Patent ID: 8913695

Claim:
A method for utilizing hybrid pilot mode in a wireless communications network, comprising: receiving a transmission in a transmission time interval by a receiver entity that includes multiplexed common pilot symbols corresponding to a common pilot channel and dedicated pilot symbols corresponding to a dedicated pilot channel, wherein the common pilot channel is combined with at least one control channel in the transmission time interval, wherein the dedicated pilot channel is combined with at least one data channel in the transmission time interval, and wherein the at least one control channel comprises a packet dedicated control channel; utilizing the common pilot symbols to demodulate control signals on the at least one control channel; employing the dedicated pilot symbols to demodulate data signals on the at least one data channel; utilizing the dedicated pilot symbols to generate a channel estimate; and augmenting the channel estimate by utilizing a combination of the dedicated pilot channel and the common pilot channel, using packet dedicated control channel information; wherein the common pilot symbols include primitive precoding information, wherein the packet dedicated control channel comprises the primitive precoding information, wherein the primitive precoding information is itself precoded, and wherein the dedicated pilot symbols are precoded.