Methods, apparatus and systems for reference signal configuration in wireless communications

A method performed by a wireless communication node, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a wireless communication device, a signal comprising a pilot signal and a data payload, wherein:
• the pilot signal occupies N symbol resources,
• the pilot signal includes at least one reference signal (RS) port that is determined from a predetermined pool of RS ports,
• the data payload includes information related to the pilot signal and the at least one RS port, and
• the predetermined pool includes at least N RS ports, and N is an integer larger than one;
• wherein:
• each of the RS ports in the predetermined pool has Nz non-zero elements;
• and
• Nz is an integer larger than 0 and less than 4;
• or
• each of the RS ports in the predetermined pool has Nz non-zero elements;
• Nz is an integer larger than 0 and less than 9;
• and
• the method further comprises estimating one channel value of an entire transmission bandwidth experienced by signals transmitted by the wireless communication device based on the Nz non-zero elements of each of the RS ports in the predetermined pool.

A wireless communication device comprising:

• a memory storing a plurality of instructions;
• and
• a processor configured to execute the plurality of instructions, and upon execution of the plurality of instructions, is configured to:
• generate a pilot signal occupying N symbol resources, wherein the pilot signal includes at least one reference signal (RS) port that is determined from a predetermined pool of RS ports, wherein the predetermined pool includes at least N RS ports, wherein N is an integer larger than one, and wherein the data payload includes information related to the pilot signal including the at least one RS port;
• and
• transmit a signal comprising the pilot signal and a data payload to a wireless communication node, wherein the data payload includes information related to the pilot signal and the at least one RS port;
• wherein:
• each of the RS ports in the predetermined pool has Nz non-zero elements;
• and
• Nz is an integer larger than 0 and less than 4
• or:
• each of the RS ports in the predetermined pool has Nz non-zero elements;
• Nz is an integer larger than 0 and less than 9;
• and
• the Nz non-zero elements of each of the RS ports in the predetermined pool are adjacent in time and/or frequency domain.