Blind Digital Beam Calibration for MIMO Antenna Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently calibrating antenna arrays in MIMO systems, particularly due to nonlinearities, heating, and noise, which affect beamforming performance and lead to increased interference and reduced data rates.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a low-complexity blind digital beam calibration method for multi-antenna systems, which maximizes beamforming gain by mitigating antenna array phase errors without requiring pilot sequences, thus improving latency and allowing calibration during data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional beam calibration methods are used to improve beamforming gain, then calibration accuracy is improved, but system complexity and latency increase due to requiring pilot sequences and large training overheads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the pilot sequence requirement from the calibration process. By using data transmission signals instead of dedicated pilot sequences for calibration, the system eliminates the separate calibration training phase while maintaining calibration accuracy through blind estimation methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the data transmission signals serve dual purposes: both for data communication and for beam calibration. This multi-functionality allows the same signal to perform multiple tasks, eliminating the need for separate calibration pilots and reducing overall system complexity.
2Reliability
If calibration is performed frequently to mitigate heating and nonlinearity effects, then beamforming performance is improved, but latency and training overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous calibration during data transmission by using the ongoing data signals for blind calibration. This continuous process allows the system to adapt to heating and nonlinearity effects in real-time without interrupting data flow or adding latency, as calibration occurs concurrently with normal operation.
3Speed
If blind calibration method is used to reduce latency and complexity, then calibration speed is improved, but calibration precision may deteriorate under nonlinearities and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the receiver provides information about received signal quality and channel conditions back to the transmitter. This feedback loop allows the blind calibration process to iteratively improve precision by adjusting calibration parameters based on actual performance measurements, compensating for nonlinearities and noise effects.
Data Source
AI summary
Millimeter-wave (mmWave) and sub-mmWave technology, apparatuses, and methods that relate to transceivers and receivers for wireless communications are described. The various aspects include an apparatus of a communication device including an antenna array and processing circuitry coupled to the antenna array. The processing circuitry is configured to initialize a beam tracking algorithm based on received signals received at the antenna array, wherein antenna phases used in the beam tracking are bound by an upper phase limit and a lower phase limit, to generate a beam tracking result. The processing circuitry is further configured to generate a calibration vector based on the beam tracking result and receive subsequent transmissions using a codebook adapted based on the calibration vector.