8Rx Antenna Demodulation via Segmented Precoder Metrics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems, particularly in 5G NR, face limitations in utilizing additional receive antennas beyond the maximum supported layers, leading to suboptimal performance due to hardware resource constraints.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where a wireless device selects a wideband precoder for a first set of antennas and a second set of antennas, both exceeding the maximum supported layers, calculates performance metrics for each, and combines them to extend the functionality of existing hardware resources, enabling 8Rx demodulation and channel state feedback even when only 4Rx demodulation is supported.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If additional receive antennas are installed beyond the maximum supported layers, then spectral efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio are improved, but hardware resource constraints prevent full utilization of these antennas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the 8 receive antennas into two separate 4-antenna groups. Each group is processed independently through separate demodulation and channel state feedback (CSF) chains, allowing the system to utilize all 8 antennas while working within the constraint of supporting only 4 layers per hardware chain. This segmentation enables full antenna utilization without requiring hardware resources beyond what is available.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the results from two separate 4Rx processing chains to achieve effective 8Rx performance. By combining the spectral efficiency measurements and channel state information from both antenna groups, the system achieves improved spectral efficiency and signal-to-noise ratio that would be unattainable with a single 4-antenna group, while still operating within existing hardware constraints.
2Productivity
If the system supports only 4Rx demodulation, then hardware complexity is reduced, but the capability to utilize 8Rx antennas for improved performance is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the 8-antenna system into two independent 4-antenna segments, each processed by separate demodulation chains. This allows the system to achieve 8Rx performance capability while each individual hardware chain only needs to support 4Rx demodulation, thus maintaining reduced hardware complexity while improving overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing step where channel state feedback and precoder selection are performed separately for each 4-antenna group, then combined to achieve the final 8Rx performance metric. This intermediary approach enables the system to bridge the gap between limited 4Rx hardware capability and desired 8Rx performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for wireless communication at a wireless device is disclosed herein. The method includes selecting a wideband precoder for a first set of antennas and a second set of antennas based on at least one matrix, where a number of the first set of antennas and the second set of antennas is greater than a maximum number of supported layers. The method includes calculating, based on the selected wideband precoder, a first set of performance metrics for the first set of antennas and a second set of performance metrics for the second set of antennas. The method includes combining the first set of performance metrics for the first set of antennas and the second set of performance metrics for the second set of antennas based on the calculation.