Short-form demodulation reference for improved reception in 5G and 6G

Non-transitory computer-readable media in a wireless receiver containing instructions that when executed by a computing environment cause a method to be performed, the method comprising:

• receiving a demodulation reference comprising exactly one reference element modulated according to a modulation scheme comprising integer Namp amplitude levels and integer Nphase phase levels, wherein an amplitude ratio comprises a minimum amplitude level of the modulation scheme divided by a maximum amplitude level of the modulation scheme;
• determining a reference amplitude value comprising an amplitude of the reference element, and determining a reference phase value comprising a phase of the reference element;
• determining, at least in part from the reference phase value, the Nphase phase levels of the modulation scheme;
• and
• if the amplitude ratio differs from 1, determining, from the reference amplitude value and the amplitude ratio, a second amplitude level, and determining, from the reference amplitude value and the second amplitude level, Namp-2 intermediate amplitude levels of the modulation scheme.

A wireless communication device configured to:

• receive a demodulation reference comprising integer Nref resource elements, Nref greater than 1 and less than 5, each resource element having a modulation according to a modulation scheme comprising integer Namp amplitude levels and integer Nphase phase levels;
• determine Nref reference amplitude values and Nref reference phase values according to the modulation of each reference element;
• determine Namp amplitude levels by combining selected reference amplitude levels;
• determine Nphase phase levels by combining selected reference phase levels;
• receive a message comprising message elements modulated according to the modulation scheme;
• and
• compare each message element to a calibration set comprising the Namp amplitude levels and the Nphase phase levels, thereby determining which amplitude level of the calibration set most closely matches each message amplitude value, and which phase level of the calibration set most closely matches each message phase value;
• such that the message can be demodulated according to a collection of determined amplitude and phase levels.