Adaptive Beamforming Wireless Node for Legacy Terminal Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Legacy user terminals in wireless communication systems, which support only up to two MIMO layers, face inefficiencies in resource utilization due to their limited capabilities, leading to suboptimal performance in communication systems designed for higher MIMO layers.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication node with a row of three antenna devices, each with dual polarized antenna ports, employs adaptive beamforming to direct one or two antenna beams in specific directions, allowing for efficient communication with legacy terminals by dividing the sector into sub-sectors and using digital signal combining and beamforming to optimize resource use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the node uses broad antenna beams to cover the entire sector for legacy user terminals, then coverage is provided, but resource utilization efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sector is divided into multiple sub-sectors, each served by a dedicated beamformed antenna beam. This segmentation allows the system to provide coverage to legacy user terminals while improving resource utilization efficiency by concentrating resources in specific directional sub-sectors rather than broadcasting broadly across the entire sector.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the node supports only two beam ports for legacy user terminals, then compatibility is maintained, but performance deteriorates compared to higher MIMO capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The beamforming arrangement dynamically adapts its operation based on user terminal capabilities. For legacy user terminals, it configures two beam ports with adaptive beamforming to maintain compatibility. For advanced user terminals with higher MIMO capabilities, it can utilize more beam ports to achieve better performance. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between maintaining legacy compatibility and achieving optimal performance.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a wireless communication node (1) comprising at least one antenna arrangement (2, 3, 4). Each antenna arrangement (2, 3, 4) comprises at least three antenna devices (5, 6, 7, 8), comprising corresponding pairs of antenna ports (A, B, C, D) with a corresponding first and second antenna port (P1A, P1 B, P1 C, P1D; P2A, P2B, P2C, P2D). Each antenna port (P1A, P1 B, P1C, P1D; P2A, P2B, P2C, P2D) is arranged downlink and uplink and is connected to a corresponding radio transceiver unit (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18). Each antenna device (5, 6, 7, 8) comprises at least one corresponding dual polarized antenna element (19, 20, 21, 22) arranged for transmitting and receiving signals at a first polarization (P1) via the corresponding first antenna port (P1A, P1B, P1 C, P1 D) and for transmitting and receiving signals at a second polarization (P2) via the corresponding second antenna port (P2A, P2B, P2C, P2D). A beamforming arrangement (23) is arranged to apply beamforming on downlink signals. For an adaptive mode of operation for downlink, the beamforming arrangement (23) is arranged to apply beamforming such that one or two antenna beams (48a, 48b) is/are directed in a first direction (49), and such that one or two antenna beams (32a, 32b) is/are directed in a second direction (33).