Multi-Antenna Cache-Aided Multicasting Complexity Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for combining multi-antenna precoding with cache-aided multicasting face significant challenges due to astronomical segmentation complexity, making it impractical to achieve substantial multicasting gains in realistic scenarios.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a multi-antenna broadcast and multicast system where users are grouped, and a novel caching method is employed to reduce complexity by regulating cache overlap and using multiple transmit antennas to deliver files of limited sizes with reduced transmission delay.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multi-antenna precoding is combined with cache-aided multicasting to achieve multiplexing gain and multicasting gain, then the system can serve more users at a time, but the file segmentation complexity becomes astronomically large

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of users served at a timeVSAvoidfile segmentation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides files into segments and uses multiple antennas to transmit different segments to different users simultaneously. By segmenting files and using spatial multiplexing across multiple antennas, the system can serve multiple users in parallel without requiring exponential segmentation complexity, thus resolving the contradiction between serving more users and maintaining manageable segmentation complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a spatial dimension by using multiple transmit antennas to serve multiple users simultaneously. Instead of serving users sequentially or requiring complex file segmentation, the system exploits the spatial dimension created by multiple antennas to achieve multiplexing gain, thereby serving more users without exponentially increasing segmentation complexity.

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

2Loss of time

If cache-aided multicasting is used to pre-store popular content in user devices, then communication delay is reduced, but the number of users that can be served at a time is severely limited due to exponential subfile segmentation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication delayVSAvoidnumber of users served at a time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges cache-aided multicasting with multi-antenna precoding techniques. By combining these two approaches, the system maintains the delay reduction benefits of caching while using multiple antennas to serve multiple users simultaneously, thus overcoming the limitation of exponential segmentation complexity that previously restricted the number of users that could be served at once.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses moderate file segmentation combined with multi-antenna transmission to serve multiple users simultaneously. Instead of requiring exponential segmentation as in traditional cache-aided multicasting, the system uses manageable segmentation coupled with spatial multiplexing across multiple antennas, thereby increasing the number of users served while maintaining reduced communication delay.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If traditional cache-aided multicasting algorithms are used, then substantial multicasting gains are achieved in theory, but the algorithms become computationally intractable in practice

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulticasting gainVSAvoidalgorithm complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the computationally intractable file segmentation step from traditional cache-aided multicasting algorithms and replaces it with a simpler segmentation approach combined with multi-antenna transmission. By removing the exponential segmentation requirement and using manageable segmentation with spatial multiplexing, the system achieves substantial multicasting gains while maintaining computationally feasible algorithm complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3677014B1System and method for managing distribution of information in multi-antenna and multi-transmitter environments
Publication Date: 2025.01.22 INST EURECOM G I E
  • EP3677014B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3677014B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3677014B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A process of communication between a transmitting base station (B) with L transmit antennas, and a set of receiving nodes N 1, N 2,..., N K in a wireless communication system, wherein nodes N 1, N 2,..., N K have storage capabilities, and wherein the said process involves the steps of: - grouping K users into groups, with a specified number of users per group; - identifying a set of files of interest F 1, F 2,..., F N, that may be requested by the receiving nodes; - arranging a first time slot (time slot 1) during which said base station (B) transmits a signal x 1 corresponding to the downlink transmission with said receiving nodes, where said signal x 1 maps information from F 1, F 2,..., F N, and where said signal x 1 is received, processed and partially stored (cached) by said receiving nodes, where caching as at least a function of said grouping; - arranging a second time slot during which some or all receiving nodes N k, (k = 1,2,..., K) request additional information, each in the form of a file F rk , during which some or all of the receivers feed back some information about the channel, and during which the base station (B) generates a multi-antenna transmit signal x 2 with the purpose of transmission of requested data files to said receiving nodes; - executing into some or all said receiving nodes N k , (k = 1,2,..., K) a decoding process using the information received in said first and second time slots and in the caches, so as to allow each receiving node N k to compute an estimation of their requested file F rk , whereby the accuracy of the decoding process is improved by prudent utilization of the said steps of grouping, caches, first time slot transmission, and second time-slot transmission.