Beamforming Antenna Switching Between Multi-Beam and Massive MIMO
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing smart antenna technologies face challenges in smoothly evolving between three-dimensional multi-beam and massive MIMO systems to accommodate varying service scenarios, with three-dimensional multi-beam technology being suitable for small-packet services and MM for large-packet services, but MM has high costs and low performance gain in small-packet services.
Innovation Solution
An antenna apparatus with S groups of antenna bays, phase-shift feeding networks, and beamforming networks that can be flexibly switched between multi-beam and MM states, incorporating a port correction network for signal correction, allowing it to adapt to different service scenarios by adjusting beamforming and downtilt angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If massive MIMO technology is used to improve system capacity and performance, then transmission rate and multi-user space division multiplexing capability are significantly improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to large quantity of channels and antennas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic switching between multi-beam antenna mode and massive MIMO mode based on service scenarios. The system can flexibly transition between these two states to adapt to different traffic conditions, user distributions, and service requirements, avoiding the need to always deploy the more complex massive MIMO system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the antenna system by adjusting the number of active antenna ports and channel configurations. In multi-beam mode, fewer antenna ports are activated compared to massive MIMO mode, thereby reducing complexity while maintaining adequate system capacity for small-packet services.
2Reliability
If massive MIMO technology is deployed to enhance link quality and transmission rate, then performance is significantly improved, but cost increases due to significant increase in quantity of radio frequency channels and antennas
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects between multi-beam antenna mode and massive MIMO mode based on service requirements. For small-packet services, the multi-beam mode is used which provides adequate link quality at lower cost. For large-packet services requiring higher reliability and throughput, the system switches to massive MIMO mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes operational parameters such as the number of active antenna ports and RF channels based on service type. This parameter adjustment allows the system to achieve acceptable link quality for different service scenarios without always incurring the high cost of full massive MIMO deployment.
3Device complexity
If three-dimensional multi-beam antenna technology is used to cover small-packet service scenarios, then cost is reduced and performance is adequate, but system capacity and transmission rate are limited compared to massive MIMO
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic mode switching mechanism that allows the system to transition between multi-beam antenna mode and massive MIMO mode. This enables the system to operate in the lower-cost multi-beam mode for small-packet services while switching to high-performance massive MIMO mode when large-packet services require higher transmission rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The antenna system is designed to perform multiple functions by supporting both multi-beam antenna operation and massive MIMO operation. This multi-functionality allows a single system to serve different service scenarios with different performance and cost requirements, making the system universally applicable.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the antenna system is designed to support both multi-beam and massive MIMO features, then adaptability to different service scenarios is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic mode switching between multi-beam and massive MIMO configurations based on real-time service scenario assessment. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different service requirements without permanently maintaining the complexity of supporting both modes simultaneously at full capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adjusts operational parameters such as the number of active antenna ports, channel configurations, and beamforming settings based on the detected service scenario. This parameter adaptation enables the system to achieve high versatility while managing complexity through selective activation of appropriate features.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of this application disclose an antenna apparatus, which can perform state switching based on a service scenario and is applicable to a plurality of service scenarios. The antenna apparatus includes S groups of antenna bays, S groups of phase-shift feeding networks, and S beamforming networks. An ith group of antenna bays include Ni bays 2011, an ith group of phase-shift feeding networks include Ni phase-shift feeding networks 2021, and the Ni bays are connected to the Ni phase-shift feeding networks in a one-to-one correspondence. In a first state, an ith beamforming network 203 is configured to form ni beams corresponding to the Ni bays, where Ni first ports corresponding to the beamforming network are connected to the Ni phase-shift feeding networks in a one-to-one correspondence, ni second ports corresponding to the beamforming network are connected to ni antenna ports in a one-to-one correspondence, and ni is less than Ni. In the second state, an ith beamforming network is configured to form Ni beams corresponding to the Ni bays, Ni first ports corresponding to the beamforming network are connected to the Ni phase-shift feeding networks in a one-to-one correspondence, and Ni second ports corresponding to the beamforming network are connected to Ni antenna ports in a one-to-one correspondence.