Wireless Device Antenna Adaptation for MIMO Power Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless devices (WDs) face inefficiencies in power consumption and throughput due to always maintaining all antennas active for potential maximum MIMO layers, even though they are rarely scheduled with the maximum number of layers, leading to increased power consumption without corresponding improvements in link quality or throughput.
Innovation Solution
Implementing WD-autonomous physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) receiver antenna adaptation by estimating the expected number of MIMO layers based on channel state information (CSI) and sounding reference signals (SRS), determining a set of antennas to use, and dynamically turning antennas on or off to minimize power consumption while maximizing throughput and maintaining quality metrics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If all antennas are kept active to support maximum MIMO layers, then the device can potentially achieve higher throughput and link quality, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic antenna adaptation where the WD autonomously adjusts the number of active receive antennas based on the actual number of scheduled MIMO layers. The WD estimates expected MIMO layers from CSI/SRS configurations and dynamically turns antennas on or off to match the scheduled layers, making the antenna configuration flexible and adaptive rather than static.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameter of antenna count based on scheduling conditions. When fewer than maximum MIMO layers are scheduled, the WD reduces the number of active receive antennas accordingly. This parameter change allows the system to optimize power consumption by activating only the necessary number of antennas required for the current transmission rank.
2Reliability
If all antennas are maintained active for potential maximum MIMO layers, then link quality can be maximized, but power consumption increases without corresponding throughput improvement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by activating only the necessary subset of antennas required for the current MIMO layer configuration rather than all available antennas. The WD determines a first set of antennas equal to or larger than the maximum expected number of MIMO layers and turns off excess antennas, performing just enough antenna activation to maintain link quality without the excessive power consumption of keeping all antennas active.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the WD autonomously adapts antenna usage based on scheduled MIMO layers, then power consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases due to autonomous estimation and determination functions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling the WD to autonomously estimate the expected number of MIMO layers from CSI/SRS configurations and independently determine which antennas to activate or deactivate. The WD performs self-adaptation without requiring explicit network control for antenna configuration, reducing signaling overhead and enabling autonomous power optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for wireless device (WD)-autonomous physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) receiver (RX) antenna adaptation. In one embodiment, a method implemented in a WD includes one or more of: estimating an expected number of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers based at least in part on channel state information (CSI) and/or a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration; determining a set of antennas of a plurality of antennas to use based at least in part on the estimated expected number of MIMO layers; and/or receiving a MIMO signal using the determined set of antennas. In one embodiment, a method implemented in a network node include receiving a channel state information (CSI) report from the WD; and/or scheduling and/or transmitting a downlink (DL) channel to the WD using a number of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers, the number of MIMO layers used based at least in part on the received CSI report.