System and method for distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) in a wireless communication system

A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

• a memory that stores data relating to at least one terminal and an auxiliary network cell;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• transmitting, by a serving network cell, control information to at least a first terminal, the control information comprising assignment information for at least one transmission of first data routed from a core network, wherein the serving network cell and an auxiliary network cell comprise a Cooperative Multipoint (CoMP) set of cells cooperating for the at least one transmission of the first data to the first terminal and second data to a second terminal using one or more of joint processing or cooperative beamforming;
• indicate the transmitted control information to the auxiliary network cell over a backhaul interface between the serving network cell and the auxiliary network cell;
• and
• cooperatively conducting the at least one transmission with the auxiliary network cell in accordance with the control information wherein the first data transmitted from the serving network cell for the at least one transmission is routed from the core network to the serving network cell for transmission to the first terminal without being routed over the backhaul interface, and the first data transmitted from the auxiliary network cell for the at least one transmission is routed from the core network to the auxiliary network cell for transmission to the first terminal without being routed over the backhaul interface.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for transmitting, by a serving network cell, one or more control communications to at least a first terminal, the control communications comprising assignment information for at least one transmission of first data routed from a core network, wherein the serving network cell and an auxiliary network cell comprise a Cooperative Multipoint (CoMP) set of cells cooperating for the at least one transmission of the first data to the first terminal and second data to a second terminal using one or more of joint processing or cooperative beamforming;
• means for indicating the one or more control communications to the auxiliary network cell over a backhaul interface between the serving network cell and the auxiliary network cell;
• and
• means for cooperatively conducting the at least one transmission with the auxiliary network cell in accordance with the assignment information wherein the first data transmitted from the serving network cell for the at least one transmission is routed from the core network to the serving network cell for transmission to the first terminal without being routed over the backhaul interface, and the first data transmitted from the auxiliary network cell for the at least one transmission is routed from the core network to the auxiliary network cell for transmission to the first terminal without being routed over the backhaul interface.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:
• code for causing a computer to transmit, by a serving network cell, one or more control communications to at least a first user equipment unit (UE), the control communications comprising assignment information for at least one transmission of first data routed from a core network, wherein the serving network cell and an auxiliary network cell comprise a Cooperative Multipoint (CoMP) set of cells cooperating for the at least one transmission of the first data to the first UE and second data to a second UE using one or more of joint processing or cooperative beamforming;
• code for causing a computer to indicate the one or more control communications to the auxiliary network cell over a backhaul interface between the serving network cell and the auxiliary network cell;
• and
• code for causing a computer to cooperatively conduct the at least one transmission with the auxiliary network cell in accordance with the control communications, wherein the first data transmitted from the serving network cell for the at least one transmission is routed from the core network to the serving network cell for transmission to the first UE without being routed over the backhaul interface, and the first data transmitted from the auxiliary network cell for the at least one transmission is routed from the core network to the auxiliary network cell for transmission to the first UE without being routed over the backhaul interface.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, at an auxiliary network cell, control information relating to at least a first user equipment unit (UE) from a serving network cell over a backhaul interface between the serving network cell and the auxiliary network cell, the control information with comprising assignment information for at least one transmission of first data routed from a core network, wherein the serving network cell and the auxiliary network cell comprise a Cooperative Multipoint (CoMP) set of cells cooperating for transmission of the first data to the first UE and second data to a second UE using one or more of joint processing or cooperative beamforming;
• receiving the first data at the auxiliary network cell for transmission to the first UE in the at least one transmission, the first data received at the auxiliary network cell from the core network without being routed over the backhaul interface;
• and
• transmitting the first data from the auxiliary network cell to the first UE in the at least one transmission cooperatively conducted with the serving network cell according to the control information, wherein the first data transmitted from the serving network cell for the at least one transmission is routed from the core network to the serving network cell for transmission to the first UE without being routed over the backhaul interface.

A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

• a memory that stores data relating to at least a first user equipment unit (UE) and a serving network cell for the first UE;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• receive, at an auxiliary network cell, control information relating to the first user equipment unit (UE) from the serving network cell over a backhaul interface between the serving network cell and the auxiliary network cell, the control information comprising assignment information for at least one transmission of first data routed from a core network, wherein the serving network cell and the auxiliary network cell comprise a Cooperative Multipoint (CoMP) set of cells cooperating for transmission of the first data to the first UE and second data to a second UE using one or more of joint processing or cooperative beamforming;
• receive, at the auxiliary cell, the first data from the core network for transmission to the first UE in the at least one transmission, the first data received at the auxiliary network cell from the core network without being routed over the backhaul interface;
• and
• transmit, in the at least one transmission cooperatively conducted with the serving network cell, the first data from the auxiliary network cell to the first UE according to the received control information wherein the first data transmitted from the serving network cell for the at least one transmission is routed from the core network to the serving network cell for transmission to the first UE without being routed over the backhaul interface.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for receiving, at an auxiliary network cell, one or more communications of control information relating to at least a first terminal from a serving network cell over a backhaul interface between the serving network cell and the auxiliary network cell the control information comprising assignment information for at least one transmission of first data routed from a core network, wherein the serving network cell and the auxiliary network cell comprise a Cooperative Multipoint (CoMP) set of cells cooperating for transmission of the first data to the first terminal and second data to a second terminal using one or more of joint processing or cooperative beamforming;
• means for receiving the first data at the auxiliary network cell for transmission to the first terminal in the at least one transmission, the first data received at the auxiliary network cell without being routed over the backhaul interface;
• and
• means for transmitting the first data from the auxiliary network cell to the first terminal in the at least one transmission cooperatively conducted with the serving network cell based at least in part on the one or more control communications, wherein the first data transmitted from the serving network cell for the at least one transmission is routed from the core network to the serving network cell for transmission to the first terminal without being routed over the backhaul interface.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:
• code for causing a computer to receive, at an auxiliary network cell, one or more communications of control information relating to at least a first user equipment unit (UE) from a serving network cell over a backhaul interface between the serving network cell and the auxiliary network cell, the control information comprising assignment information for at least one transmission of first data routed from a core network, wherein the serving network cell and the auxiliary network cell comprise a Cooperative Multipoint (CoMP) set of cells cooperating for transmission of the first data to the first UE and second data to a second UE using one or more of joint processing or cooperative beamforming;
• code for causing a computer to receive the first data at the auxiliary network cell for transmission to the first UE in the at least one transmission, the first data received at the auxiliary network cell from the core network without being routed over the backhaul interface;
• and
• code for causing a computer to transmit the first data from the auxiliary network cell to the first UE in the at least one transmission cooperatively conducted with the serving network cell wherein the first data transmitted from the serving network cell for the at least one transmission is routed from the core network to the serving network cell for transmission to the first UE without being routed over the backhaul interface.