Dynamic Antenna Grouping for Wireless Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
In densely packed wireless systems, such as stadiums with high data subscriber density, existing technologies face challenges in providing adequate data rates to each user due to overwhelming traffic, making it difficult to increase capacity without expensive additional hardware.
Innovation Solution
The method involves selecting a subset of accessible antennas to process transmissions using baseband information, employing interference rejection combining and SINR measurement to enhance signal quality, allowing cells to share antenna information and overlap antenna groups for improved capacity utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If additional hardware is deployed to increase wireless capacity, then system capacity improves, but cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the antenna resources by creating multiple antenna groups that can be dynamically assigned to different cells. Instead of dedicating fixed antenna sets to each cell, the system divides antennas into groups that can be flexibly allocated, allowing existing hardware to serve multiple purposes and increase overall capacity without adding new hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements multi-functionality by enabling antenna groups to serve multiple cells dynamically. The same physical antennas can be assigned to different cells based on traffic demand and signal conditions, allowing the hardware infrastructure to handle more users and traffic without expansion, thereby improving capacity while avoiding additional hardware complexity.
2Productivity
If antenna groups are fixed to specific cells, then system stability is maintained, but capacity utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic antenna group assignment where antenna groups can be reallocated between cells based on real-time traffic conditions, signal quality metrics, and load balancing requirements. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to changing demands, maximizing capacity utilization while maintaining operational stability through controlled reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary evaluation of antenna group performance and traffic patterns to proactively reconfigure antenna assignments before capacity bottlenecks occur. By monitoring signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) and traffic load metrics, the system can pre-allocate antenna groups to optimize capacity utilization while maintaining system stability.
3Reliability
If all N antennas are used to process every transmission, then signal quality is maximized, but processing complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively using only the necessary subset of antennas for each transmission processing task. Instead of always employing all N antennas, the system identifies and activates only the antenna groups that provide the most benefit for each specific user and transmission, thereby maintaining signal quality while reducing processing complexity and resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality optimization by assigning different antenna groups to different spatial regions and user equipment based on their specific signal characteristics and requirements. Each antenna group is optimized for its local service area, allowing the system to maintain high signal quality for each user while avoiding the complexity of processing all antennas for every transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes selecting a subset k of N accessible antennas to use to process a transmission received at the N antennas and sent by a user equipment, and processing the transmission from the user equipment at least by using baseband information from the k antennas. An apparatus includes one or more processors and one or more memories including computer program code. The one or more memories and the computer program code are configured to, with the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: selecting a subset k of N accessible antennas to use to process a transmission received at the N antennas and sent by a user equipment; and processing the transmission from the user equipment at least by using baseband information from the k antennas. Additional apparatus, computer programs, and computer program products are disclosed.