Wide Nulling Beamforming for Multi-User Interference Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional beamforming technologies face challenges in accurately identifying user locations and effectively managing intra-cell interference when serving multiple users, leading to degraded communication performance and increased interference.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that determine different beams for user equipment based on channel information, predict beam qualities, apply wide nulling to side lobes acting as interference, and adjust beam settings to ensure Quality of Service (QoS) satisfaction, thereby minimizing intra-cell interference and enhancing communication efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If point nulling technique is used to null a particular position, then interference at a specific location is reduced, but the base station has difficulty in accurately identifying user location and the technique is not practical for beam communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the nulling approach from point nulling (specific location) to wide nulling (angular region). Instead of trying to null a single precise location where user feedback is received, the system applies nulling over a wider angular range corresponding to the beam direction. This parameter change from point-based to region-based nulling resolves the contradiction by making nulling practical for beam communication while maintaining interference reduction effectiveness.
2Productivity
If multiple beams are formed to serve multiple users, then user coverage and capacity are improved, but intra-cell interference between beams increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different beamforming characteristics to different spatial regions. By applying wide nulling specifically to side lobes that point toward other users while maintaining main beam quality, the system creates local quality differences in the beam pattern. This allows multiple beams to coexist by suppressing interference in specific angular regions where other users are located, thereby enabling multi-user service with reduced intra-cell interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful side lobes of beamforming into beneficial nulling regions. Instead of treating side lobes as unavoidable interference, the system deliberately designs the beam pattern to create nulls in directions where side lobes would cause interference to other users. This transforms the potentially harmful side lobe energy into useful interference suppression, enabling simultaneous multi-user service.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If wide nulling is applied to side lobe beams, then interference to other users is reduced, but beam quality prediction and QoS satisfaction become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs beam quality prediction before final beam selection and allocation. By predicting how wide nulling will affect beam quality and QoS parameters in advance, the system can proactively adjust beamforming parameters to ensure QoS satisfaction. This preliminary prediction action simplifies the overall complexity by allowing systematic planning rather than reactive adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates QoS feedback from users into the beam selection and adjustment process. Users provide feedback on beam quality, and this feedback is used to verify whether the assigned beams satisfy QoS requirements. If QoS is not satisfied, the system can adjust beamforming parameters or reassign beams. This feedback mechanism manages complexity by using user feedback to guide automated beam optimization.
Data Source
AI summary
A beamforming method is provided. The beamforming method includes determining different beams for pieces of user equipment based on channel information fed back from the pieces of user equipment, predicting beam qualities of the pieces of user equipment for the beams, determining whether the beam qualities satisfy Quality of Service (QoS) for the pieces of user equipment, generating a wide nulling beam by applying wide nulling to a second beam having a side lobe acting as interference against one first beam, when the beam quality of the first beam does not satisfy the QoS; predicting beam qualities for the beams including the wide nulling beam instead of the second beam, and simultaneously communicating with the user equipment through the beams including the wide nulling beam instead of the second beam, when the beam qualities for the beams including the wide nulling beam instead of the second beam satisfy the QoS.