Electronic device and operation method thereof and multiple-input multiple-output symbol detector

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic device and an operation method thereof and a multi-input multi-output symbol detector. A signal is received through a channel. The channel is decomposed into a plurality of virtual channels. Symbol detection is performed on each of the plurality of virtual channels using a corresponding symbol detector. At least one of the symbol detectors has a rank lower than the rank of the channel. Outputs from the symbol detectors are combined to obtain a final log-likelihood ratio (LLR) value of a layer of the channel. Decoding is performed using the final log-likelihood ratio value to output a decoded symbol value of the received signal.

Description

[0001] [priority]

[0002] This application claims priority to the U.S. Provisional Patent Application filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on December 3, 2018 and granted Serial No. 62 / 774,554, and the U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on February 12, 2019 and granted Serial No. 16 / 273,632, the entire contents of which are incorporated into this application by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to a wireless communication system, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for high-rank multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) symbol detection. Background Art

[0004] A typical modem of an electronic device includes a symbol detector for determining the log-likelihood-ratio (LLR) values ​​of the encoded bits from the received signal. The decoder of the modem uses these LLR values ​​to recover the uncoded bits. When the number of layers (i.e., ranks) used for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission increases, the complexity of symbol detection can increase significantly. In long term evolution (LTE) (Release 10) and fifth generation (5G) (Release 15), up to eight transmit antennas or panels and eight receive antennas or panels are supported. Therefore, an 8×8 symbol detector or a rank-8 symbol detector is required.

[0005] Existing MIMO symbol detectors include, for example, maximum likelihood (ML) detectors, zero-forcing (ZF) detectors, minimum mean square error (MMSE) detectors, ZF / MMSE-successive interference cancelation (MMSE-SIC) detectors, and sphere decoder (SD) detectors. For high-rank scenarios (e.g., rank-8), existing linear symbol detectors (e.g., ZF detectors and MMSE detectors, for example) have degraded performance due to their simple architectures. Existing nonlinear symbol detectors (e.g., ML detectors, ZF / MMSE-SIC detectors, and SD detectors, for example) perform well but are too complex to implement. For example, ML detection needs to take into account all symbols in a constellation for LLR value calculation. Summary of the invention

[0006] According to one embodiment, a method for operating an electronic device in a MIMO wireless communication system is provided. A signal is received through a channel. The channel is decomposed into a plurality of virtual channels. Symbol detection is performed on each of the plurality of virtual channels using a corresponding symbol detector. At least one of the symbol detectors has a rank lower than the rank of the channel. Outputs from the symbol detectors are combined to obtain final LLR values ​​for a layer of the channel. Decoding is performed using the final LLR values ​​to output decoded symbol values ​​of the received signal.

[0007] According to one embodiment, an electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to: receive a signal through a channel; decompose the channel into multiple virtual channels; and perform symbol detection on each of the multiple virtual channels using a corresponding symbol detector. At least one of the symbol detectors has a rank lower than the rank of the channel. When executed, the instructions also cause the processor to combine the outputs from the symbol detectors to obtain a final LLR value for a layer of the channel and perform decoding using the final LLR value to output a decoded symbol value of the received signal.

[0008] According to one embodiment, a multi-input multi-output symbol detector of an electronic device is provided. The detector includes one or more preprocessors, which are configured to decompose the channel of the received signal into multiple virtual channels. The detector also includes multiple symbol detectors, which are configured to perform symbol detection on each of the multiple virtual channels. At least one of the multiple symbol detectors has a rank lower than the rank of the channel. In addition, the detector includes a combiner, which is configured to combine the outputs from the symbol detectors to obtain the final LLR values ​​of the layers of the channel. The detector also includes a decoder, which is configured to decode the final LLR values ​​and output the decoded symbol values ​​of the received signal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a high rank symbol detector implemented by multiple lower rank symbol detectors according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a rank-8 symbol detector implemented using three rank-4 symbol detectors according to one embodiment.

[0012] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a rank-4 symbol detector implemented by one rank-4 symbol detector and two rank-2 symbol detectors according to one embodiment.

[0013] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for high rank symbol detection according to one embodiment.

[0014] Figure 5 is a diagram showing electronic devices in a network environment according to one embodiment.

[0015] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0016] 102-1, 102-2 to 102-n: preprocessor;

[0017] 104-1, 104-2 to 104-n: lower rank symbol detectors;

[0018] 106, 206, 306: combiner;

[0019] 108, 208, 308: decoder;

[0020] 202-1: preprocessor / first preprocessor;

[0021] 202-2: preprocessor / second preprocessor;

[0022] 202-3: Preprocessor / Third Preprocessor;

[0023] 204-1: a first rank-4 symbol detector;

[0024] 204-2: a second rank-4 symbol detector;

[0025] 204-3: a third rank-4 symbol detector;

[0026] 302-1: first preprocessor;

[0027] 302-2: second preprocessor;

[0028] 304-1: Rank-4 symbol detector / symbol detector;

[0029] 304-2: first rank-2 symbol detector / symbol detector;

[0030] 304-3: second rank-2 symbol detector / symbol detector;

[0031] 402, 404, 406, 408, 410: steps;

[0032] 500: Network environment;

[0033] 501: Electronic devices;

[0034] 502, 504: Electronic devices / external electronic devices;

[0035] 508: Server / external electronic devices;

[0036] 520: processor;

[0037] 521: main processor;

[0038] 523: auxiliary processor;

[0039] 530: memory;

[0040] 532: Volatile memory;

[0041] 534: non-volatile memory;

[0042] 536: internal memory;

[0043] 538: external memory;

[0044] 540: Procedure;

[0045] 542: operating system;

[0046] 544: middleware;

[0047] 546: Application;

[0048] 550: input device;

[0049] 555: sound output device;

[0050] 560: display device;

[0051] 570: audio module;

[0052] 576: sensor module;

[0053] 577: interface;

[0054] 578: connection terminal;

[0055] 579: touch module;

[0056] 580: Camera module;

[0057] 588: power management module;

[0058] 589: Battery;

[0059] 590: communication module;

[0060] 592: wireless communication module;

[0061] 594: wired communication module;

[0062] 596: User identification module;

[0063] 597: antenna module;

[0064] 598: First Network;

[0065] 599: Second network. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the same elements will be indicated by the same reference numerals, although they are shown in different figures. In the following description, specific details such as detailed configuration and components are provided only to help fully understand the embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, for the sake of clarity and brevity, the description of well-known functions and configurations is omitted. The terms described below are defined in view of the functions in the present disclosure, and may vary according to the user, the user's intention or habit. Therefore, the definition of these terms should be determined based on the content of this specification throughout.

[0067] The present disclosure may have various modifications and various embodiments, some of which are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described, but includes all modifications, equivalent forms and alternative forms within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0068] Although terms including ordinal numbers such as "first", "second", etc. may be used to describe various elements, structural elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish between various elements. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a "first structural element" may be referred to as a "second structural element". Similarly, a "second structural element" may also be referred to as a "first structural element". The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more associated items.

[0069] The terms used herein are only used to illustrate various embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is intended to include the plural form. In the present disclosure, it should be understood that the term "include" or "have" indicates the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, structural element, component or combination thereof, without excluding the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, structural elements, components or combinations thereof.

[0070] Unless defined differently, all terms used herein have the same meaning as understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Terms such as terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the same meaning as the contextual meaning in the relevant technical field, and should not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning unless clearly defined in the present disclosure.

[0071] The electronic device according to one embodiment may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), a computer, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a household appliance. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device is not limited to the above-mentioned electronic devices.

[0072] The terms used in this disclosure are not intended to limit the disclosure but are intended to include various changes, equivalents or alternative forms to the corresponding embodiments. With respect to the description of the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. Unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more things. Each of the phrases used herein, such as "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", and "at least one of A, B, or C" may include all possible combinations of items enumerated together with the corresponding one of the phrases. For example, "first (1 st The terms “first”, “second”, etc. may be used to distinguish a corresponding component from another component and are not intended to limit the components in other aspects (e.g., importance or order). The present invention intends that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being “coupled”, “coupled to”, “connected to” or “connected to” another element (e.g., a second element) with or without the terms “operably” or “communicatively”, it means that the element may be coupled to the other element directly (e.g., in a wired manner), wirelessly, or through a third element.

[0073] The term "module" used herein may include a unit implemented in the form of hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with other terms such as, for example, "logic", "logic block", "component", and "circuit". A module may be a single integral component or a minimum unit or component of the single integral component adapted to perform one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0074] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, several lower rank symbol detectors are used to implement virtual channel combining (VCC), and the resulting Euclidean distance (ED) values ​​or LLR values ​​are combined to meet the needs of a high rank symbol detector. By preprocessing different selected layers of the channel of the received signal relative to each virtual channel, VCC introduces another form of diversity gain in the process of forming multiple virtual channels. Therefore, low complexity and high flexibility are achieved relative to high rank MIMO receivers. The system can use any combination to utilize any type of symbol detector with any rank equal to or lower than the rank of the channel. For example, a rank-8 symbol detector can be implemented by two or more rank-4 symbol detectors. Alternatively, a rank-8 symbol detector can be implemented by four or more rank-2 symbol detectors.

[0075] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing a high rank symbol detector implemented by multiple lower rank symbol detectors according to one embodiment. Considering the signal received through the high rank channel, preprocessing is performed at preprocessors 102-1, 102-2 to 102-n to decompose the high rank channel into several virtual channels with lower rank. An example of a signal preprocessing scheme is interference whitening (IW). Other preprocessing schemes include, for example, interference elimination, interference ignoring, and block-based IW. The layer of the original high rank channel retained in each virtual channel after signal preprocessing is called a detection layer, and the detection layer is provided to the corresponding lower rank symbol detector 104-1, 104-2 to 104-n from each of the preprocessors 102-1, 102-2 to 102-n. Then lower rank symbol detection is performed on the corresponding detection layer. The output of the lower rank symbol detector 104-1, 104-2 to 104-n is the ED value or LLR value of the detection layer. An ED value combining scheme or an LLR value combining scheme is implemented at the combiner 106 to obtain a final LLR value corresponding to a layer of a channel. The decoder 108 obtains a decoded symbol value of the received signal using the final LLR value.

[0076] Several ED combining schemes or LLR combining schemes are described in more detail below. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the LLR combining scheme and the ED combining scheme.

[0077] One such LLR combining scheme is LLR summation, where several corresponding bit LLR values ​​of different lower rank symbol detectors are summed to obtain the final LLR for the particular bit. Another LLR combining scheme is LLR averaging, where several corresponding bit LLR values ​​of different lower rank symbol detectors are used to calculate their average to obtain the final LLR value for the particular bit. Different average calculation schemes may be applied, such as (for example) algebraic means and geometric means. An additional LLR combining scheme is LLR selection, where, among several corresponding bit LLR values ​​of different lower rank symbol detectors, only one LLR is selected to obtain the final LLR for the particular bit. Often the LLR with the largest absolute value is selected. However, other selection schemes may also be applied.

[0078] In ED combining, the final ED for bit 0 and bit 1 of each bit position of the modulation symbol is determined by the minimum corresponding ED from different lower rank symbol detectors. Final LLR = minED(1) - minED(0), where minED(1) and minED(0) are the final minimum EDs for bit 1 and bit 0 of a particular bit position of a particular modulation symbol.

[0079] Now refer to Figure 2 , illustrates a rank-8 symbol detector implemented using three rank-4 symbol detectors according to one embodiment.

[0080] A rank-8 channel includes a first codeword (CW0) corresponding to layers 1 to 4 of the channel and a second codeword (CW1) corresponding to layers 5 to 8 of the channel. Figure 2 The processing of CW0 corresponding to layers 1 to 4 of the channel is shown. Using IW as a preprocessing scheme, multiple virtual channels are generated at preprocessors 202-1, 202-2, and 202-3. For example, at the first preprocessor 202-1, IW is applied to layers [5 6 7 8], thereby obtaining detection layers [1, 2, 3, 4]. At the second preprocessor 202-2, IW is applied to layers [3, 4, 7, 8], thereby obtaining detection layers [1, 2, 5, 6]. At the third preprocessor 202-3, IW is applied to layers [1, 2, 5, 6], thereby obtaining detection layers [3, 4, 7, 8].

[0081] Each virtual channel is provided to a rank-4 symbol detector. For example, symbol detection is performed on the detection layer [1, 2, 3, 4] at the first rank-4 symbol detector 204-1. Symbol detection is performed on the detection layer [1, 2, 5, 6] at the second rank-4 symbol detector 204-2. Symbol detection is performed on the detection layer [3, 4, 7, 8] at the third rank-4 symbol detector 204-3. The first rank-4 symbol detector 204-1, the second rank-4 symbol detector 204-2, and the third rank-4 symbol detector 204-3 generate LLR values ​​(or ED values) of the layers (e.g., [1, 2, 3, 4], [1, 2], and [3, 4]) of CW0.

[0082] The LLR values ​​(or ED values) are combined using an LLR combining scheme (or ED combining scheme) at combiner 206, and the resulting final LLR values ​​are fed from combiner 206 to decoder 208 to provide decoded symbol values ​​of the received signal. Using more virtual channels helps to further improve performance.

[0083] The second rank-4 symbol detector 204-2 and the third rank-4 symbol detector 204-3 have accompanying LLR values ​​for layers [5,6] and [7,8] of the channel, respectively. Although these LLR values ​​are not used when decoding CW0, they can be saved and used in subsequent decoding of CW1.

[0084] The rank of the lower rank symbol detector and the layers used for preprocessing may be selected in various ways, such as (for example): fixed selection based on experience or simulation results, and dynamic selection based on a metric (e.g., the power of the preprocessed layers) or prior knowledge of the channel profile.

[0085] The ranks of the lower rank symbol detectors need not be the same. Furthermore, the ranks of some lower rank symbol detectors are not necessarily less than the rank of the channel.

[0086] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a rank-4 symbol detector implemented by one rank-4 symbol detector and two rank-2 symbol detectors according to one embodiment.

[0087] Using IW as a preprocessing scheme, multiple virtual channels are generated. At the first preprocessor 302-1, IW is applied to the layers [3, 4] of the channel, resulting in the detection layer [1, 2]. At the second preprocessor 302-2, IW is applied to the layers [1, 2] of the channel, resulting in the detection layer [3, 4]. The layers [1, 2, 3, 4] of the channel are directly fed to the rank-4 symbol detector 304-1 without preprocessing.

[0088] Symbol detection is performed on the detection layer [1, 2, 3, 4] at the rank-4 symbol detector 304-1. Symbol detection is performed on the detection layer [1, 2] at the first rank-2 symbol detector 304-2. Symbol detection is performed on the detection layer [3, 4] at the second rank-2 symbol detector 304-3. The symbol detectors 304-1, 304-2, and 304-3 generate LLR values ​​(or ED values) for the layers (e.g., [1, 2, 3, 4], [1, 2], and [3, 4]).

[0089] The LLR values ​​(or ED values) are combined at combiner 306 using an LLR combining scheme (or ED combining scheme), and the resulting final LLR values ​​are fed from combiner 306 to decoder 308 to provide decoded symbol values ​​of the received signal.

[0090] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for high rank symbol detection according to one embodiment.

[0091] At 402, a modem of an electronic device receives a signal through a channel. At 404, a preprocessor decomposes the channel into virtual channels by a signal preprocessing scheme. At least one of the virtual channels has a rank lower than the rank of the channel of the received signal. In addition, different layer combinations of the channel are preprocessed relative to each of the virtual channels. At 406, a corresponding symbol detector performs symbol detection on each of the virtual channels. At least one symbol detector has a rank lower than the rank of the channel of the received signal. The output from each symbol detector includes an LLR value or ED value of the corresponding layer processed at each symbol detector. At 408, a combiner combines the outputs from the multiple symbol detectors to obtain the final LLR value of the layer of the channel of the received signal. At 410, a decoder uses the final LLR value to perform decoding to output the decoded symbol value of the signal received through the channel.

[0092] According to one embodiment, the apparatus includes a high-rank multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) symbol detector, which is configured to detect symbols of signals received through a channel. The high-rank MIMO symbol detector includes one or more preprocessors, which are respectively configured to decompose an N-rank channel into a number of virtual channels. Each virtual channel may have a rank less than N. Preprocessing can be performed by interference whitening one or more layers of the N-rank channel and outputting the remaining unwhitened layers. The high-rank MIMO symbol detector also includes one or more lower-rank detectors, which are configured to perform symbol detection on the remaining unwhitened layers of the virtual channel. The high-rank MIMO symbol detector also includes a combiner, which is configured to combine the output of each lower-rank detector and output the combined result. The output of each lower-rank detector may be an ED value or LLR value corresponding to the layer of the channel of the received signal. The high-rank MIMO symbol detector also includes a decoder, which is configured to output the decoded symbol value of the signal based on the combined result.

[0093] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a network environment according to one embodiment. Figure 5, the electronic device 501 in the network environment 500 can communicate with the electronic device 502 through the first network 598 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or communicate with the electronic device 504 or the server 508 through the second network 599 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). The electronic device 501 can communicate with the electronic device 504 through the server 508. The electronic device 501 may include a processor 520, a memory 530, an input device 550, a sound output device 555, a display device 560, an audio module 570, a sensor module 576, an interface 577, a haptic module 579, a camera module 580, a power management module 588, a battery 589, a communication module 590, a subscriber identification module (SIM) 596, or an antenna module 597. In one embodiment, at least one of these components (e.g., the display device 560 or the camera module 580) may be omitted from the electronic device 501, or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 501. In one embodiment, some of the components may be implemented as a single integrated circuit (IC). For example, the sensor module 576 (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an iris sensor, or an illuminance sensor) may be embedded in the display device 560 (e.g., a display).

[0094] The processor 520 may execute, for example, software (e.g., program 540) to control at least one other component (e.g., hardware component or software component) of the electronic device 501 coupled to the processor 520, and may perform various data processing or calculations. As at least part of the data processing or calculation, the processor 520 may load a command or data received from another component (e.g., sensor module 576 or communication module 590) in the volatile memory 532, process the command or data stored in the volatile memory 532, and store the resulting data in the non-volatile memory 534. The processor 520 may include a main processor 521 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)) and an auxiliary processor 523 (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor (sensor hub processor), or a communication processor (CP)) that can operate independently of the main processor 521 or in conjunction with the main processor 521. Additionally or alternatively, the auxiliary processor 523 may be adapted to consume less power than the main processor 521, or to perform specific functions. The auxiliary processor 523 may be implemented separately from the main processor 521 or as part of the main processor 521.

[0095] When the main processor 521 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, the auxiliary processor 523 may replace the main processor 521 to control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one of the components of the electronic device 501 (e.g., the display device 560, the sensor module 576, or the communication module 590); or when the main processor 521 is in an active state (e.g., when an application is being executed), the auxiliary processor 523 may control at least some of the above functions or states together with the main processor 521. According to one embodiment, the auxiliary processor 523 (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another component (e.g., a camera module 580 or a communication module 590) that is functionally related to the auxiliary processor 523.

[0096] The memory 530 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 501 (e.g., the processor 520 or the sensor module 576). The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., the program 540) and input data or output data for commands related to the software. The memory 530 may include a volatile memory 532 or a non-volatile memory 534.

[0097] The program 540 may be stored as software in the memory 530 and may include, for example, an operating system (OS) 542 , middleware 544 , or an application 546 .

[0098] The input device 550 may receive commands or data to be used by other components (eg, the processor 520) of the electronic device 501 from outside (eg, a user) of the electronic device 501. The input device 550 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard.

[0099] The sound output device 555 can output a sound signal to the outside of the electronic device 501. The sound output device 555 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes (e.g., playing multimedia or recording), and the receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. According to one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0100] The display device 560 can provide information to the outside of the electronic device 501 (e.g., a user) in a visual manner. The display device 560 may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector, and a control circuit for controlling a corresponding one of the display, the hologram device, and the projector. According to one embodiment, the display device 560 may include a touch circuit suitable for detecting a touch, or a sensor circuit (e.g., a pressure sensor) suitable for measuring the strength of a force caused by a touch.

[0101] The audio module 570 can convert sound into electrical signals and convert electrical signals into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module 570 can obtain sound through the input device 550, or output sound through the sound output device 555 or through headphones of the external electronic device 502 directly (e.g., wired) coupled to the electronic device 501 or wirelessly coupled.

[0102] The sensor module 576 can detect the operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device 501 or the environmental state (e.g., user state) outside the electronic device 501, and then generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. The sensor module 576 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or a brightness sensor.

[0103] The interface 577 may support one or more prescribed protocols to be used to couple the electronic device 501 directly (e.g., in a wired manner) or wirelessly with the external electronic device 502. According to one embodiment, the interface 577 may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or an audio interface.

[0104] The connection terminal 578 may include a connector through which the electronic device 501 may be physically connected to the external electronic device 502. According to one embodiment, the connection terminal 578 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (eg, a headphone connector).

[0105] The haptic module 579 may convert the electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus (e.g., vibration or movement) or an electrical stimulus that can be recognized by the user through tactile sensation or kinesthetic sensation. According to one embodiment, the haptic module 579 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulator.

[0106] The camera module 580 may capture a still image or a moving image. According to one embodiment, the camera module 580 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash.

[0107] The power management module 588 may manage power supplied to the electronic device 501. The power management module 588 may be implemented as, for example, at least a portion of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0108] The battery 589 may supply power to at least one component of the electronic device 501. According to one embodiment, the battery 589 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary cell, a rechargeable secondary cell, or a fuel cell.

[0109] The communication module 590 may support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 501 and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 502, electronic device 504, or server 508) and communicating through the established communication channel. The communication module 590 may include one or more communication processors that can operate independently of the processor 520 (e.g., AP) and support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module 590 may include a wireless communication module 592 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 594 (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules may communicate with the external electronic device 501 through a first network 598 (e.g., a short-range communication network, such as Bluetooth). TM, wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct or Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standards) or a second network 599 (e.g., a long-distance communication network such as a cellular network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or a wide area network (WAN)))) to communicate with an external electronic device. These various types of communication modules may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single integrated circuit) or may be implemented as multiple components separated from each other (e.g., multiple integrated circuits). The wireless communication module 592 may use user information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the user identification module 596 to identify and authenticate the electronic device 501 in the communication network (e.g., the first network 598 or the second network 599).

[0110] The antenna module 597 may transmit or receive a signal or power to or from outside the electronic device 501 (e.g., an external electronic device). According to one embodiment, the antenna module 597 may include one or more antennas, and, for example, the communication module 590 (e.g., the wireless communication module 592) may select at least one antenna suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network (e.g., the first network 598 or the second network 599) from the one or more antennas. Then, a signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module 590 and the external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna.

[0111] At least some of the above components may be coupled to each other and signals (e.g., commands or data) may be sent between at least some of the components via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, a general purpose input and output (GPIO), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

[0112] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be sent or received between the electronic device 501 and the external electronic device 504 through the server 508 coupled to the second network 599. Each of the electronic device 502 and the electronic device 504 may be a device of the same type or a different type as the electronic device 501. All operations or some operations to be performed at the electronic device 501 may be performed at one or more of the external electronic device 502, the external electronic device 504, or the external electronic device 508. For example, if the electronic device 501 should automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device to perform a function or service, the electronic device 501 may also request the one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a portion of the function or service instead of or in addition to performing the function or service. The one or more external electronic devices that receive the request may perform at least a portion of the requested function or service, or perform other functions or other services related to the request, and transmit the results of the performance to the electronic device 501. The electronic device 501 provides the result as at least part of a reply to the request with or without further processing of the result.To this end, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing or client-server computing techniques may be used.

[0113] One embodiment may be implemented as software (e.g., program 540) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 536 or external memory 538) that can be read by a machine (e.g., electronic device 501). For example, the processor of the electronic device 501 may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium with or without one or more other components controlled by the processor, and execute the at least one instruction. Therefore, the machine can be operated to perform at least one function according to the at least one instruction called. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. The term "non-transitory" means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), but this term does not distinguish between a situation where data is stored in a storage medium in a semi-permanent manner and a situation where data is temporarily stored in a storage medium.

[0114] According to one embodiment, the method of the present disclosure may be included in and provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded as a product between a seller and a buyer. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM)) or through an application store (e.g., a Play Store). TM(Play Store TM ) online distribution (e.g., download or upload), or directly between two user devices (e.g., smartphones). If distributed online, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or at least temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a memory of a manufacturer's server, a server of an application store, or a relay server).

[0115] According to one embodiment, each of the above-mentioned components (e.g., a module or a program) may include a single entity or multiple entities. One or more of the above-mentioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, the integrated component may still implement the one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as the corresponding one of the multiple components implements the one or more functions before integration. The operations performed by a module, a program, or another component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be performed in a different order or omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0116] Although specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in the detailed description of the present disclosure, the present disclosure may be modified in various forms without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be determined based solely on the described embodiments, but should be determined based on the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electronic device in a multiple-input multiple-output wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving a signal through a channel; decomposing the channel of the received signal into a plurality of virtual channels, wherein the ranks of the plurality of virtual channels are lower than the rank of the channel of the received signal; performing symbol detection on each of the plurality of virtual channels using a corresponding symbol detector, wherein at least one of the symbol detectors has a rank lower than a rank of the channel of the received signal; combining the output from each of the symbol detectors to obtain a final log-likelihood ratio value for a layer of the channel of the received signal; as well as Decoding is performed using the final log-likelihood ratio value to output decoded symbol values ​​of the received signal. 2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein when decomposing the channels of the received signal, different layer combinations among the layers of the channels of the received signal are pre-processed with respect to each of the plurality of virtual channels.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the symbol detectors has a rank lower than a rank of the channel of the received signal. 4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the channel of the received signal is a rank-8 channel and the symbol detector comprises a plurality of rank-4 symbol detectors or a plurality of rank-2 symbol detectors.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel of the received signal is a rank-4 channel and the symbol detector comprises a rank-4 symbol detector and a plurality of rank-2 symbol detectors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the symbol detector comprises at least one of a maximum likelihood detector, a zero forcing detector, a minimum mean square error detector, a zero forcing / minimum mean square error-successive interference cancellation detector, and a sphere decoder detector.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the channels of the received signal are decomposed by a signal pre-processing scheme including at least one of interference whitening, interference cancellation, interference neglect, and block-based interference whitening.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the output from each of the symbol detectors comprises an initial log-likelihood ratio value or Euclidean distance value of a corresponding layer combination in the layers of the channel of the received signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when the outputs include log-likelihood ratio values, the outputs are combined using log-likelihood ratio summation, log-likelihood ratio averaging, or log-likelihood ratio selection.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein when the outputs include Euclidean distance values, the outputs are combined using Euclidean combining.

11. An electronic device comprising: processor; as well as A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receiving a signal through a channel; decomposing the channel of the received signal into a plurality of virtual channels, wherein the ranks of the plurality of virtual channels are lower than the rank of the channel of the received signal; performing symbol detection on each of the plurality of virtual channels using a corresponding symbol detector, wherein at least one of the symbol detectors has a rank lower than a rank of the channel of the received signal; combining the output from each of the symbol detectors to obtain a final log-likelihood ratio value for a layer of the channel of the received signal; as well as Decoding is performed using the final log-likelihood ratio value to output decoded symbol values ​​of the received signal. 12 . The electronic device according to claim 11 , wherein in decomposing the channels of the received signal, different layer combinations among the layers of the channels of the received signal are pre-processed with respect to each of the plurality of virtual channels.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein each of the symbol detectors has a rank lower than a rank of the channel of the received signal.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the channel of the received signal is a rank-8 channel and the symbol detector comprises a plurality of rank-4 symbol detectors or a plurality of rank-2 symbol detectors.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the channel of the received signal is a rank-4 channel and the symbol detector comprises a rank-4 symbol detector and a plurality of rank-2 symbol detectors.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the output from each of the symbol detectors comprises an initial log-likelihood ratio value or a Euclidean distance value of a corresponding layer combination in the layers of the channels of the received signal.

17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein: When the outputs include initial log-likelihood ratio values, combining the outputs using log-likelihood ratio summation, log-likelihood ratio averaging, or log-likelihood ratio selection; and When the outputs include Euclidean distance values, the outputs are combined using Euclidean distance combining.

18. A multiple-input multiple-output symbol detector for an electronic device, comprising: One or more preprocessors configured to decompose a channel of a received signal into a plurality of virtual channels, wherein the ranks of the plurality of virtual channels are lower than the rank of the channel of the received signal; a plurality of symbol detectors configured to perform symbol detection on each of the plurality of virtual channels, wherein at least one of the plurality of symbol detectors has a rank lower than a rank of a channel of the received signal; a combiner configured to combine outputs from the plurality of symbol detectors to obtain a final log-likelihood ratio value for a layer of a channel of the received signal; as well as A decoder is configured to decode the final log-likelihood ratio value and output a decoded symbol value of the received signal.

Images