Data communication apparatuses, data communication system and methods using reference symbols

A data communication apparatus, for transmitting one or more blocks of data within a frame comprising a two-dimensional grid of transmission symbol positions,

• wherein the data communication apparatus is configured to select a group of transmission symbol positions, which is a subset of the two-dimensional grid of transmission symbol positions, for a transmission of a data portion,
• wherein one or more reference symbol positions are associated to the selected group of transmission symbol positions;
• wherein the data communication apparatus is configured to determine which one or more symbol positions are used as one or more reference symbol positions based on the selection of the group of transmission symbol positions or together with the selection of the group of transmission symbol positions;
• and
• wherein the reference symbol positions are variable with respect to one or more borders of time slots of the frame or with respect to one or more borders of sub-frames of the frame, and/or
• wherein the one or more reference symbol positions are variable with respect to the selected group of transmission symbol positions.

A data communication apparatus, for transmitting one or more blocks of data within a frame comprising a two-dimensional grid of transmission symbol positions,

• wherein the data communication apparatus is configured to select a group of transmission symbol positions, which is a subset of the two-dimensional grid of transmission symbol positions, for a transmission of a data portion;
• and
• wherein the data communication apparatus is configured to select a multiplexing characteristic of a plurality of reference symbols, which are associated to the selected group of transmission symbol positions,
• wherein the data communication apparatus is configured to select the multiplexing characteristic out of at least a first multiplexing pattern describing transmission symbol positions and a second multiplexing pattern describing transmission symbol positions, wherein the first multiplexing pattern comprises at least one shared transmission symbol position, which is also used by the second multiplexing pattern, and at least one exclusive transmission symbol position which is not used by the second multiplexing pattern, and wherein the second multiplexing pattern comprises the shared transmission symbol position and at least one exclusive transmission symbol position which is not used by the first multiplexing pattern.

A data communication apparatus for receiving a plurality of data blocks from other data communication apparatuses, wherein a data block is represented by transmission symbols of a group of transmission symbol positions within a frame comprising a two-dimensional grid of transmission symbol positions,

• wherein the data communication apparatus is configured to provide to the other data communication apparatuses a communication resource information,
• the communication resource information representing an allocation of transmission symbol positions and describing which group of transmission symbol positions should be used by which of the other data communication apparatuses and which of the transmission symbol positions should be used for a transmission of reference symbols by which of the other data communication apparatuses,
• wherein data communication apparatus is configured to signal different allocations of transmission symbol positions in dependence on a current communication state;
• wherein the transmission symbol positions to be used for the transmission of reference symbols are variable with respect to borders of time slots of the frame or with respect to borders of sub-frames of the frame between different allocations of transmission symbol positions or for a given allocation of transmission symbol positions, and/or
• wherein the transmission symbol positions to be used for the transmission of reference symbols are variable with respect a corresponding group of transmission symbol positions between different allocations of transmission symbol positions or for a given allocation of transmission symbol positions.

A method for transmitting one or more blocks of data within a frame comprising a two-dimensional grid of transmission symbol positions,

• wherein the method comprises selecting a group of transmission symbol positions, which is a subset of the two-dimensional grid of transmission symbol positions, for a transmission of a data portion,
• wherein one or more reference symbol positions are associated to the selected group of transmission symbol positions;
• wherein the method comprises determining which one or more symbol positions are used as one or more reference symbol positions based on the selection of the group of transmission symbol positions or together with the selection of the group of transmission symbol positions;
• and
• wherein the reference symbol positions are variable with respect to borders of time slots of the frame or with respect to borders of sub-frames of the frame, or
• wherein the one or more reference symbol positions are variable with respect to the selected group of transmission symbol positions.

A method for transmitting one or more blocks of data within a frame comprising a two-dimensional grid of transmission symbol positions,

• wherein the method comprises selecting a group of transmission symbol positions, which is a subset of the two-dimensional grid of transmission symbol positions, for a transmission of a data portion;
• and
• wherein the method comprises selecting a multiplexing characteristic of a plurality of reference symbols, which are associated to the selected group of transmission symbol positions,
• wherein the multiplexing characteristic is selected out of at least a first multiplexing pattern describing transmission symbol positions and a second multiplexing pattern describing transmission symbol positions,
• wherein the first multiplexing pattern comprises at least one shared transmission symbol position, which is also used by the second multiplexing pattern, and at least one exclusive transmission symbol position which is not used by the second multiplexing pattern, and wherein the second multiplexing pattern comprises the shared transmission symbol position and at least one exclusive transmission symbol position which is not used by the first multiplexing pattern.

A method for receiving a plurality of data blocks from other data communication apparatuses at a data communication apparatus, wherein a data block is represented by transmission symbols of a group of transmission symbol positions within a frame comprising a two-dimensional grid of transmission symbol positions,

• wherein the method comprises providing to the other data communication apparatuses a communication resource information,
• the communication resource information representing an allocation of transmission symbol positions and describing which group of transmission symbol positions should be used by which of the other data communication apparatuses and which of the transmission symbol positions should be used for a transmission of reference symbols by which of the other data communication apparatuses,
• wherein the method comprises signaling different allocations of transmission symbol positions in dependence on a current communication state;
• wherein the transmission symbol positions to be used for the transmission of reference symbols are variable with respect to borders of time slots of the frame or with respect to borders of sub-frames of the frame between different allocations of transmission symbol positions, or
• wherein the transmission symbol positions to be used for the transmission of reference symbols are variable with respect a corresponding group of transmission symbol positions between different allocations of transmission symbol positions.

A data communication method, for communicating between a first data communication apparatus and a first other data communication apparatus linked to the first data communication apparatus, and for communicating between a second data communication apparatus and a second other data communication apparatus linked to the second data communication apparatus, the method comprising:

• at the first other data communication apparatus, choosing a multiplexing characteristic of one or more reference symbols, which are associated to a selected group of transmission symbol positions associated with the first other data communication apparatus, out of a plurality of multiplexing characteristics comprised by a first group of multiplexing characteristics in dependence on a multiplexing characteristic selection information provided by the first data communication apparatus, and
• at the second other data communication apparatus, choosing a multiplexing characteristic of one or more reference symbols, which are associated to a selected group of transmission symbol positions associated with the second other data communication apparatus, out of a plurality of multiplexing characteristics comprised by a second group of multiplexing characteristics in dependence on a multiplexing characteristic selection information provided by the second data communication apparatus,
• wherein multiplexing characteristics comprised by different groups of multiplexing characteristics define orthogonal multiplexing codes or orthogonal multiplexing patterns.