Unified design and centralized scheduling for dynamic SIMO, SU-MIMO and MU-MIMO operation for RL transmissions

A method employed in wireless communication system, the method comprising:

• transmitting at least one power control reference signal from an antenna selected from a group of M antennas, with M a positive integer;
• conveying a power spectral density (P SD) offset from the antenna employed to report the at least one power control reference signal, wherein the PSD offset is based at least in part on a reference PSD level for transmitting the at least one power control reference signal;
• and
• transmitting a pilot signal from each antenna in the set of M antennas for estimating a multiple-input multiple output channel when M>1, and a SIMO channel when M=1;
• receiving a data rate assignment;
• receiving an offset data rate assignment when two or more data streams are scheduled for transmitting data;
• receiving an antenna subset selection from the set of M antennas;
• and
• receiving an antenna pattern selection.

A wireless communication device, comprising:

• a processor configured to transmit a power control reference signal from an antenna selected from a set of virtual antennas or physical antennas;
• to convey a power spectral density (PSD) value from the selected antenna, the PSD value is determined at least in part by a reference PSD employed to report the power control reference signal;
• to transmit periodically a sounding reference signal from each of the antennas in the set of virtual antennas or physical antennas;
• to receive a data rate assignment;
• to receive an offset data rate assignment;
• to receive an antenna subset selection from the set of virtual antennas or physical antennas;
• and
• to receive an antenna pattern selection;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor.

An apparatus that operates in a wireless communication environment, the apparatus comprising:

• means for transmitting at least one power control reference signal from an antenna selected from a group including M virtual antennas or G physical antennas, with M and G positive integers;
• means for conveying a power spectral density (PSD) offset from the antenna employed to report the at least one power control reference signal;
• means for transmitting a pilot signal from each of the antennas in the group of M virtual antennas, or the group of G physical antennas;
• means for receiving a data rate assignment;
• means for receiving an offset data rate assignment when two or more data streams are scheduled for transmitting data;
• means for receiving an antenna subset selection from the group of M virtual antennas or the group of G physical antennas;
• and
• means for receiving an antenna pattern selection.

A computer program product, comprising

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium including:
• code for causing at least one computer to transmit at least one power control reference signal from an antenna selected from a group of M antennas, with M a positive integer;
• code for causing the at least one computer to convey a power spectral density (PSD) offset from the antenna employed to report the at least one power control reference signal, wherein the PSD offset is based at least on a reference PSD level for transmitting the at least one power control reference signal;
• code for causing the at least one computer to transmit a pilot signal from each antenna in the set of M antennas;
• code for causing at least one computer to receive a data rate assignment;
• code for causing the at least one computer to receive an offset data rate assignment when two or more data streams are scheduled for transmitting data;
• code for causing the at least one computer to receive an antenna subset selection from the set of M antennas;
• and
• code for causing the at least one computer to receive an antenna pattern selection.