Three-Tx Antenna Codebooks for 5G NR Uplink Hardware Tradeoffs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing 5G NR specifications lack support for devices with three transmit (Tx) antennas, leading to a gap in UL performance that is not adequately addressed by current configurations for one, two, four, or eight Tx antennas, which incur substantial power amplifier costs and increased device size.
Innovation Solution
Introduce support for 3 Tx antennas with new codebook designs for coherent, non-coherent, and partially coherent precoding, along with revised radio resource control parameters, and power scaling for SRS ports, to enhance UL throughput and manage hardware costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If four or eight Tx antennas are used, then UL throughput performance is improved, but power amplifier costs and device size increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new parameter configuration for 3 Tx antenna ports, creating a distinct operating mode between traditional 2 and 4 antenna configurations. This includes new codebook designs specifically optimized for 3 antenna ports, new RRC parameters for capability indication, and modified power scaling relationships. By changing the antenna port parameter from discrete values (1, 2, 4, 8) to include 3, the system achieves intermediate performance levels with reduced hardware complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If three Tx antennas are introduced, then UL throughput performance and flexibility are improved, but new codebook designs and specification revisions are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the codebook design into distinct components: new codebook structures for 3 antenna ports, separate RRC parameter sets for capability indication, and specific power scaling rules for 3 Tx configurations. This segmentation allows the 3 antenna mode to be independently defined and configured without fundamentally redesigning the entire MIMO framework, thereby managing complexity through structured decomposition.
3Reliability
If existing 1, 2, 4, or 8 Tx antenna configurations are used, then device compatibility is maintained, but UL performance gap for mid-range devices persists
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances the universality of the 5G NR system by extending the antenna port configuration to include 3 Tx antennas while maintaining compatibility with existing 1, 2, 4, and 8 antenna modes. The new configuration uses standardized interfaces (RRC signaling, DCI formats) and follows existing codebook structures, allowing the system to serve multiple device categories uniformly. This multi-functional approach enables mid-range devices to achieve better performance without requiring separate system specifications.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method are disclosed. The method includes transmitting, by a user equipment (UE), capability information for three transmit (Tx) antenna ports; configuring the three Tx antenna ports based on pre-defined configuration information including a codebook design comprising one or more matrices or vectors to map uplink data to be transmitted to more than two Tx antenna ports and less than four Tx antenna ports; and transmitting the uplink data via the configured three Tx antenna ports