Patent ID: 8340199
Filing Date: 2012-12-25
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of mapping reference signals for antenna ports in a plurality of resource blocks within an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) communication system, the method comprising: selecting a plurality of resource elements for transmitting in the plurality of resource blocks using a first number of antenna ports, wherein the first number of antenna ports are used to transmit a first number of reference signals using at least one specified mapping scheme, and wherein the resource elements comprise a first number of OFDM symbols that are transmitted using the first number of antenna ports; estimating, at a receiver, the first number of OFDM symbols to obtain a plurality of preceding vectors; selecting a second number of antenna ports; and mapping a plurality of reference signals relating to the second number of antenna ports using a second number of OFDM symbols, wherein each of the reference signals for the second number of antenna ports are mapped in one of the resource elements comprising each of the second number of OFDM symbols; and estimating the second number of OFDM symbols transmitted from the second number of antenna ports using the precoding vectors from the first number of OFDM symbols that were transmitted from the first number of antenna ports.