MIMO Precoding Feedback via Subband Vector Combination

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Solution Overview

Problem

In MIMO wireless communication systems, the limited codebook space results in a significant deviation of selected precoding vectors from ideal vectors, leading to a suboptimal precoding effect, which affects transmission reliability and throughput.

Innovation Solution

A channel information feedback method that generates and sends description information for each subband, including vector and weighting parameters, to select component vectors from a base codebook for weighted combination, thereby enlarging the codebook space and improving precoding accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a precoding vector is selected directly from a codebook, then feedback overhead is reduced, but the precoding vector deviates greatly from the ideal precoding vector, resulting in limited precoding effect

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeedback overheadVSAvoidprecoding accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The precoding matrix is segmented into multiple column vectors, and the feedback mechanism is segmented into two stages: first feedback narrowband precoding matrices for each subband, then feedback wideband precoding matrices that combine these narrowband matrices. This segmentation allows progressive refinement of precoding accuracy while controlling feedback overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a two-dimensional feedback structure: narrowband dimension (subband-level precoding matrices) and wideband dimension (aggregated precoding matrices). By adding the wideband dimension that combines narrowband matrices through weighted summation, the system achieves higher precoding accuracy without linearly increasing feedback overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Manufacturing precision

If the ideal precoding vector is directly fed back, then precoding effect is improved, but feedback overhead becomes very high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecoding accuracyVSAvoidfeedback overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of directly feeding back the ideal precoding vector obtained from SVD decomposition, the patent creates approximated precoding matrices by combining codebook vectors through weighted summation. These copied/approximated matrices closely resemble the ideal precoding vectors while requiring significantly less feedback overhead, as only weighting coefficients and codebook indices need to be transmitted.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Loss of information

If a codebook space is limited, then feedback overhead is reduced, but the selected precoding vector deviates greatly from the ideal precoding vector

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefeedback overheadVSAvoidcodebook coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple narrowband precoding matrices from different subbands into a wideband precoding matrix through weighted summation. This combining operation expands the effective codebook space, allowing the system to represent channel characteristics that no single codebook entry could capture individually, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining reasonable feedback overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3550735B1Channel information feedback method, channel information determining method, receive-end device, and transmit-end device
Publication Date: 2020.09.09 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3550735B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3550735B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3550735B1 patent drawingFigure 2C~3

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention provide a channel information feedback method, a channel information determining method, a receive end device, and a transmit end device. The channel information feedback method includes: generating at least one piece of description information for each of a plurality of subbands included in a wideband, where each piece of description information is used to describe a description vector of a channel matrix corresponding to the subband, the description information includes at least one of a vector parameter and a weighting parameter; and sending the at least one piece of description information. The embodiments of the present invention further provide a channel information determining method, a receive end device, and a transmit end device. A precoding effect can be improved when precoding is performed based on the description vector fed back in the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention.