Beamformer Control for Power-Limited Base Station Antennas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 5G communication systems face challenges in effectively acquiring channel state information (CSI) due to power limitations of base station antennas, leading to inefficiencies in beamforming and reduced communication speed.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for controlling a beamformer by determining suitable antennas based on power thresholds, applying an overlap coefficient matrix, and generating combined beamformers to optimize power usage within power limits, ensuring efficient signal transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If beamforming is implemented using massive MIMO system, then data transmission capability is improved, but power consumption of base station antennas increases beyond power limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beamforming process into multiple iterations, where in each iteration only a subset of antenna elements is activated. The beamformer is updated progressively by selecting antennas that meet power threshold criteria, thereby distributing power consumption across multiple time segments rather than exceeding power limits in a single transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the set of active antenna elements based on power consumption thresholds. The beamforming configuration is not fixed but adapts iteratively by adding or removing antenna elements whose power consumption exceeds the threshold, allowing the system to maintain high data transmission capability while staying within power limits.
2Length of stationary object
If beamforming is implemented to increase transmission distance, then communication coverage is improved, but acquisition of channel state information becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary channel state information acquisition using an initial beamforming configuration before final transmission. By first obtaining CSI with a preliminary beamformer and then iteratively refining the beamforming based on power constraints, the system ensures accurate channel knowledge is available before committing to the final long-distance transmission configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by a base station in a wireless communication system, includes: determining, from among a plurality of antennas of the base station, a first antenna that meets a power threshold, based on a first beamformer scaled according to a power limit; generating a second beamformer corresponding to the first antenna; applying an overlap coefficient matrix to the second beamformer; generating a third beamformer by combining the second beamformer to which the overlap coefficient matrix has been applied and the first beamformer; and transmitting a signal using the third beamformer.