Controlling adapative reference signal patterns

A mobile communications terminal arranged to receive and respond to signals transmitted by a base station, the signals comprising a plurality of resource blocks, the mobile communications terminal comprising:

• a receiver for signals transmitted from the base station, the signals being configured according to a first protocol containing a master information block of a data frame including control data indicative of a density of distribution of reference signals in the data blocks;
• a channel estimation function for interpreting the control data in the signals to identify a reference signal density and distribution in the received signals, and to use the reference signals to measure properties of the transmissions;
• and
• a reporting function to generate reports of signal quality measurements in communications between the base station and the mobile communications terminal,
• wherein the reference signal distributions have a reduced density in resource blocks remote from the master information block, relative to a density of reference signals in resource blocks of a data frame adjacent to the master information block.

A method of controlling a mobile terminal in a wireless communications network, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to receive and respond to signals transmitted by a base station, the signals comprising a plurality of data blocks, the method comprising:

• receiving a signal configured according to a first protocol containing a master information block of a data frame, the master information block including control data indicative of a configuration of reference signals in the data blocks;
• interpreting the control data to identify a configuration in the received signal;
• identifying reference signals in the received signal from density and distribution data;
• performing channel estimation procedures from the reference signals so identified;
• and
• generating reports of signal quality measurements in communications between the base station and the mobile terminal,
• wherein each configuration comprises a respective distribution pattern of reference signals arranged in the data blocks, and having a respective density, wherein the reference signal distribution patterns have a reduced density in regions of the data frame remote from the master information block, relative to a density of reference signals in blocks of the data frame adjacent to the master information block.