Multistage Digital Precoding for Massive MIMO Interference

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current massive MIMO radio access technologies face challenges in maintaining optimal signal quality and channel state information accuracy for simultaneous downlink data streams, particularly in high user equipment density environments, due to the complexity of managing directional signal beams and interference between them.

Innovation Solution

A multistage digital precoding framework is introduced, combining a long-term matrix for stability and a short-term matrix for responsiveness, which includes a first precoding stage mapping antenna ports to RF chains and a second stage mapping data streams to antenna ports, along with channel state information reference signal configurations for accurate CSI feedback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single-stage precoding approach is used, then the system complexity is low, but the responsiveness to channel changes and signal quality maintenance is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesignal quality maintenanceVSAvoidprecoding system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The precoding process is divided into two distinct stages: a first precoding stage that handles long-term channel characteristics and a second precoding stage that handles short-term channel variations. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, improving overall signal quality while managing system complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adapts the precoding matrices based on channel state information feedback from user equipment. The second precoding stage is specifically designed to respond to short-term channel changes, enabling the system to maintain optimal signal quality as channel conditions vary over time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If directional beamforming is implemented to support multiple downlink data streams, then data transmission capacity increases, but inter-beam interference increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedownlink data transmission capacityVSAvoidinter-beam interference
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The precoding matrices are specifically designed to optimize signal quality in local spatial directions corresponding to different user equipment. By tailoring the beamforming weights to each user's channel characteristics, the system maximizes signal strength for intended recipients while minimizing interference to other users receiving beams in different directions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system utilizes channel state information feedback from user equipment to adjust precoding matrices. This feedback mechanism enables the base station to adaptively optimize beamforming weights, improving signal quality for each user while coordinating transmissions to reduce inter-beam interference in multi-user MIMO scenarios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Stability of the object's composition

If long-term precoding matrices are used, then system stability is improved, but responsiveness to short-term channel changes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecoding system stabilityVSAvoidresponsiveness to channel changes
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The precoding function is segmented into two complementary components: long-term precoding matrices that provide stability by capturing persistent channel characteristics, and short-term precoding matrices that provide responsiveness to rapid channel variations. This segmentation allows the system to simultaneously achieve both stability and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges the outputs of the first precoding stage (long-term matrices) and the second precoding stage (short-term matrices) to produce the final precoded transmission. This combination allows the stable long-term component to provide a reliable foundation while the adaptive short-term component responds to channel changes, achieving both stability and responsiveness in the overall system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3446416B1Precoding and channel state information acquisition for multi-stream transmissions in massive MIMO systems
Publication Date: 2020.11.04 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3446416B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3446416B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3446416B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A radio access node (RAN) and method of operation of the RAN are described, The RAN includes a massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array, The RAN includes a processing hardware configured to carry out a communication method that includes receiving a digital data stream for transmission on a time-frequency resource. The RAN precodes the digital data stream using a digital beamforming stage to render a precoded digital downlink data stream for downlink data stream signal transmission to a user equipment. The digital bearnforming stage includes a first preceding stage configured according to a long-term matrix, and a second preceding stage configured according to a short-term matrix. The RAN is further configured to generate a downlink data stream transmission signal to the user equipment in accordance with the precoded digital downlink data stream.