MU-MIMO Scheduling With Partial Buffers for Spectrum Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current MU-MIMO utilization in wireless networks is low due to the difficulty in maintaining full data buffers for all user endpoint devices, leading to suboptimal spectrum efficiency and increased latency when networks switch to SU-MIMO, despite sufficient spatial separation being often met.
Innovation Solution
Activate MU-MIMO communications even when user device buffers are not fully utilized by lowering the buffer utilization threshold and ensuring sufficient spatial separation, prioritizing MU-MIMO over SU-MIMO to enhance spectrum efficiency and throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the network requires full buffer utilization for MU-MIMO activation, then reliability of MIMO mode is improved, but productivity decreases due to low MU-MIMO utilization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the buffer utilization threshold parameter from 100% to a lower value (e.g., 20-80%), enabling MU-MIMO activation under broader conditions. This parameter modification resolves the contradiction by allowing MU-MIMO to operate reliably without requiring full buffer utilization, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining acceptable reliability.
2Device complexity
If the network switches to SU-MIMO when buffers are not full, then device complexity is reduced, but spectrum efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By lowering the buffer utilization threshold parameter, the system maintains MU-MIMO operation (higher spectrum efficiency) rather than switching to SU-MIMO (lower spectrum efficiency). This resolves the contradiction by preserving spectrum efficiency while managing device complexity through parameter optimization rather than architectural simplification.
3Manufacturing precision
If the network waits for full buffers before activating MU-MIMO, then manufacturing precision of data transmission is improved, but loss of time increases due to increased latency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the buffer threshold parameter to enable earlier MU-MIMO activation, reducing the waiting time for buffer accumulation. This resolves the contradiction by accepting slightly reduced transmission precision (allowing partial buffers) in exchange for significantly reduced latency, achieving an optimal balance through parameter tuning.
4Productivity
If the network lowers the buffer threshold to activate MU-MIMO earlier, then productivity increases through higher MU-MIMO utilization, but reliability decreases due to potential data unavailability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by requiring only partial buffer utilization (e.g., 20-80%) rather than complete buffer fullness for MU-MIMO activation. This resolves the contradiction by achieving sufficient productivity improvement through partial buffer utilization while maintaining acceptable reliability levels, avoiding the extremes of waiting for full buffers or activating with empty buffers.
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by a processing system including at least one processor includes detecting a presence of a plurality of user devices in a cell of a mobile network, wherein each user device of the plurality of user devices includes a buffer of a plurality of buffers, and wherein a fill level of at least one buffer of the plurality of buffers is less than one hundred percent, determining that a spatial separation between the plurality of user devices meets a threshold spatial separation required to support multiple user multiple input, multiple output communications and that a spectrum efficiency for multiple-user multiple input, multiple output communications is higher than a spectrum efficiency for single-user multiple input, multiple output communications, and activating multiple-user multiple input, multiple output communications in the cell for the plurality of user devices.