Flexible transmission of messages in a wireless communication system with multiple transmit antennas

A base station device operable in a communication network for transmitting a message in a resource block, the resource block including a plurality of regions that comprise resource elements, comprising:

• a plurality of antenna ports;
• a processor configured to:
• allocate a first portion of said message to a first region of said plurality of regions, wherein the first portion of said message is associated with a first reference symbol;
• allocate a second portion of said message to a second region of said plurality of regions, wherein the second portion of said message is associated with a second reference symbol;
• allocate a third portion of said message to a third region of said plurality of regions, wherein said third portion of said message is associated with a third reference symbol;
• apply orthogonal cover codes to said first and third reference symbols, wherein said first and third reference symbols are allocated to the same resource elements;
• encode the first and second portions of said message to generate first and second encoded data;
• modulate said first encoded data to generate first modulated data;
• modulate said second encoded data to generate second modulated data;
• and
• a transmitter configured to transmit said first and second modulated data and said first and second reference symbols in said resource block to a communications device in said communication network,
• wherein said first reference symbol is associated with a first antenna port of said plurality of antenna ports, said second reference symbol is associated with a second antenna port of said plurality of antenna ports, and said third reference symbol is associated with a third antenna port of said plurality of antenna ports.

A method for demodulating a data in a resource block including a plurality of regions that comprise resource elements, comprising:

• receiving said message at a communication device from a base station with a plurality of antenna ports, wherein a first portion of said message is allocated to a first region of said plurality of regions and associated with a first reference symbol, wherein a second portion of said message is allocated to a second region of said plurality of regions and associated with a second reference symbol, wherein a third portion of said message is allocated to a third region of said plurality of regions and associated with a third reference symbol, wherein orthogonal cover codes are applied to said first and third reference symbols, wherein said first and third reference symbols are allocated to the same resource elements;
• and
• estimating a first channel corresponding to a first antenna port of said plurality of antenna ports using said first reference symbol;
• estimating a second channel corresponding to a second antenna port of said plurality of antenna ports using said second reference symbol;
• and
• demodulating at least one of said first and second portions of said message.

A communication device operable in a communication network to receive a message in a resource block, which includes a plurality of regions that comprise resource elements, from a base station with a plurality of antenna ports, comprising:

• one or more antennas configured to receive said message, wherein a first portion of said message is allocated to a first region of said plurality of regions and associated with a first reference symbol, wherein a second portion of said message is allocated to a second region of said plurality of regions and associated with a second reference symbol, wherein a third portion of said message is allocated to a third region of said plurality of regions and associated with a third reference symbol, wherein orthogonal cover codes are applied to said first and third reference symbols, and wherein said first and third reference symbols are allocated to the same resource elements;
• and
• a processor coupled to said one or more antennas, the processor configured to:
• estimate a first channel of said communication network corresponding to a first antenna port of said plurality of base station antenna ports using said first reference symbol,
• estimate a second channel of said communication network corresponding to a second antenna port of said plurality of base station antenna ports using said second reference symbol, and
• demodulate at least one of said first and second portions of the message.