Beam alignment in a multiuser wireless cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output network
An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising a processing unit adapted for executing a beam-alignment protocol based on a sequence of communication data-patterns, each associated with one of a sequence of alignment subcarrier-frequency slots. The protocol comprises receiving a plurality of receive information records, one from each of a plurality of wireless end devices and indicative of a plurality of signal qualities of the sequence of beam-alignment signals. Each beam alignment signal is received by the respective wireless end device in an alignment subcarrier-frequency-slot associated with the respective communication data-pattern associated with the beam-alignment signal. The protocol further comprises computing according to the plurality of receive information records a plurality of preferred communication channels, each for one of a plurality of wireless access points, and configuring the plurality of wireless access points according to the plurality of preferred communication channels.
1 . An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory connected to the at least one processor and including instructions, wherein the at least one non-transitory computer-readable memory and the instructions are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
receive a plurality of information records, wherein the plurality of information records comprises an information record from each of a plurality of wireless end devices and is indicative of a plurality of signal qualities of a sequence of beam-alignment signals, wherein each beam-alignment signal of the sequence of beam-alignment signals is associated with a communication data-pattern of a sequence of communication data-patterns, and wherein each beam-alignment signal received by a respective wireless end device of the plurality of wireless end devices is in an alignment subcarrier-frequency-slot associated with the respective communication data-pattern associated with the beam-alignment signal;
compute a plurality of communication channels according to the plurality of information records, each communication channel of the plurality of communication channels for a wireless access point of a plurality of wireless access points; and
configure the plurality of wireless access points according to the plurality of communication channels.
2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
configure each wireless access point of the plurality of wireless access points to transmit a beam-alignment signal of the sequence of beam-alignment signals in the alignment subcarrier-frequency-slot associated with the respective communication data-pattern associated with the beam-alignment signal; and
send a protocol initialization instruction to the plurality of wireless access points and the plurality of wireless end devices.
3 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the beam-alignment signal is received by the respective wireless end device using a plurality of data channel frequencies,
wherein the plurality of information records is received using a wireless control channel frequency, and
wherein the protocol initialization instruction is sent to the plurality of wireless end devices using the wireless control channel frequency.
4 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein at least one data channel frequency of the plurality of data channel frequencies comprises a millimeter wave frequency.
5 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the wireless control channel frequency comprises a frequency other than a millimeter wave frequency.
6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each communication data-pattern of the sequence of communication data-patterns comprises a sequence of data channel frequencies, and each data channel frequency is associated with a transmission direction.
7 . A method, comprising:
receiving a plurality of information records, wherein the plurality of information records comprises an information record from each of a plurality of wireless end devices and is indicative of a plurality of signal qualities of a sequence of beam-alignment signals, wherein each beam-alignment signal of the sequence of beam-alignment signals is associated with a communication data-pattern of a sequence of communication data-patterns, wherein each beam-alignment signal received by a respective wireless end device of the plurality of wireless end devices is in an alignment subcarrier-frequency-slot associated with the respective communication data-pattern associated with the beam-alignment signal;
computing a plurality of communication channels according to the plurality of information records, each communication channel of the plurality of communication channels for a wireless access point of a plurality of wireless access points; and
configuring the plurality of wireless access points according to the plurality of communication channels.
8 . The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
configuring each of the plurality of wireless access points to transmit a beam-alignment signal of the sequence of beam-alignment signals in the alignment subcarrier-frequency-slot associated with the respective communication data-pattern associated with the beam-alignment signal; and
sending a protocol initialization instruction to the plurality of wireless access points and the plurality of wireless end devices.
9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the beam-alignment signal is received by the respective wireless end device using a plurality of data channel frequencies,
wherein the plurality of information records is received using a wireless control channel frequency, and
wherein the protocol initialization instruction is sent to the plurality of wireless end devices using the wireless control channel frequency.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein at least one data channel frequency of the plurality of data channel frequencies comprises a millimeter wave frequency.
11 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the wireless control channel frequency comprises a frequency other than a millimeter wave frequency.
12 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein each communication data-pattern of the sequence of communication data-patterns comprises a sequence of data channel frequencies, and each data channel frequency is associated with a transmission direction.
13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform at least:
receiving a plurality of information records, wherein the plurality of information records comprises an information record from each of a plurality of wireless end devices and is indicative of a plurality of signal qualities of a sequence of beam-alignment signals, wherein each beam-alignment signal of the sequence of beam-alignment signals is associated with a communication data-pattern of a sequence of communication data-patterns, and wherein each beam-alignment signal received by a respective wireless end device of the plurality of wireless end devices is in an alignment subcarrier-frequency-slot associated with the respective communication data-pattern associated with the beam-alignment signal;
computing a plurality of communication channels according to the plurality of information records, each communication channel of the plurality of communication channels for a wireless access point of a plurality of wireless access points; and
configuring the plurality of wireless access points according to the plurality of communication channels.
14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein the computer instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform:
configuring each of the plurality of wireless access points to transmit a beam-alignment signal of the sequence of beam-alignment signals in the alignment subcarrier-frequency-slot associated with the respective communication data-pattern associated with the beam-alignment signal; and
sending a protocol initialization instruction to the plurality of wireless access points and the plurality of wireless end devices.
15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein the beam-alignment signal is received by the respective wireless end device using a plurality of data channel frequencies,
wherein the plurality of information records is received using a wireless control channel frequency, and
wherein the protocol initialization instruction is sent to the plurality of wireless end devices comprises using the wireless control channel frequency.
16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein at least one data channel frequency of the plurality of data channel frequencies comprises a millimeter wave frequency.
17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the wireless control channel frequency comprises a frequency other than a millimeter wave frequency.
18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein each communication data-pattern of the sequence of communication data-patterns comprises a sequence of data channel frequencies, and each data channel frequency is associated with a transmission direction.