) using orthogonal codes, and   wherein CSI-RSs for two antenna ports of the 8 antenna ports are mapped to same OFDM symbols and same subcarriers, and are multiplexed by CDM over the two consecutive OFDM symbols.    
     
     
       21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the two consecutive OFDM symbols are OFDM symbols to which User Equipment-specific (UE-specific) reference signals are allowed to be mapped.  
     
     
       22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the four subcarrier locations defined in the predetermined pattern are shifted by one or two subcarriers on a per cell or per cell group basis.  
     
     
       23. The method according to claim 20, wherein the four subcarrier locations are subcarrier indexes 2, 3, 8 and 9.  
     
     
       24. A base station (BS) for transmitting channel state information-reference signals (CSI-RSs) for 8 antenna ports, the BS comprising:
 a reception module receives an uplink signal from a user equipment (UE);   a transmission module transmits a downlink signal to the UE; and   a processor controls the reception module and the transmission module,   wherein the processor controls the transmission module to transmit the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports in a downlink region having a normal cyclic prefix (CP) configuration,   wherein the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are mapped according to a predetermined pattern to the downlink region,   wherein the downlink region having the normal CP configuration has 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, where the OFDM symbol index starts from 0;   wherein the predetermined pattern is defined such that the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are mapped to two consecutive OFDM symbols in the downlink region and are mapped to four subcarrier locations in each of the two consecutive OFDM symbols, in one resource regions having 14 OFDM symbols and 12 subcarriers,   wherein the two consecutive OFDM symbols are defined in the predetermined pattern and are OFDM symbol indexes 5 and 6, or OFDM symbol indexes 12 and 13,   wherein the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are subjected to code division multiplexing (CDM) using orthogonal codes, and   wherein CSI-RSs for two antenna ports of the 8 antenna ports are mapped to same OFDM symbols and same subcarriers, and are multiplexed by CDM over the two consecutive OFDM symbols.    
     
     
       25. A user equipment (UE) for estimating a channel using channel state information-reference signals (CSI-RSs) for 8 antenna ports received from a base station (BS), the UE comprising:
 a reception module receives a downlink signal from the BS;   a transmission module transmits an uplink signal to the BS; and   a processor controls the reception module and the transmission module,   wherein the processor controls the reception module to receive the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports in a downlink region having an normal cyclic prefix (CP) configuration and estimates the channel using the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports,   wherein the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are mapped to the downlink region according to a predetermined pattern,   wherein the downlink region having the normal CP configuration has 14 orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, where the OFDM symbol index starts from 0,   wherein the predetermined pattern is defined such that the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are mapped to two consecutive OFDM symbols in the downlink region and are mapped to four subcarrier locations in each of the two consecutive OFDM symbols, in one resource regions having 14 OFDM symbols and 12 subcarriers,   wherein the two consecutive OFDM symbols are defined in the predetermined pattern and are OFDM symbol indexes 5 and 6 or OFDM symbol indexes 12 and 13,   wherein the CSI-RSs for the 8 antenna ports are subjected to code division multiplexing (CDM) using orthogonal codes, and   wherein CSI-RSs for two antenna ports of the 8 antenna ports are mapped to same OFDM symbols and same subcarriers, and are multiplexed by CDM over the two consecutive OFDM symbols.