MIMO Feedback Mechanism Reducing Overhead via Differential CQI

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Solution Overview

Problem

In MIMO wireless communication systems, the high amount of feedback required for optimal operation impairs bandwidth for user data transmission, especially when the nested property of codebooks is absent, necessitating an efficient feedback mechanism to support multiple scenarios and fallback configurations.

Innovation Solution

The method involves generating feedback with reduced bit size by reporting only two alternative triplets (transmission rank, PMI, CQI) while allowing the transmitter to deduce additional information, with optional reduction in transmission rank field size or omission based on predefined thresholds, and using differential encoding for CQI values.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If full CQI information is transmitted at predefined time intervals to provide complete feedback for MIMO operation, then the reliability of MIMO operation is improved, but the bandwidth for user data transmission is impaired

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliability of MIMO operationVSAvoidbandwidth for user data transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The feedback information is segmented into full CQI reports transmitted at predefined time intervals and differential CQI values transmitted between full reports. This segmentation allows the system to maintain reliable MIMO operation feedback while reducing the continuous bandwidth occupation, as only changes in CQI values need to be transmitted between full reports rather than repeating all feedback information continuously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple feedback scenarios with different triplets (rank, PMI, CQI) are transmitted to provide complete picture of receiver situation, then the adaptability of transmitter is improved, but the feedback overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability of transmitterVSAvoidfeedback overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of transmitting all possible feedback scenarios, the system transmits only the necessary differential CQI values between full CQI reports. The transmitter can still derive multiple scenario information from these differential values, achieving sufficient adaptability without the excessive feedback overhead that would result from transmitting all possible triplets explicitly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Quantity of substance

If differential encoding is used for CQI values to reduce feedback size, then the feedback overhead is reduced, but the complexity of feedback processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeedback sizeVSAvoidfeedback processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses differential encoding for CQI values between full CQI reports, where only the changes in CQI values need to be transmitted rather than the complete values. This feedback mechanism allows the receiver to reconstruct the full CQI information by applying the differential values to the last known full report, reducing feedback size while maintaining manageable processing complexity through the use of incremental updates rather than complete retransmissions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2439867B1Method for generating feedback for MIMO operation in a radio communication network, corresponding receiver and transmitter
Publication Date: 2014.08.06 ALCATEL LUCENT SA
  • EP2439867B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2439867B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2d
  • EP2439867B1 patent drawingFigure 2e~2g

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for generating feedback information for multiple input multiple output operation in a radio communication network, said radio communication network comprising at least one transmitter and at least one receiver, said receiver generating feedback information for said transmitter. According to the present invention, the method comprises the steps of: - sending from said receiver to said transmitter a first feedback indication having a predefined format, said first feedback indication representing an option preferred by the receiver, said first feedback indication univocally representing a preferred precoding [PMI], a preferred coding scheme [CQI], and at least one transmission rank; - sending from said receiver at least a second feedback indication, said second feedback indication comprising at least an indicator of an alternative preferred coding scheme [CQI], said second indication representing an alternative option for the receiver, wherein the size of the first feedback indication plus the size of the second feedback indication is smaller than two times the number of bits necessary for representing said precoding, said coding scheme and said transmission rank.