Antenna Array Beam Selection Reducing Feedback Overhead
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Solution Overview
Problem
In antenna array communication systems operating in FDD mode, the large number of antennas results in significant feedback loading overhead, which needs to be reduced.
Innovation Solution
A two- or three-stages scheme is implemented where the base station transmits multiple beams, the user equipment selects and configures a beam set based on power thresholds or physical MIMO channel covariance matrix calculations, and feeds back pre-coding information, including rank indicators and channel quality indicators, to optimize beam selection and reduce overhead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a large number of antennas are used in FDD mode, then communication capacity and coverage are improved, but feedback loading overhead increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large antenna array into multiple sub-arrays or groups, where each group is independently configured and fed back. Instead of feeding back channel state information for all 100+ antennas, the system divides them into smaller manageable groups, reducing the overall feedback overhead while maintaining communication capacity through distributed beamforming across segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial action by configuring only a subset of antennas or antenna groups that are most relevant to current channel conditions, rather than activating and feeding back information for all antennas. The base station dynamically selects which antenna groups to configure based on channel quality indicators, reducing feedback overhead while maintaining effective communication capacity through selective antenna utilization.
2Measurement precision
If all antennas are configured and fed back, then channel state information accuracy is improved, but feedback overhead and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by configuring different antenna groups with different levels of detail based on their individual channel conditions. High-quality channel state information is maintained for antenna groups with good channel conditions, while lower-resolution or aggregated information is used for groups with poor conditions. This selective configuration approach maintains overall system accuracy while reducing complexity through differentiated treatment of local antenna groups.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial configuration by selecting only the most critical antenna groups for detailed channel state information feedback, while using simplified or representative information for other groups. This partial action maintains sufficient measurement precision for the selected antenna groups while significantly reducing system complexity through selective detailed configuration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If beam selection is performed without pre-configuration, then adaptability to channel changes is improved, but feedback overhead and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring multiple antenna groups with different beamforming vectors before actual data transmission. The base station prepares a set of candidate beam configurations for different antenna groups in advance, stored as codebooks or pre-computed matrices. During operation, the system only needs to select from these pre-configured options based on current channel conditions, maintaining adaptability while significantly reducing feedback processing time compared to computing beamforming vectors from scratch.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves dynamics through a two-stage approach: pre-configuration of multiple beam options provides static preparedness, while dynamic selection among these pre-configured beams adapts to changing channel conditions. The beam set configuration is updated periodically or triggered by channel quality thresholds, providing dynamic adaptability without requiring continuous real-time computation and feedback, thus reducing processing time while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
A communicating method for an antenna array communication system, a user equipment and a base station are provided. The communicating method includes the following steps. A plurality of beams which are formed by a plurality of antennas is transmitted by a base station, and some of the beams is selected by a user equipment. A beam set of the selected beams for the user equipment is configured by the base station. A pre-coding information is fed back to the base station according to the configured beam set by the user equipment.