Adaptive UE Grouping for Multicasting Beamforming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication systems, particularly in LTE and future 5G networks, face challenges in maximizing system capacity and fairness in multicasting scenarios where the same content is transmitted to groups of user equipment (UE) devices, as channel conditions vary among users, leading to differing signal quality and interference.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves adaptively grouping user equipment (UE) into orthogonal channels for precoding and beamforming, optimizing UE groupings and beamforming vectors to maximize average throughput and minimum fairness, using techniques such as exhaustive search, iterative grouping, and gradient search to ensure efficient resource allocation and interference reduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the same content is transmitted to all user equipment devices using MIMO techniques, then system capacity is improved, but fairness deteriorates due to varying channel conditions and signal quality among users

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem capacityVSAvoidfairness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments user equipment into multiple groups based on channel conditions and spatial characteristics. Each group is assigned dedicated beamforming vectors and orthogonal resources, allowing differentiated transmission strategies that balance overall system capacity with individual user fairness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by optimizing beamforming vectors specifically for each user group's channel conditions. Instead of a uniform transmission approach, each group receives tailored precoding that adapts to its specific spatial and channel characteristics, improving both capacity and fairness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If beamforming vectors are optimized for each user individually, then signal quality is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need to manage multiple user-specific configurations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal qualityVSAvoidbeamforming configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges user equipment into groups that share common beamforming vectors and orthogonal resources. This consolidation reduces the number of independent configurations needed while maintaining adapted signal quality for each group, balancing performance with computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates universal beamforming vectors that serve multiple users within each group simultaneously. These group-level beamforming configurations perform the function of individual user optimization while reducing the overall complexity of beamforming management across the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If user equipment is grouped into orthogonal channels for multicasting, then interference is reduced, but productivity decreases due to increased overhead for group management and resource allocation

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveinterferenceVSAvoidsystem throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic group formation and beamforming vector selection that adapts to changing channel conditions. Groups and their associated orthogonal resources are configured based on current system state, allowing the overhead to be minimized while maintaining interference reduction benefits under varying operational conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes key parameters such as the number of groups, orthogonal resource allocations, and beamforming vector configurations based on system conditions. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the system optimizes the balance between interference reduction and throughput maintenance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3449582B1Adaptively grouped user equipment multicasting and beamforming
Publication Date: 2022.05.04 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3449582B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3449582B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3449582B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for adaptive user equipment (UE) grouping and beamforming includes the assignment each of a plurality of user equipment (UE) devices into a respective UE group of a plurality of UE groups. Each UE group has at least one UE device. A UE device is reassigned from the respective UE group to which it was previously assigned to an updated UE group. An updated respective beamforming vector is generated for the updated UE group until the updated respective beamforming vector for each UE group produces a largest average UE rate for the updated UE group.