# US 12,113,728 B2 · Pilot signal assignment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,113,728 B2 - Document ID: US12113728B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/427,292 - Filed: 2019-02-04 - Published: 2022-05-12 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-04 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolagget LM Ericsson (Publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Inventors: Nafiseh Shariati; Hamed Farhadi; Niklas Jaldén - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113728B2 ## CPC - H04L 5/0037: {Inter-user or inter-terminal allocation} - H04L 5/0048: {Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091)} - H04L 5/0069: {Allocation based on distance or geographical location} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract The disclosure provides methods, a base station and network nodes relating to the assignment of pilot signals to wireless devices. One aspect provides a method including obtaining grouping information grouping one or more of the plurality of wireless devices together based at least in part on clustering information corresponding to each of the plurality of wireless devices and according to one or more clustering criterion, assigning at least one pilot signal to the one or more wireless devices based on the grouping information and transmitting the at least one pilot signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by a base station serving a plurality of wireless devices, the method comprising: sending a request for grouping information indicating one or more clustering criterion and receiving the grouping information in response to the request; grouping one or more of the plurality of wireless devices together based at least in part on clustering information corresponding to each of the plurality of wireless devices and according to the one or more clustering criterion, wherein the grouping information comprises each one of the wireless devices in a group being distinct from each other according to the associated clustering information and the one or more clustering criterion, and wherein the one or more clustering criterion comprises a spatial relationship between each of the one or more wireless devices and the base station; assigning at least one pilot signal to the one or more wireless devices based on the grouping information, wherein at least two of the one of more wireless devices in said group are assigned the same pilot signal; and transmitting the at least one pilot signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the pilot signal is orthogonal or semi-orthogonal within a group of wireless devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the clustering information and the one or more clustering criterion is based at least in part on a measured property of the one or more of the plurality of wireless devices. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein each one of the one or more wireless devices in said group are assigned the same pilot signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the obtained grouping information comprises a plurality of groups according to the one or more clustering criterion and the assigning at least one pilot signal to the one or more wireless devices comprises assigning a different pilot signal to each one of the different groups. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the spatial relationship is a relative direction between each of the one or more wireless devices and the base station. ### Claim 7 A method performed by a system for providing pilot signals to a plurality of wireless devices, the method comprising: receiving a request for grouping information indicating one or more clustering criterion and sending the grouping information in response to the request; obtaining clustering information corresponding to one or more wireless devices, wherein the one or more clustering information comprises a spatial relationship between each of the one or more wireless devices and a serving base station; grouping the one or more wireless devices into one or more groups based on the clustering information and according to the one or more clustering criterion, wherein the grouping comprises each one of the wireless devices in a group being distinct from each other according to the one or more clustering criterion; and providing the grouping information to the serving base station, wherein the grouping information corresponds to the grouping of the one or more wireless devices; assigning, at least one pilot signal to the one or more wireless devices based on the grouping information, wherein at least two of the one of more wireless devices in said group are assigned the same pilot signal; and transmitting the at least one pilot signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the spatial relationship is a relative direction between each of the one or more wireless devices and the base station. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the clustering information comprises a spatial signature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the clustering information comprises any of: angle of arrival positioning information; global positioning information; assisted global positioning information; serving cell information; and beam-reports in a beam-managed system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising: obtaining further clustering information; and adapting the grouping of the one or more wireless devices based on the further clustering information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the obtaining further clustering information comprises requesting periodical updates of previously reported clustering information. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the further clustering information comprises a delta from a previously reported clustering information. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein adapting the grouping of the one of more wireless devices comprises removing one or more wireless devices from a first group and adding the one or more wireless devices to a second group. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein obtaining clustering information comprises obtaining the information from a remote database. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the grouping information comprises the pilot signal assignment. ### Claim 17 A base station configured for serving a plurality of wireless devices, the base station configured to: send a request for grouping information indicating one or more clustering criterion and receiving the grouping information in response to the request; group one or more of the plurality of wireless devices together based at least in part on clustering information corresponding to each of the plurality of wireless devices and according to the one or more the clustering criterion, wherein the grouping information comprises spatial information of each one of the wireless devices in a group being distinct from each other according to the one or more clustering criterion, and wherein the one or more clustering criterion comprises a spatial relationship between each of the one or more wireless devices and the base station; assign at least one pilot signal to the one or more wireless devices based on the grouping information, wherein at least two of the one of more wireless devices in said group are assigned the same pilot signal; and transmit the at least one pilot signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The base station according to claim 17, wherein each one of the one or more wireless devices in said group are assigned the same pilot signal.