User Terminal Beam Combination for Massive MIMO Signaling Overhead
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional beam selection methods in massive MIMO systems face increased signaling overhead and complexity due to the growing number of antennas, making them unsuitable for efficient data transmission.
Innovation Solution
A user terminal and base station apparatus that determine and combine leading and secondary beams based on received basis beam reference signals, reducing the need for extensive beam measurements by transmitting combination information to the base station, thereby lowering signaling overhead and calculation complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional beam selection methods are used with increasing number of antennas, then system throughput is improved, but signaling overhead and measurement complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beam selection process into two stages: first, the base station transmits reference signals for a limited set of candidate beams; second, the user terminal measures and reports CSI for these candidate beams, and the base station determines final beams based on this feedback. This segmentation reduces the total number of beams that need to be measured and signaled compared to conventional methods where all beams must be measured.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station performs preliminary action by transmitting reference signals for candidate beams before the user terminal needs to make beam selection decisions. This allows the user terminal to measure and report channel state information efficiently, and the base station to determine optimal beams without requiring the user terminal to measure all possible beams independently.
2Productivity
If conventional beam selection methods are used with increasing number of antennas, then system throughput is improved, but measurement and calculation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beam measurement process by having the base station transmit reference signals for a limited set of candidate beams rather than requiring the user terminal to measure all possible beams. This segmentation reduces the measurement burden on the user terminal while still enabling efficient beam selection for high-throughput communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces reference signals as an intermediary mechanism. The base station transmits these reference signals for candidate beams, and the user terminal measures these signals to determine channel state information. This intermediary approach simplifies the measurement process compared to direct beam measurement across all possible beams.
3Productivity
If the number of antennas is increased in massive MIMO system, then system throughput is improved, but the overhead of signaling required in beam measurements grows
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beam management process by limiting the number of candidate beams that require explicit signaling and measurement. Instead of requiring signaling for all possible beams, the base station signals only for a subset of candidate beams, reducing the quantity of signaling overhead while maintaining the ability to achieve high throughput through the selected beams.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a user terminal that reports channel state information to base station apparatus in order to reduce the overhead of signaling required in beam measurements and to lower the complexity of beam measurements and calculation, and, in this user terminal, a receiving section that receives basis beam reference signals, each included in one or a plurality of basis beams transmitted from the base station, a determining section that determines a leading beam and a secondary beam to combine with the leading beam, based on the basis beam reference signals received, and a transmission section that transmits combination information about combination of the leading beam and the secondary beam to the base station apparatus, are provided.