Distortion-aware multiple input multiple output precoding

1. A method comprising:

selecting, by a processor, a precoding matrix to use for precoding of a source, the precoding matrix being selected based on considerations for minimizing distortion between the source and a reconstructed source induced by transmission of the source over a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel; and

performing precoding on the source using the selected precoding matrix to provide channel-encoded data for transmitting the source over the MIMO channel.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting the precoding matrix based on channel state information for the MIMO channel.

3. The method according to claim 1 , the selecting the precoding matrix further comprising selecting a beamforming matrix for orthogonal transmit beam directions and power allocations across corresponding beams based on distortion minimizing considerations.

4. The method according to claim 1 , the selecting the precoding matrix further comprising selecting a beamforming matrix and power allocations across corresponding beams based on at least one channel state information metric comprising:

a known channel mean; or

a known channel correlation structure.

5. The method according to claim 1 , the selecting the precoding matrix further comprising determining optimal distortion minimizing criteria when selecting precoding parameters for at least one of:

beamforming to convert a MIMO channel into an equivalent single-input single-output channel;

precoded spatial multiplexing;

precoded orthogonal space-time block coding;

transmit power allocation and covariance optimization; or

transmit antenna selection techniques.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting a MIMO modulation and coding scheme and packet size for minimizing the distortion induced by transmission of the source over the MIMO channel.

7. The method according to claim 6 , the selecting the MIMO modulation and coding scheme further comprising at least one of:

selection of the modulation order;

selection of the forward error correction type and coding rate; or

determination of space-time modulation techniques to be used.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the precoding matrix is received by a transmitter performing the precoding, the precoding matrix being received as feedback from a receiver receiving data from the transmitter, the precoding matrix having been selected by the receiver.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the receiver also determines a MIMO modulation and coding scheme and packet size that is sent as feedback by the receiver to the transmitter.

10. Non-transitory processor-readable storage media containing processor-executable instructions to be executed by a processor for carrying out the method according to claim 1 .

11. A system comprising:

a transmitter having a processor to implement a channel encoder for encoding a source for transmission over a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel; and

a precoding component that precodes the source using a precoding matrix selected to minimize distortion between the source and a reconstructed source induced by transmission of the source over the MIMO channel.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the precoding matrix is selected by selecting a beamforming matrix and power allocations across corresponding beams based on at least one channel state information metric comprising:

a known channel mean, or

a known channel correlation structure.

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the precoding matrix is selected based on an end-to-end distortion calculated using a packet error rate derived from a signal-and-interference-noise ratio for a realization of the MIMO channel.

14. The system according to claim 11 , further comprising a space-time modulation component that performs modulation and coding of the source prior to the precoding using a MIMO modulation and coding scheme and packet size selected to minimize distortion based upon channel state information.

15. The system according to claim 11 , wherein

selection of the precoding matrix is performed by a receiver in communication with the transmitter; and

the transmitter receives the selected precoding matrix as feedback from the receiver.

16. The system according to claim 11 , wherein

the source is a continuous multimedia source to be transmitted to a receiver to provide a reconstructed source at the receiver; and

the precoding matrix selected to minimize distortion is selected based on a determined average end-to-end distortion between the source and the reconstructed source.

17. Non-transitory processor-readable storage media comprising processor-executable instructions to be executed by a processor for implementing operations comprising:

determining a precoding matrix for transmitting a source over a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel, the precoding matrix being determined based on a calculated distortion between the source and a transmitted reconstructed source; and

performing precoding of the source using the precoding matrix.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable storage media according to claim 17 , the determining the precoding matrix further comprising selecting a beamforming matrix and power allocations across corresponding beams based on at least one channel state information metric comprising:

a known channel mean; or

a known channel correlation structure.

19. The non-transitory processor-readable storage media according to claim 18 , the selecting the power allocations across corresponding beams being based on eigen values determined from eigen vectors for transmit beam directions of the beamforming matrix.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable storage media according to claim 17 , the operations further comprising determining a MIMO modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and packet size, the MIMO MCS, packet size and precoding matrix being determined by:

determining an optimal beamforming matrix based on a channel state information metric;

determining instantaneous received signal-and-interference-to-noise ratios for a plurality of MIMO MCS schemes, packet sizes and power allocations for a plurality of MIMO channel realizations;

determining a packet error rate for the plurality of MIMO MCS schemes, packet sizes and power allocations;

calculating average end-to-end distortion values for the MIMO MCS schemes, packet sizes and power allocations based on the packet error rates; and

selecting a MIMO MCS scheme, packet size and power allocation that minimizes the end-to-end distortion based on the calculated average end-to-end distortion values.