Downlink Signaling for CQI Estimation in Multiple Antenna Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

In multiple antenna systems, inactive mobile terminals face challenges in estimating channel quality accurately due to lack of knowledge about the current antenna configuration used by the base station, leading to less reliable channel quality estimates and potential errors in scheduling decisions.

Innovation Solution

The base station broadcasts the selected antenna configuration to all or a subset of inactive mobile terminals on a downlink broadcast control channel, allowing them to determine and report more accurate channel quality estimates, which are then used for scheduling and modulation/coding scheme selection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If antenna configuration selection is employed in multiple antenna systems, then spectral efficiency and data rates are improved, but channel quality estimation accuracy deteriorates for inactive mobile terminals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespectral efficiencyVSAvoidchannel quality estimation accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the base station transmits antenna configuration information to inactive mobile terminals, enabling them to accurately estimate channel quality despite the base station using a different antenna configuration for active terminals. This intermediary information transfer resolves the contradiction by providing the necessary context for accurate measurement without limiting the system's productivity gains from antenna selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter state by allowing inactive mobile terminals to dynamically adjust their channel quality estimation calculations based on received antenna configuration information. This parameter change enables the terminals to compensate for the mismatch between the base station's current antenna configuration and their own optimal configuration, maintaining measurement precision while the system continues to optimize spectral efficiency through antenna selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the base station uses a different antenna configuration for active mobile terminals, then system adaptability is improved, but inactive mobile terminals cannot accurately estimate channel conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveantenna configuration adaptabilityVSAvoidchannel quality estimate reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the base station transmits antenna configuration information to inactive mobile terminals based on the currently active configuration. This feedback loop enables inactive terminals to reliably estimate channel conditions by understanding the current antenna state, even when it differs from their optimal configuration, thus maintaining reliability while preserving system adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by having the base station proactively transmit antenna configuration information to inactive mobile terminals before scheduling decisions are made. This preliminary information provision allows inactive terminals to prepare accurate channel quality estimates in advance, ensuring reliability is maintained while the system retains full adaptability in antenna configuration selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If inactive mobile terminals estimate channel quality without knowledge of antenna configuration, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveterminal processing complexityVSAvoidchannel quality estimation precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the antenna configuration information from the base station's internal state and transmits it separately to inactive mobile terminals. This extraction approach allows terminals to improve measurement precision by incorporating this additional information without significantly increasing device complexity, as the terminals simply need to receive and use the provided configuration data in their existing estimation algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2067279B1Downlink signaling of transmitter configuration for CQI estimation
Publication Date: 2015.08.26 LENOVO GRP LTD
  • EP2067279B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2067279B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2067279B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In a mobile communication system with a shared downlink traffic channel, the mobile terminals in contention for the downlink traffic channel report channel conditions to the base stations. The base station schedules the mobile terminals based on channel quality estimates from the mobile terminals and selects a transmitter configuration. The transmitter configuration may comprise, for example, the antenna configuration, and/or power and code allocations used by the base station. The base station broadcasts the transmitter configuration to all active and inactive mobile terminals. Knowledge of the transmitter configuration by the inactive mobile terminals improves the accuracy and reliability of the channel quality estimates.