Beamformee Spatial Stream Feedback Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The IEEE802.11ac protocol faces issues due to the requirement that the number of actual active antennas of the beamformee must be larger than or equal to the number of columns set by the beamformer in a null data packet announcement (NDPA) message, leading to logical imprecision and disorder, which affects communication status and optimization.
Innovation Solution
A data feedback method where the beamformee acquires and compares the number of active spatial streams with the number of columns set by the beamformer, taking the smaller value as the number of second spatial streams required for feedback, and feeds back this information to the beamformer, allowing timely adjustment of communication status regardless of the antenna count.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the beamformee follows the IEEE802.11ac specification requiring the number of actual active antennas to be larger than or equal to the number of columns in NDPA message, then the protocol compliance is maintained, but the system becomes unable to handle abnormal situations where the beamformee has fewer active antennas, leading to logical imprecision and disorder
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the feedback mechanism dynamic by allowing the beamformee to adaptively determine the number of spatial streams for feedback based on the comparison between actual active antennas and the number of columns in NDPA message. When the actual active antennas are fewer than the number of columns, the beamformee dynamically adjusts the feedback to use only the available antenna count, enabling the system to flexibly handle both normal and abnormal configurations without protocol violation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of spatial stream count used for feedback based on the actual antenna configuration. The beamformee compares the number of actual active antennas with the number of columns in the NDPA message and selects the smaller value as the number of spatial streams for feedback, thereby adapting the system parameters to match the actual hardware capabilities and resolving the contradiction between protocol compliance and abnormal situation handling
2Ease of operation
If the beamformee uses the number of columns from NDPA message as the number of spatial streams for feedback, then the feedback process is simplified, but the feedback information becomes incorrect when the beamformee has fewer active antennas, affecting the beamformer's ability to optimize communication status
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by having the beamformee use only the necessary number of spatial streams for feedback based on actual active antennas. When the number of columns in NDPA exceeds the actual active antennas, the beamformee performs feedback using only the available antenna count rather than the full number of columns, thereby maintaining feedback simplicity while ensuring accuracy by not exceeding the actual hardware capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a comparison and adjustment mechanism in the feedback process. The beamformee compares the number of actual active antennas with the number of columns in the NDPA message and dynamically adjusts the number of spatial streams used for feedback. This feedback mechanism ensures that the beamformer receives accurate channel information corresponding to the actual antenna configuration, resolving the contradiction between operational simplicity and measurement precision
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention disclose data feedback methods and related apparatuses. This enables a beamformer to adjust the communication status according to related channel information about a beamformee no matter whether the number of actual active antennas of the beamformee is larger than or equal to the number of columns set by the beamformer in an NDPA message. The data feedback method according to the embodiments of the present invention includes: acquiring, by the beamformee, the number of columns from the NDPA message; detecting the number of active first spatial streams; comparing the number of first spatial streams with the number of columns, and taking the smaller value obtained from the comparison as the number of second spatial streams required for feedback; and feeding back the number of second spatial streams and spatial stream measurement information about the second spatial streams to the beamformer.