Antenna Virtualization via Precoding for MIMO Resource Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication systems face inefficiencies due to the overhead and underutilization of physical transmit antennas, particularly in MIMO systems, where multiple physical antennas lead to inefficient power amplification and signal processing, especially when not all antennas are utilized effectively, resulting in resource wastage and compatibility issues with legacy devices.
Innovation Solution
Antenna virtualization is implemented by forming virtual antennas through precoding, allowing multiple physical transmit antennas to be combined into a single virtual antenna, thereby efficiently utilizing power amplifiers and resources, while maintaining compatibility with legacy systems by transparently presenting fewer virtual antennas to receiving devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple physical transmit antennas are deployed in MIMO systems, then spectral efficiency and throughput are improved, but overhead and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple physical transmit antennas into a single virtual antenna through precoding operations. The transmitter applies precoding matrices to map multiple input signals to multiple physical antennas, making them appear as a single antenna to the receiver. This merging reduces overhead by eliminating the need for the receiver to process and feedback information about multiple transmit antennas, while maintaining the spectral efficiency benefits of MIMO through the use of precoding.
2Productivity
If multiple physical transmit antennas are used, then system capacity is improved, but power amplifier utilization becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple physical antennas with their associated power amplifiers into a single virtual antenna entity. By applying precoding, the system consolidates the signal paths, allowing power amplifiers to operate more efficiently rather than each antenna independently driving its PA. This approach maintains system capacity through MIMO precoding while improving overall power amplifier utilization and reducing energy loss.
3Productivity
If a wireless communication apparatus is equipped with more physical transmit antennas than the receiving apparatus can support, then transmit capability is improved, but compatibility with legacy devices is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual representation (copy) of the multiple physical transmit antennas as a single virtual antenna. The precoding process generates a virtual antenna port that replicates the combined effect of multiple physical antennas. This virtual copy can be presented to legacy receiving devices that only support a single antenna, allowing the advanced transmit apparatus to maintain full transmit capability while ensuring backward compatibility with older devices.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate performing antenna virtualization in a wireless communication environment. A set of physical transmit antennas can be partitioned into a plurality of groups of physical transmit antennas. Further, a precoding vector for a particular group of physical transmit antennas from the plurality of groups of physical transmit antennas can be formulated. Moreover, the particular group of physical transmit antennas can form a particular virtual antenna. By way of another example, a disparate precoding vector for a disparate group of physical transmit antennas from the plurality of groups of physical transmit antennas can be formulated, and the disparate group of physical transmit antennas can form a disparate virtual antenna. The precoding vector can be applied to a signal for transmission over the particular virtual antenna, and the disparate precoding vector can be applied to a disparate signal for transmission over the disparate virtual antenna.