Method and device for quantising data representative of a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for adapting a quantisation table of data representative of a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network, comprising: - obtaining a piece of information representative of a channel decoding error rate for a decoded quantised demodulated signal resulting from demodulation of the radio signal received by the antenna, the demodulated radio signal having been quantised by the quantisation table, and the quantised demodulated radio signal having been channel-decoded, - adapting the quantisation table when the channel decoding error rate is greater than a determined threshold, - transmitting a piece of information representative of the adaptation of the quantisation table to a channel decoding device or to a demodulation device.

Description

[0001] Method and device for quantifying data representative of a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network

[0002] 1. Scope of the invention

[0003] The invention relates to the field of cellular networks and more specifically to the exchange of information between different functions of the radio access network (RAN for Radio Access Network).

[0004] 2. Prior Art

[0005] The functions of the radio access network can be broken down into several functional blocks: PDCP, RLC, MAC, (de)coding, rate matching, modulation, etc. Such possibilities for functional decomposition are illustrated in Figure 1, showing the possible breakdown options described in 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) Study on new radio access technology: Radio access architecture and interfaces, 2017, TR38.801 V14.0.7.

[0006] In current implementations, these different functions are executed by a single computing platform that is part of a base station (BBU for Base Band Unit). For example, such a platform could be a dedicated server at the base of an antenna. However, with the evolution of radio functions and the consolidation of some of these functions within centralized computing platforms (also known as Cloud-RAN) to achieve economies of scale and better management of radio resources, the RAN functions can be divided according to several options (see the 3GPP TR 38.801 specification as shown in Figure 1).

[0007] Among these options, a split, or option 7.3, involves separating the RAN functions into at least two blocks: lower-level functions (modulation, analog-to-digital conversion, FFT, etc.) on one side and higher-level functions (decoding, MAC - Media Access Control -, etc.) on the other, in the upstream and downstream directions. The RLC (Radio Link Control) and PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) functions can themselves be implemented even higher in the network (using a split, for example, option 2).

[0008] Option 7.3 is detailed in a simplified manner in Figure 2A. It should be noted that this option 7.3 is only considered by 3GPP in the downlink direction. Figure 2A schematically illustrates the data exchange between a core network C and an antenna ANT through which a terminal T transmits and receives data. As illustrated in Figure 2A, the modulation / demodulation and encoding / decoding functions are implemented in separate equipment. For example, the downlink modulation (MOD) and uplink demodulation (DEMOD) functions are implemented by a first piece of equipment (RU), and the encoding (COD), decoding (DEC), RLC, and MAC functions are implemented by a second piece of equipment (DU). The high-level PDCP and RRC functions can be implemented by a third piece of equipment (CU, not shown).In the downlink (DL) direction, the encoding module (COD) transmits HB data as "hard bits" to the modulation module (MOD). These HB hard bits are binary sequences resulting from the channel coding implemented for transmitting source data received from the core network over the mobile network. The modulation module (MOD) then transmits modulated l / Q symbols. In the uplink (UL) direction, the demodulation module (DEMOD) receives l / Q symbols, which it demodulates into SB data, also known as "soft bits." The demodulation module (DEMOD) transmits these soft bits (SB) to the decoding module (DEC). These SB soft bits are real, non-binary data.

[0009] Generally, reverse operations take place in the terminal T. It should be noted that the implementation in the terminal depends on the terminal manufacturer. However, the general operation described by the standard is as follows.

[0010] Terminal T receives l / Q modulated symbols from the base station, i.e., in the downlink direction (DL). These l / Q symbols were converted into a radio signal during their transmission through the air by the base station. Upon reception by terminal T, these l / Q symbols are demodulated by the terminal's demodulation module (DEMOD). 1 ) in the form of soft bits (SB T The demodulation module (DEMOD) 1 ) transmits these "soft bits" (SB T ) to the terminal's decoding module (DEC T ).

[0011] When the terminal transmits data to the base station, i.e., in the uplink direction (UL), the terminal's encoding module (COD) T ) transmits hard bits (HB T ) to the terminal's modulation module (MOD T ) which modulates them into l / Q modulated symbols which are then transmitted on the radio channel.

[0012] Examples of l / Q signals are schematically illustrated in Figure 2A. For example, Figure 2A shows: an l / Q radio frequency signal Si emitted by the ANT base station and the corresponding l / Q radio frequency signal Si' received by terminal T, and an l / Q radio frequency signal S2 emitted by terminal T and the corresponding l / Q radio frequency signal S2' received by the ANT base station.

[0013] It appears that the received signals Si' and S2' are noisy compared to the corresponding emitted signals Si and S2.

[0014] For efficient channel decoding, the demodulation modules of the antenna and the terminal transmit demodulated data, commonly called soft bits, to the channel decoding module. Soft bits represent the logarithmic likelihood ratios (LLRs) of the IQ symbols received by the base station antenna or the terminal after demodulation of the received signal. In other words, the LLR represents the ratio between the probability that a particular bit of the received signal is a 1 and the probability that this bit is a 0. The use of LLR data by the decoding module allows for good performance with channel decoding methods.

[0015] In most implementations, this LLR data is encoded using 16 or 12 bits. When LLRs are processed locally, i.e., when the demodulation and decoding functions are implemented by the same equipment, this representation does not pose a problem. However, some network function partitioning schemes, as illustrated in Figure 2A, propose separating the demodulation and decoding functions. The LLR data must then be transported between high and low functions of the RAN.

[0016] Examples of data rates required to transmit LLR data are illustrated in the table.

[0017] The data rate shown below is for 64 QAM modulation. This rate varies depending on the coding level or MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme) coding scheme.

[0018] It is clear that the throughput can reach very high values, which can pose sizing problems for the fronthaul network (first part of the access network), which connects the high functions to the low functions.

[0019] [Table 1]

[0020] Table 1. Required bandwidth on the fronthaul as a function of the LLR coding level for 64QAM modulation.

[0021] Such a problem also arises when the encoding / decoding functions are offloaded to an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) component to save computation time, as illustrated in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows an FPGA component for encoding / decoding and a CALC computing platform performing the other RAN functions. In such an implementation, the soft bits are transferred to the FPGA component via a communication bus. The data rate required for soft bit transmission is a limiting factor for such implementations, as communication buses are not suitable for transmitting such large amounts of data with reasonable latency given the service requirements.

[0022] Previous techniques involved transferring l / Q symbols, before demodulation, between the high and low functions of the RAN, notably in option 7.2 adopted by ORAN. To reduce the bandwidth between the two groups of RAN functions, the ORAN method proposes compressing the l / Q symbols transported between the high and low functions. Several compression methods are identified in the ORAN specification ORAN-WG4.CUS.0-v02.00 (O-RAN Fronthaul Working Group, “Control, User and Synchronization Plane Specification,” O-RAN, Specification, 2019). However, these methods can lead to significant radio signal degradation, which seems entirely unrealistic in an operational context.

[0023] Therefore, there is a need to improve the state of the art.

[0024] 3. Description of the invention

[0025] The invention improves upon the prior art. To this end, it relates to a method for adapting a quantization table of data representative of a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network. Such a method comprises:

[0026] - obtaining information representative of a channel decoding error rate of a decoded quantized demodulated signal resulting from a demodulation of the radio signal received by said antenna, said demodulated radio signal having been quantized by said quantization table, and said quantized demodulated radio signal having undergone channel decoding,

[0027] - the adaptation of the quantization table when the channel decoding error rate exceeds a predetermined threshold,

[0028] - the transmission of information representative of the adaptation of the quantization table, to a channel decoding device or to a demodulation device.

[0029] The invention thus makes it possible to reduce the data rate required for the transmission of soft bits between the demodulation device and the channel decoding device, particularly when these devices are implemented on two separate pieces of equipment.

[0030] In the case where the decoding process is implemented by a specific circuit, such as an FPGA, reducing the encoding size of the softbits or LLRs makes it possible to reduce the bandwidth on the communication bus between the FPGA component and the rest of the RAN functions and thus gain a possible multiplexing factor if several FPGA components are connected to the communication bus.

[0031] Advantageously, the adaptation method according to the invention takes into account the channel decoding performance and adapts the quantization table in real time based on the signal's BLER. The quantization table used is thus optimized according to the BLER observed in the received radio signal. In other words, the signal quantization is optimized end-to-end based on the quality criterion of the soft bit decoding, which also optimizes the data rate required for soft bit transmission.

[0032] Thus, when quantization impacts channel decoding too strongly, or when the environmental conditions of radio signal transmission produce a signal that is too noisy, it is possible to adapt the quantization table to reduce the impact of quantization and limit decoding errors.

[0033] The adaptation process can be implemented by the demodulation device of the received radio signal which in this case receives the BLER information from the channel decoding device of the demodulated signal and then transmits to the channel decoding device information indicating the use of a new quantization table.

[0034] According to another variant, the adaptation process can be implemented by the channel decoding device which then determines the new quantization table and then transmits to the demodulation device information indicating a new quantization table to be used.

[0035] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the adaptation method further includes adapting the quantization table when the channel decoding error rate is below another predetermined threshold. According to this particular embodiment of the invention, the quantization table is also adapted when the observed BLER is below a predetermined threshold. This makes it possible to increase data compression when the radio signal transmission environment is favorable and the quantization of the demodulated signal has little or no impact on channel decoding performance.

[0036] According to another particular embodiment of the invention, adapting the quantification table involves selecting a new pre-calculated quantification table. In this particular embodiment, a set of quantification tables has been pre-calculated. Thus, adapting the quantification table based on the observed BLER is straightforward.

[0037] According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the new pre-calculated quantization table belongs to a group of pre-calculated quantization tables in which each quantization table is associated with a maximum channel decoding error rate threshold and a minimum channel decoding error rate threshold, the new quantization table being selected based on the value of the channel decoding error rate of the received radio signal relative to the minimum and maximum channel decoding error rate thresholds associated with the quantization tables of the group.

[0038] According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the quantization table adaptation comprises calculating a new quantization table from the demodulated received radio signal. In this particular embodiment of the invention, real-time learning of the quantization table is performed using the values ​​of the received signal. Thus, the quantization table is determined based on the actual transmission conditions.

[0039] According to another particular embodiment of the invention, each value of the demodulated signal is representative of a logarithmic likelihood ratio of a symbol of said radio signal received by said antenna.

[0040] Correspondingly, the invention also relates to a device for adapting a quantization table of data representative of a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network, comprising a processor and a memory configured to:

[0041] - to obtain information representative of a channel decoding error rate of a decoded quantized demodulated signal resulting from a demodulation of the radio signal received by said antenna, said demodulated radio signal having been quantized by said quantization table, and said quantized demodulated radio signal having undergone channel decoding, and

[0042] - adapt the quantization table when the channel decoding error rate exceeds a predetermined threshold,

[0043] - transmit information representative of the adaptation of the quantization table, to a channel decoding device or to a demodulation device.

[0044] The invention also relates to a device for demodulating a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network, comprising:

[0045] - a demodulation module configured to demodulate said radio signal received by said antenna, providing a demodulated signal,

[0046] - a quantization module configured to quantize each value of said demodulated signal using a quantization table, providing a quantized demodulated signal,

[0047] - a transmission module configured to transmit said quantized demodulated signal to a channel decoding module, and

[0048] - an adaptation device as mentioned above.

[0049] The invention also relates to a channel decoding device for a quantized demodulated signal, comprising: - a receiving module configured to receive said quantized demodulated signal from a demodulation device configured to demodulate a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network,

[0050] - an inverse quantization module configured to inversely quantize each value of said demodulated signal quantized using a dequantization table, providing a demodulated dequantized signal,

[0051] - a channel decoding module configured to decode said demodulated dequantized signal.

[0052] - a calculation module configured to calculate a channel decoding error rate of the demodulated, dequantized, decoded signal, and

[0053] - an adaptation device as mentioned above.

[0054] The invention also relates to a mobile network device comprising: a demodulation device configured to demodulate said radio signal received by said antenna, providing a demodulated signal, and to quantize each value of said demodulated signal using a quantization table, providing a quantized demodulated signal, a channel decoding device in the form of a programmable circuit configured to implement a channel decoding scheme of the de-quantized demodulated signal,

[0055] - at least one communication bus capable of transmitting the quantized demodulated signal from the demodulation device to the channel decoding device, and

[0056] - an adaptation device as mentioned above included in the demodulation device or in the channel decoding device.

[0057] The invention also relates to a server comprising at least one adaptation device or a demodulation device or a channel decoding device or even a mobile network device, as described above.

[0058] The invention also relates to a mobile network system comprising:

[0059] - at least one radio antenna, configured to receive a radio signal,

[0060] - at least one piece of equipment for implementing low-level mobile network functions, comprising at least one demodulation device configured to demodulate said radio signal received by said antenna, providing a demodulated signal, to quantize each value of said demodulated signal using a quantization table, providing a quantized demodulated signal, and to transmit said quantized demodulated signal to a channel decoding module,

[0061] - at least one mobile network high-function implementation equipment, comprising at least one channel decoding device configured to receive said quantized demodulated signal from the demodulation device, to inversely quantize each value of said quantized demodulated signal using a dequantization table, providing a dequantized demodulated signal, to decode said dequantized demodulated signal, and to calculate a channel decoding error rate of the decoded dequantized demodulated signal,

[0062] - an adaptation device as described above included in the demodulation device or in the channel decoding device.

[0063] The invention also relates to a computer program comprising instructions for implementing the adaptation method described above according to any one of the specific embodiments described previously, when said program is executed by a processor. This method can be implemented in various ways, including in hardwired or software form.

[0064] This program can use any programming language and be in the form of source code, object code, or code intermediate between source and object code, such as in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form. The invention also relates to a computer-readable storage medium or information carrier containing instructions for a computer program as described above. The aforementioned storage medium can be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium can include a storage means, such as a ROM, for example a CD-ROM or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or a magnetic recording means, for example a hard drive.On the other hand, the recording medium can be a transmissible medium such as an electrical or optical signal, which can be transmitted via an electrical or optical cable, by radio, or by other means. The program according to the invention can, in particular, be uploaded to a network such as the Internet.

[0065] Alternatively, the recording medium may be an integrated circuit in which the program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the process in question.

[0066] 4. List of figures

[0067] Other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following description of a particular embodiment, given by way of simple illustrative and non-limiting example, and the accompanying drawings, among which:

[0068] [Fig. 1] Figure 1 schematically illustrates different options for partitioning the functions of the RAN,

[0069] [Fig. 2A] Figure 2A schematically illustrates the transmission and reception of data according to the breakdown of RAN functions according to option 7.3,

[0070] [Fig. 2B] Figure 2B schematically compares the breakdown of RAN functions according to option 7.2 and option 7.3, [Fig. 3] Figure 3 schematically illustrates an FPGA component for encoding / decoding and a CALC computing platform executing the other RAN functions,

[0071] [Fig. 4] Figure 4 schematically illustrates the steps in the process of adapting a quantization table of a demodulated radio signal according to a particular embodiment of the invention,

[0072] [Fig. 5] Figure 5 schematically illustrates steps in the process of adapting a quantization table of a demodulated radio signal according to another particular embodiment of the invention,

[0073] [Fig. 6] Figure 6 schematically illustrates the steps for determining the quantification table according to a particular embodiment of the invention,

[0074] [Fig. 7] Figure 7 illustrates examples of quantification grains,

[0075] [Fig. 8] Figure 8 illustrates a comparison of the BLER before and after quantification of the LLRs. [Fig. 9] Figure 9 schematically illustrates the steps for determining the quantification table used in the adaptation process according to another particular embodiment of the invention.

[0076] [Fig. 10] Figure 10 schematically illustrates an adaptation device according to a particular embodiment of the invention,

[0077] [Fig. 11] Figure 11 schematically illustrates a demodulation device according to a particular embodiment of the invention,

[0078] [Fig. 12] Figure 12 schematically illustrates a channel decoding device according to a particular embodiment of the invention,

[0079] [Fig. 13] Figure 13 schematically illustrates a mobile network device according to a particular embodiment of the invention.

[0080] 5. Description of an embodiment of the invention

[0081] Since its introduction, RAN disaggregation has raised questions regarding the sizing of the network connecting the high and low functions of the RAN, also known as fronthaul. The first segmentation of these functions introduced in the RAN context, namely option 8, produced enormous data rates, on the order of 10 Gbit / s per radio cell, given that an antenna is typically equipped with 3 cells covering a 120° angle.

[0082] Subsequently, other cell segmentations were introduced, notably option 2, which allows for centralized management of mobile device handovers, thus eliminating the need for the X2 interface between antennas. However, this segmentation does not allow for centralized allocation of radio bandwidth and encoding to better utilize radio resources.

[0083] This is why the 7.x option family was introduced. Option 7.2 is notably considered by the O-RAN standardization alliance. However, as illustrated in Figure 2B, option 7.2 involves transporting l / Q symbols between the high and low functions of the RAN, which can still result in very high throughput on the fronthaul network.

[0084] To address this issue, option 7.3 was proposed in V. Quintuna et al., "Cloud-RAN functional split for an efficient front-end network," a paper presented at the IWCMC 2020 conference. Option 7.3, also illustrated in Figure 2B, involves transferring hard bits in the downlink direction and soft bits (LLR) in the uplink direction. Option 7.3 is also illustrated in Figure 2A, which has already been discussed. A comparison of throughput between options 7.2 and 7.3 is provided in Tables 2, 3, and 4 below.

[0085] [Table 2]

[0086] Table 2: Data rates in Gbit / s of options (splits) 7.2 and 7.3 (MIMO 8, l / Qs with 16 bits, softbits with 5 bits).

[0087] [Table 3]

[0088] Table 3: Comparison of the throughput of options (splits) 7.2 and 7.3 (downstream)

[0089] [Table 4]

[0090] Table 4: Comparison of the throughput of options (splits) 7.2 and 7.3 (upstream direction).

[0091] It is clear that even with option 7.3, upstream speeds can be very high.

[0092] The invention proposes to reduce these rates by proposing a variable coding of the LLRs using a quantization of this signal before transmission to the channel decoding module.

[0093] Quantization is performed using a quantization table, which can be determined, for example, beforehand during an offline training phase, according to different implementation variants that will be described later. However, such methods are static in the sense that the quantization table is determined from a training set within a given environment, in order to best calibrate the quantization intervals, i.e., the size of the bins.

[0094] According to the quantization process described in Figure 4, the quantization of the LLR signal is enhanced by taking into account network environment variables during static learning. Such environmental variables include, for example, interference levels, radio conditions, etc.

[0095] The training space used during static learning then becomes larger, and the choice of a quantization table during the actual quantization of the LLR signal is then indexed by these environmental variables. Such environmental variables are not known during the operational phase.

[0096] During this operational phase, the quantization of the received LLR signal is performed using an algorithm (for example, hysteresis based on the improvement of the observed BLER across all possible choices) that modifies the quantization according to these unknown environmental variables. A feedback loop is thus implemented on the selection of the quantization in the RU based on the evolution of the observed BLER in the DU.

[0097] Figure 4 schematically illustrates steps of the quantification process and the inverse quantification process according to this particular embodiment of the invention.

[0098] During an E40 step, a set of quantization tables is determined from a set of training radio signals. These quantization tables are designed to account for various environmental variables. These environmental variables represent the quality level of the radio signal transmission and, for example, the level of interference, radio conditions, etc. Depending on these environmental variables, the radio signal received by the antenna is more or less noisy, and therefore the channel decoding error rate varies accordingly.

[0099] They are indexed by at least one decoding error rate threshold level (BLER). According to the implementation variant described here, a minimum threshold Si is associated with each quantization table T. min and a maximum threshold If max channel decoding error rate. These BLER thresholds allow us to determine if the corresponding quantization table used during LLR signal quantization is optimal.

[0100] The learning stage can be carried out during an offline learning phase according to different variants which will be described later.

[0101] At the end of step E40, the determined quantization tables and corresponding thresholds are stored in a memory of the demodulation module.

[0102] During an E400 step, the radio signal received by the base station or terminal antenna is demodulated. The received radio frequency signal, typically consisting of l / Q symbols, is demodulated to provide a demodulated signal in the form of soft bits, or LLRs. Each value of this demodulated signal corresponds to a logarithmic likelihood ratio of a symbol in the radio signal received by the antenna. During an E401 step, each value of the demodulated signal is quantized using a quantization table T, stored in the demodulation module's memory.At initialization, the quantization table T used can be chosen as the one determined for environmental variables providing a very low noise radio signal, or on the contrary, the one determined for environmental variables providing a very noisy radio signal, or even the quantization table determined for environmental variables providing an average decoded radio signal quality.

[0103] During an E402 step, the quantized demodulated signal is passed to the channel decoding module to reconstruct the originally transmitted radio signal.

[0104] Following the reception of the quantized demodulated signal from the demodulation module, during step E403, each value of the quantized demodulated signal is dequantized using the dequantization table T,', yielding a dequantized demodulated signal. This dequantized demodulated signal is then decoded according to the channel decoding scheme specified in the MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme).

[0105] During an E404 step, a channel decoding error rate ÎBLER of the demodulated dequantized decoded signal is calculated.

[0106] During step E405, information representing this calculated channel decoding error rate ÎBLER is transmitted to the demodulation module by the channel decoding module. Following the reception of this information representing the channel decoding error rate ÎBLER of the decoded quantized signal, during step E406, it is verified that the channel decoding error rate ÎBLER is within the thresholds. min and If max If so, then the quantization table T, used to quantize the LLR signal, is considered optimal in terms of rate / distortion. If not, in step E407, a new quantization table is selected to replace the quantization table T, as follows: if the observed BLER ÎBLER is strictly greater than Si max The newly selected quantification table is the quantification table T) which has a threshold Sj min = If maxif the observed BLER ÎBLER is strictly less than Sj min The newly selected quantification table is the T quantification table k which has a threshold Sk max = If min During step E408, information indicating the use of the newly selected table is transmitted to the channel decoding module. During step E409, the channel decoding module can then update the inverse quantization table it uses.

[0107] When processing subsequent LLR signals, they will be quantized using the newly selected quantization table.

[0108] Comparison of the observed BLER with the thresholds Si min and If maxThis is performed here by the demodulation module, as well as the selection of a new quantization table. However, these steps can also be performed by the channel decoding module, which in this case informs the demodulation module of the newly selected quantization table.

[0109] The invention thus makes it possible to dynamically adapt the quantization table used to compress the LLR signal, taking into account the channel decoding performance. According to this embodiment, the quantization table used oscillates between several quantization tables until the best quantization table is selected.

[0110] According to the variant described above, the quantification tables are determined statically and adapted by selection during the operational phase.

[0111] Another variant is described below in which the initial quantization table is dynamically adapted by recalculating it based on the received LLR signal. This effectively performs online training of the optimal quantization table. This variant is described in relation to Figure 5.

[0112] During step E50, an initial quantization table To is determined from a set of training radio signals. For example, this quantization table is determined for environmental variables defining an average channel decoding error rate. This table To is associated with a maximum threshold So max channel decoding error rate. This BLER threshold helps determine if the quantization table To used during LLR signal quantization does not excessively degrade channel decoding performance.

[0113] The learning stage can be carried out during an offline learning phase according to different variants which will be described later.

[0114] At the end of step E50, the determined quantization table and the corresponding threshold are stored in a memory of the demodulation module.

[0115] During an E500 step, the radio signal received by the base station or terminal antenna is demodulated. The received radio frequency signal, typically consisting of l / Q symbols, is demodulated to provide a demodulated signal in the form of soft bits, or LLRs. Each value of this demodulated signal corresponds to a logarithmic likelihood ratio of a symbol in the radio signal received by the antenna.

[0116] During an E501 step, each value of the demodulated signal is quantized using the quantization table To stored in the memory of the demodulation module.

[0117] During an E502 step, the quantized demodulated signal is passed to the channel decoding module to reconstruct the originally transmitted radio signal.

[0118] Following the reception of the quantized demodulated signal from the demodulation module, during step E503, each value of the quantized demodulated signal is dequantized using the dequantization table To' corresponding to the quantization table To, yielding a dequantized demodulated signal. This dequantized demodulated signal is then decoded according to the channel decoding scheme specified in the MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme).

[0119] During an E504 step, a channel decoding error rate ÎBLER of the demodulated dequantized decoded signal is calculated.

[0120] During an E505 step, information representative of this calculated channel decoding error rate ÎBLER is transmitted to the demodulation module.

[0121] Following the receipt of information representing the channel decoding error rate ÎBLER of the decoded quantized demodulated signal, during an E506 step, it is checked whether the channel decoding error rate ÎBLER is below the threshold So max If so, then the quantization table T0 used to quantize the LLR signal is considered optimal. If not, in step E507, a new quantization table is calculated to replace the quantization table T0.

[0122] This new quantization table can be calculated by any suitable methods, for example those shown below, using the LLR signal values ​​obtained during step E500.

[0123] The threshold So max can also be updated, for example by decreasing it by a specific value.

[0124] During step E508, information indicating the use of the newly recalculated table is then transmitted to the channel decoding module, along with the corresponding dequantization table. During step E509, the channel decoding module can then update the inverse quantization table it uses.

[0125] When processing subsequent LLR signals, they will be quantized using the newly recalculated quantization table.

[0126] According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the two variants described above in relation to Figures 4 and 5 can be combined. Thus, the quantization table can be adapted according to the observed BLER over short integration periods, depending on the variant in which the new quantization table is selected from pre-calculated tables. Over a longer integration period, the pre-calculated tables are dynamically recalculated based on long-term system variations, by learning from the radio signals received during the operational phase.

[0127] Methods for determining quantification tables are described below according to different variants which can be used for static learning of quantification tables during step E40 described above with figure 4 or during step E50 described above with figure 5, or during dynamic learning carried out during step E507 described with figure 5.

[0128] Figure 6 shows steps to determine a quantification table used in the adaptation process described above.

[0129] According to the particular embodiment described here, the quantification table is determined by a method of compensation or companding.

[0130] Consider a set of radio frequency training signals received by an antenna and demodulated, providing a set of demodulated radio signals. This set of radio frequency training signals is used to estimate the distribution of the absolute value of the LLRs.

[0131] In step E601, the distribution of the absolute values ​​of the demodulated radio signals is estimated. In step E602, for at least one quantization level corresponding to a representation of the quantized values ​​of the demodulated signal quantized over a given number of bits, quantization intervals are calculated from the estimated distribution.

[0132] In step E602, an optimal scalar quantization is determined. This optimal quantization is achieved using the companding method, which consists of producing equiprobable bins from the non-uniform distribution estimated in step E601. In other words, the companding method determines quantization intervals that include approximately the same number of values ​​of the demodulated radio signal.

[0133] To obtain these quantization intervals, the required nonlinear transformation is the inversion of the cumulative probability distribution. In practice, this is achieved by sorting followed by regular grouping into bins. The result is a quantization reference frame or bucket list.

[0134] An example of a bucket list or quantization interval is illustrated in Figure 7 for different quantization levels corresponding to 2, 8, 32, and 128, respectively. The quantization level corresponds to the number of buckets obtained. For example, a 2-level quantization uses two quantization intervals.

[0135] Step E602 is implemented for different levels of quantification, for example levels 2, 8, 32 and 128.

[0136] This results in a quantization table for each quantization level. Each quantization table includes the quantization intervals of the input signal values ​​and associates each quantization interval with the index corresponding to the quantized value representing the values ​​within that quantization interval.

[0137] During step E603, a quantization table is selected from among the obtained quantization tables. The quantization table is selected so that it minimizes a rate-distortion cost, where the rate corresponds to the rate used to represent the quantized values ​​and the distortion is calculated between the values ​​of the demodulated radio signal and the quantized values.

[0138] According to another approach, the table can be selected by considering the channel decoding error introduced by quantization. This decoding error can be measured to verify that quantizing the LLR signal does not degrade the overall performance of the channel coding. For example, the channel decoding error is measured by the BLER (Block Error Rate) on the signal decoded by the channel decoding module.

[0139] Figure 8 illustrates a comparison of the BLER before (BLERorig) and after LLR quantization (BLERquant) for different quantization levels (2, 4, and 8). Figure 8 shows that 8-bin quantization offers a good compromise, inducing minimal additional error while allowing LLR encoding using 4 bits (1 sign bit + 3 absolute value bits). This reduces the bandwidth required to transmit the LLRs by a factor of four compared to the initial 16-bit encoding.

[0140] During an E604 step, the selected quantization table is stored in a memory of the demodulation module.

[0141] According to the particular embodiment described herein, the quantification table was determined using a companding method. Other embodiments of the invention are possible for obtaining the quantification table. In particular, a Lloyd-Max-type method can be used to define the quantification intervals.

[0142] The Lloyd-Max method determines an optimal scalar quantizer by minimizing a distortion. This distortion is calculated between the input signal, i.e., the absolute values ​​of the demodulated radio signals, and the reconstructed signal, i.e., the absolute values ​​of the quantized and dequantized demodulated radio signals.

[0143] Figure 9 schematically illustrates the steps for determining the quantization table used in the adaptation process according to another particular embodiment of the invention. According to this particular embodiment, the quantization table(s) are determined so as not to degrade the overall performance of the channel coding, as measured by the BLER (Block Error Rate). Specifically, according to this particular embodiment, the quantization table is determined during the learning phase using end-to-end optimization that takes into account the overall performance of the channel coding. According to this particular embodiment, the complete decoding chain is integrated into the optimization loop in order to find the optimal parameters for the LLR decoding quality criterion.Due to its structure (Turbo-Decoder, LDPC, Polar Codes), the decoding quality is a non-differentiable function of the input parameters, which are the quantization steps of the LLRs. Therefore, any classical optimization method based on gradient descent is excluded.

[0144] "Gradient-free" methods are used, such as genetic algorithms, but other optimization methods are also possible (e.g., simulated annealing). In these methods, a set of vectors in the parameter space, acting as "candidates," is considered, along with a "goodness-of-fit function" defined on this space, which is to be maximized. A vector in the parameter space corresponds to a quantization table defining the quantization intervals or no quantizations for quantizing the values ​​of the LLR signal. In this particular implementation, the quantization table is determined from a set of training LLR signals.

[0145] The set of training LLR signals used in the optimization process described below consists of radio signals, typically l / Q symbols, transmitted at a channel coding level and demodulated to provide a demodulated signal in the form of soft bits, or LLRs. Each value of this demodulated signal corresponds to a logarithmic likelihood ratio of a symbol in the radio signal received by the antenna.

[0146] During an E90 step, a set of candidate quantization vectors is determined.

[0147] At initialization, a set of candidate quantization tables is therefore determined, for example by a "companding" type method.

[0148] Then, for each candidate quantization vector, during an E91 step, the training LLR signals are quantized using the candidate quantization vector, providing quantized training LLR signals.

[0149] During an E92 step, the quantized training LLR signals are decoded according to the channel coding level. Prior to channel decoding, these quantized training LLR signals are dequantized.

[0150] During an E93 step, an error is calculated between the decoded quantized training LLRs and the unquantized decoded training LLRs, according to the chosen goodness-of-fit function.

[0151] During an E95 step, the quantization vector is selected from the set of candidate quantization vectors that minimizes the error between the decoded quantized training LLRs and the unquantized decoded training LLRs.

[0152] According to a variant of this particular embodiment of the invention, the optimization phase is based on a genetic algorithm. In this particular embodiment, the quantization vector is selected at step E95 if a stopping criterion for the algorithm is met. Such a stopping criterion may include a maximum number of algorithm iterations reached or a convergence criterion for the algorithm. If the stopping criterion is not met, at step E94, the candidate quantization vectors are optimized, and the process iterates steps E91-E93 for the new set of candidate quantization vectors.

[0153] In the case of genetic algorithms such as those used in the invention, the set of candidate quantization vectors is "evolved" like a "population of individuals" by applying principles derived from evolutionary theory: reproduction probability proportional to the goodness-of-fit function, random mutations, and random hybridizations. This method produces a progressive improvement in the goodness-of-fit of the best candidate quantization vector. At convergence, a local optimum is reached.

[0154] Implementing this variant involves using a gradient-free method, e.g., the genetic algorithm, on a representative dataset, in this case, the training LLR signals. The adequacy function is an evaluation of the performance of a decoder of the type considered (Turbo / LDPC / Polar), determined by the MCS channel coding level. The large number of evaluations required (numerous individuals and generations) may necessitate the use of accelerated decoding hardware during this optimization phase.

[0155] But once convergence is achieved or the stopping criterion is satisfied, the optimal candidate quantization vector is extracted (E95), and in a step E96, stored by the demodulation module.

[0156] This optimal quantization vector is then used in a real-time system: it is a quantization table.

[0157] The variant described in relation to Figure 9 is described in the case of BLER minimization. According to one variant, the optimization process described in Figure 9 can be implemented by minimizing the error between the input training LLR signals and the quantized and dequantized training LLR signals. According to this variant, channel decoding of the quantized training LLR signals is not necessary. This variant is simpler in terms of computational cost, but the selected quantization vector does not take into account the performance of channel decoding.

[0158] The methods for determining a quantization table described above are implemented for known environmental variables (interference level, radio conditions). The chosen method is applied to different sets of environmental variables, each providing different qualities of the decoded radio signal. A quantization table is determined for each set of environmental variables. BLER thresholds corresponding to each set of environmental variables are associated with each quantization table. For example, a minimum threshold and a single maximum threshold are defined, establishing a BLER range within which the observed BLER of the radio signal must lie during the operational phase when the demodulated signal is quantized using the quantization table corresponding to the thresholds.In other examples, only one threshold per quantification table can be used, this threshold defining the maximum limit of the observed BLER. If the observed BLER is higher than this threshold, the quantification table must be adjusted.

[0159] Figure 10 schematically illustrates a DISP_A adaptation device according to a particular embodiment of the invention. Such a device is notably configured to implement the adaptation process according to any one of the particular embodiments of the invention described above.

[0160] The DISP_A adaptation device includes, in particular, a PROC processor and a MEM memory configured to obtain information representative of the channel decoding error rate of a decoded quantized demodulated signal resulting from the demodulation of the radio signal received by said antenna, said demodulated radio signal having been quantized by said quantization table, and said quantized demodulated radio signal having undergone channel decoding, and to adapt the quantization table when the channel decoding error rate exceeds a predetermined threshold. These functions can be implemented by means of instructions in a computer program PG stored in MEM memory and executed by the PROC processor.

[0161] The DISP_A adaptation device also includes a TRANS transmission module to transmit information representative of the quantization table adaptation to a channel decoding device or a demodulation device.

[0162] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, this adaptation device is included in a demodulation device. This demodulation device corresponds, for example, to the demodulation module of the RU equipment in Figure 2A.

[0163] According to another particular embodiment of the invention, this adaptation device is included in a channel decoding device. This channel decoding device corresponds, for example, to the channel decoding module of the DU equipment in Figure 2A.

[0164] Figure 11 schematically illustrates a DISP_D demodulation device according to a particular embodiment of the invention. Such a device is notably configured to implement the adaptation method according to any one of the particular embodiments of the invention described above.

[0165] The DISP_D demodulation device includes, in particular:

[0166] - a DEMOD demodulation module configured to demodulate a radio signal received by an antenna, providing a demodulated signal, - a QUANT quantization module configured to quantize each value of said demodulated signal using a quantization table stored in MEMO memory, providing a quantized demodulated signal.

[0167] - a COM transmission module configured to transmit said quantized demodulated signal to a channel decoding device, and

[0168] - an adaptation device DISP_A described in relation to figure 10.

[0169] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, this demodulation device corresponds, for example, to the demodulation module of the RU equipment in Figure 2A. According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the channel decoding device of the DU equipment in Figure 2A is configured to update the dequantization table used to dequantize the demodulated signal that was quantized before channel decoding of this signal, based on information transmitted by the demodulation device. The invention also relates to such a suitable channel decoding device.

[0170] Figure 12 schematically illustrates a DEC channel decoding device according to a particular embodiment of the invention. Such a device is notably configured to implement the adaptation method according to any one of the particular embodiments of the invention described above.

[0171] The DEC channel decoding device includes, in particular:

[0172] - a REC receiving module configured to receive said quantized demodulated signal from a demodulation device configured to demodulate a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network,

[0173] - a QUANTJNV inverse quantization module configured to inversely quantize each value of said quantized demodulated signal using a dequantization table, providing a dequantized demodulated signal,

[0174] - a DECL channel decoding module configured to decode said demodulated dequantized signal,

[0175] - a CALC calculation module configured to calculate a channel decoding error rate of the demodulated, dequantized, decoded signal, and

[0176] - an adaptation device DISP_A described in relation to figure 10.

[0177] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, this channel decoding device corresponds, for example, to the channel decoding module of the DU equipment in Figure 2A. According to another particular embodiment of the invention, the demodulation device of the RU equipment in Figure 2A is configured to update the quantization table used to quantize the demodulated signal before transmission to the channel decoding device, based on information transmitted by the channel decoding device. The invention also relates to such an adapted demodulation device. Figure 13 schematically illustrates a D_RES mobile network device according to a particular embodiment of the invention. Such a device is notably configured to implement the adaptation process according to any one of the particular embodiments of the invention described above.

[0178] The D_RES mobile network device includes, in particular: a DEMODO demodulation device configured to demodulate said radio signal received by said antenna, providing a demodulated signal, and to quantize each value of said demodulated signal using a quantization table, providing a quantized demodulated signal; a DECO channel decoding device in the form of a programmable circuit configured to implement a channel decoding scheme of the dequantized demodulated signal;

[0179] - at least one communication bus capable of transmitting the quantized demodulated signal from the demodulation device to the channel decoding device.

[0180] According to this particular embodiment of the invention, an adaptation device DISP_A described in relation to figure 10 is included in the demodulation device or in the channel decoding device.

Claims

Demands 1. A method for adapting a quantization table of data representative of a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network, comprising: - obtaining information representative of a channel decoding error rate of a decoded quantized demodulated signal resulting from a demodulation of the radio signal received by said antenna, said demodulated radio signal having been quantized by said quantization table, and said quantized demodulated radio signal having undergone channel decoding, - the adaptation of the quantization table when the channel decoding error rate exceeds a predetermined threshold, - the transmission of information representative of the adaptation of the quantization table, to a channel decoding device or to a demodulation device.

2. Method according to claim 1, further comprising adapting the quantization table when the channel decoding error rate is less than another determined threshold.

3. A quantification method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adaptation of the quantification table includes the selection of a new pre-calculated quantification table.

4. A quantization method according to claim 3 wherein the new pre-calculated quantization table belongs to a group of pre-calculated quantization tables in which each quantization table is associated with a maximum channel decoding error rate threshold and a minimum channel decoding error rate threshold, the new quantization table being selected based on the value of the channel decoding error rate of the received radio signal relative to the minimum and maximum channel decoding error rate thresholds associated with the quantization tables of the group.

5. Quantization method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adaptation of the quantization table includes the calculation of a new quantization table from the received demodulated radio signal.

6. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each value of the demodulated signal is representative of a logarithmic likelihood ratio of a symbol of said radio signal received by said antenna.

7. Device for adapting a quantization table of data representative of a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network, comprising a processor and memory configured for - to obtain information representative of a channel decoding error rate of a decoded quantized demodulated signal resulting from a demodulation of the radio signal received by said antenna, said demodulated radio signal having been quantized by said quantization table, and said quantized demodulated radio signal having undergone channel decoding, and - adapt the quantization table when the channel decoding error rate exceeds a predetermined threshold, - transmit information representative of the adaptation of the quantization table, to a channel decoding device or to a demodulation device.

8. Device for demodulating a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network, comprising - a demodulation module configured to demodulate said radio signal received by said antenna, providing a demodulated signal, - a quantization module configured to quantize each value of said demodulated signal using a quantization table, providing a quantized demodulated signal, - a transmission module configured to transmit said quantized demodulated signal to a channel decoding module, and - an adaptation device according to claim 7.

9. Channel decoding device for a quantized demodulated signal, comprising: - a receiving module configured to receive said quantized demodulated signal from a demodulation device configured to demodulate a radio signal received by a radio antenna of a mobile network, - an inverse quantization module configured to inversely quantize each value of said demodulated signal quantized using a dequantization table, providing a demodulated dequantized signal, - a channel decoding module configured to decode said demodulated dequantized signal, - a calculation module configured to calculate a channel decoding error rate of the demodulated, dequantized, decoded signal, and - an adaptation device according to claim 7.

10. Device of a mobile network comprising: a demodulation device configured to demodulate said radio signal received by said antenna, providing a demodulated signal, and to quantize each value of said demodulated signal using a quantization table, providing a quantized demodulated signal, a channel decoding device in the form of a programmable circuit configured to implement a channel decoding scheme of the dequantized demodulated signal, - at least one communication bus capable of transmitting the quantized demodulated signal from the demodulation device to the channel decoding device, and - an adaptation device according to claim 7 included in the demodulation device or in the channel decoding device.

11. Server comprising at least one device according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. Mobile network system comprising: - at least one radio antenna, configured to receive a radio signal, - at least one mobile network low-level function implementation device, comprising at least one demodulation device configured to demodulate said radio signal received by said antenna, providing a demodulated signal, to quantize each value of said demodulated signal using a quantization table, providing a quantized demodulated signal, and to transmit said quantized demodulated signal to a channel decoding module, - at least one mobile network high-function implementation equipment, comprising at least one channel decoding device configured to receive said quantized demodulated signal from the demodulation device, to inversely quantize each value of said quantized demodulated signal using a dequantization table, providing a dequantized demodulated signal, to decode said dequantized demodulated signal, and to calculate a channel decoding error rate of the decoded dequantized demodulated signal, - an adaptation device according to claim 7 included in the demodulation device or in the channel decoding device.

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