MIMO Precoding Delay Circuit for PMI Synchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

In MIMO communications, there is a mismatch in PMI information between base stations and user apparatuses due to errors in feedback, leading to improper signal processing, even when error-correcting codes like CRC are used.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a user apparatus and base station configuration that uses a delay circuit to store and update PMI information, ensuring that both entities use synchronized PMI information, even when the base station transmits signals before the PMI update is complete, by calculating and applying a predetermined delay to maintain consistency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If PMI information is fed back periodically from user apparatus to base station, then transmission speed is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential errors in feedback reception

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission speedVSAvoidPMI information accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the base station sends ACK/NACK signals to the user apparatus based on whether PMI information was correctly received. This allows the system to detect and correct feedback errors, resolving the contradiction between fast periodic feedback and reliable information accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The base station prepares ACK/NACK signals in advance based on PMI reception status before transmitting data. This preliminary action ensures that if PMI is incorrectly received, the system can immediately use previous valid PMI information or request retransmission, maintaining reliability while preserving fast transmission speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If base station uses latest received PMI information for signal processing, then adaptability is improved, but reliability deteriorates when PMI update is not complete

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovePMI information freshnessVSAvoidPMI synchronization
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The base station monitors whether PMI information has been correctly received and sends feedback to the user apparatus. This feedback mechanism ensures that the base station only uses PMI information that has been successfully received and validated, preventing synchronization errors while maintaining adaptability to channel conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system prepares backup PMI information and ACK/NACK signals in advance. When PMI update is in progress or not complete, the base station can fall back to previously validated PMI information, cushioning against potential synchronization errors while still attempting to use the latest valid PMI for improved adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Reliability

If error correcting codes like CRC are used to receive PMI information, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovePMI information reception accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses lightweight ACK/NACK signaling instead of complex error correcting codes for PMI feedback verification. This simpler approach achieves the necessary reliability by using minimal overhead bits to confirm successful reception, reducing processing complexity while maintaining adequate error protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

4Reliability

If directional beam is formed using pre-encoding vector, then transmission quality is improved, but device complexity increases due to weighting factor calculation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission qualityVSAvoidpre-encoding processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The user apparatus autonomously calculates and feeds back PMI information that reflects the optimal pre-encoding vector for its channel conditions. This self-service approach allows the base station to apply simple weighting factors based on the feedbacked PMI, maintaining high transmission quality while reducing the computational complexity at the base station.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2811661B1Precoding in a MIMO communication system based on delayed PMI information
Publication Date: 2016.07.20 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP2811661B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2811661B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2811661B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A user apparatus in a multi input multi output (MIMO) mobile communications system using pre-encoding is disclosed. The user apparatus includes a PMI generator which generates, in accordance with a radio propagation condition, a pre-encoding matrix indicator (PMI) which indicates a pre-encoding matrix to be used by a base station; a delay circuit which takes, as an input, the PMI and which outputs the PMI after a predetermined delay period has elapsed; an accumulating unit which takes, as an input, the PMI from the delay circuit and stores the input PMI; and a channel estimator which, on a signal from the base station, performs channel estimation using the PMI stored in the accumulating unit.