Antenna Allocation via Terminal Location for Reduced Estimation Workload

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Solution Overview

Problem

In large-scale antenna systems, existing antenna allocation solutions require acquiring all channel information, leading to increased channel estimation workload and system resource usage, which affects performance.

Innovation Solution

An antenna allocation method that acquires location information of a terminal, determines a reference quantity of antennas based on this information, and adjusts this quantity until a preset transmission performance threshold is met, allowing for direct channel estimation on the allocated antennas, thereby reducing the number of antennas needed and simplifying precoding operations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If all channel information is acquired for antenna allocation, then antenna allocation accuracy is improved, but channel estimation workload and system resource usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveantenna allocation accuracyVSAvoidchannel estimation workload
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary channel information for antenna allocation instead of acquiring all channel information. By using location information to determine a reference quantity of antennas and then selectively acquiring channel information only for these allocated antennas, the system reduces channel estimation workload while maintaining adequate allocation accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by treating different spatial locations differently. Location information is used to determine which antennas are relevant for serving specific terminals, and channel estimation is performed only on these locally relevant antennas rather than uniformly on all antennas, thereby reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If all channel information is acquired for antenna allocation, then transmission performance is improved, but occupied system resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission performanceVSAvoidsystem resources
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential channel information needed for effective antenna allocation. By determining a reference quantity of antennas based on location information and acquiring channel information only for these antennas, the system maintains transmission performance while significantly reducing the quantity of system resources occupied.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If a large quantity of antennas is used, then system throughput is improved, but channel estimation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem throughputVSAvoidchannel estimation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by using location information to identify which subset of antennas are relevant for serving each terminal. This allows the system to utilize a large quantity of antennas for high throughput while performing channel estimation only on the locally relevant subset, thereby managing complexity effectively.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the large antenna array into manageable subsets based on location information. By determining a reference quantity of antennas and allocating only these to specific terminals, the system divides the complex task of managing all antennas into smaller, more manageable segments, reducing overall estimation complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3079425B1Antenna allocation method and device
Publication Date: 2019.06.19 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3079425B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3079425B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3079425B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention disclose an antenna allocation method and apparatus, and the method includes: acquiring location information of a terminal; determining, according to the location information, a reference quantity of antennas that are at a transmit end and used to send data to the terminal; determining whether a transmission performance difference is less than a preset transmission performance threshold; when the transmission performance difference is not less than the preset transmission performance threshold, increasing the reference quantity, and performing again the step of determining whether a transmission performance difference is less than a preset transmission performance threshold, until the transmission performance difference is less than the preset transmission performance threshold; or when the transmission performance difference is less than the preset transmission performance threshold, determining an increased reference quantity as a target quantity; and allocating, at the transmit end, antennas of the target quantity to the terminal. The antenna allocation method may reduce channel estimation workload during precoding, and because a quantity of antennas allocated to the terminal is decreased, operation complexity during precoding may be further reduced, which further improves system performance.