Communicating a feedback data structure containing information identifying coding to be applied on wirelessly communicated signaling

1. A method for operating a first wireless node as part of a closed loop multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system including the first wireless node and a second wireless node, the method comprising:

determining feedback data, wherein determining feedback data includes selecting an entry in a predefined codebook, wherein rows of the codebook correspond respectively to two or more values of PMI, wherein columns of the codebook correspond respectively to two or more rank values;

transmitting feedback data over a wireless channel from the first wireless node to the second wireless node, wherein the feedback data includes at least a first of the PMI values, wherein the first PMI value corresponds to the row of the selected codebook entry, wherein said transmitting is performed by a wireless interface, wherein the feedback data also includes information identifying preferred subbands in the wireless channel, wherein the first PMI value is a single value for the preferred subbands.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining also includes:

estimating a channel matrix H of a wireless channel from the second wireless node to the first wireless node; and

determining the feedback data based at least in part on the channel matrix H.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said selecting is based on a maximization of an objective value over at least a portion of the codebook.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback data identifies a recommended coding for signaling to be transmitted from the second wireless node to the first wireless node.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback data is transmitted over the wireless channel in a plurality of messages.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein, for each of the preferred subbands, the feedback data also includes a corresponding subband PMI.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second wireless node is configured to precode a transmission to the first wireless node based on at least the first PMI value.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback data is transmitted over the wireless channel in a plurality of messages, wherein a first of the messages includes a first rank value, wherein the first rank value corresponds to the column of the selected codebook entry, wherein a second of the messages includes the first PMI value.

9. A first wireless node for operating as part of a closed loop multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system including the first wireless node and a second wireless node, the first wireless node comprising:

an antenna system; and

circuitry coupled to the antenna system and configured to:

determine feedback data, wherein determining feedback data includes selecting an entry in a predefined codebook, wherein rows of the codebook correspond respectively to two or more values of PMI, wherein columns of the codebook correspond respectively to two or more rank values;

transmit feedback data over a wireless channel from the first wireless node to the second wireless node, wherein the feedback data includes at least a first of the PMI values, wherein the first PMI value corresponds to the row of the selected codebook entry, wherein said transmitting is performed by a wireless interface, wherein the feedback data also includes information identifying preferred subbands in the wireless channel, wherein the first PMI value is a single value for the preferred subbands.

10. The first wireless node of claim 9 , wherein the circuitry is configured to transmit the feedback data over the wireless channel in a plurality of messages.

11. The first wireless node of claim 9 , wherein, for each of the preferred subbands, the feedback data also includes a corresponding subband PMI.

12. The first wireless node of claim 9 , wherein the circuitry is configured to transmit the feedback data over the wireless channel in a plurality of messages, wherein a first of the messages includes a first rank value, wherein the first rank value corresponds to the column of the selected codebook entry, wherein a second of the messages includes the first PMI value.

13. A method for operating a base station as part of a closed loop multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system comprising the base station and a user equipment (UE) device, the method comprising:

providing an indication of a feedback mechanism, wherein the feedback mechanism corresponds to a feedback structure to be used by the UE device;

receiving feedback data comprising:

an entry in a predefined codebook, wherein rows of the codebook correspond respectively to two or more values of PMI, wherein columns of the codebook correspond respectively to two or more rank values,

wherein the feedback data is received over a wireless channel from the UE device, wherein the feedback data includes at least a first of the PMI values, wherein the first PMI value corresponds to the row of the selected codebook entry;

overriding the first PMI value transmitted by the UE device;

precoding a transmission to the UE device based a second PMI value different from the first PMI value; and

signaling the second PMI value to the UE device.

14. The method of claim 13 ,

wherein the indicated feedback mechanism is selected from a set of feedback mechanisms,

wherein the set of feedback mechanisms includes a first feedback mechanism and a second feedback mechanism,

wherein the first feedback mechanism comprises feedback of a single PMI for a set of subbands; and

wherein the second feedback mechanism comprises feedback of a subband PMI for a set of subbands.

15. A method for operating a first wireless node as part of a closed loop multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system including the first wireless node and a second wireless node, the method comprising:

determining feedback data, wherein determining feedback data includes selecting an entry in a predefined codebook, wherein rows of the codebook correspond respectively to two or more values of PMI, wherein columns of the codebook correspond respectively to two or more rank values;

transmitting feedback data over a wireless channel from the first wireless node to the second wireless node, wherein the feedback data includes at least a first of the PMI values, wherein the first PMI value corresponds to the row of the selected codebook entry, wherein said transmitting is performed by a wireless interface,

wherein the second wireless node is configured to:

override the first PMI value transmitted by the first wireless node;

precode a transmission to the first wireless node based a second PMI value different from the first PMI value; and

signal the second PMI value to the first wireless node.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said selecting is based on a maximization of an objective value over at least a portion of the codebook.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the feedback data is transmitted over the wireless channel in a plurality of messages, wherein a first of the messages includes a first rank value, wherein the first rank value corresponds to the column of the selected codebook entry, wherein a second of the messages includes the first PMI value.

18. A first wireless node for operating as part of a closed loop multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system including the first wireless node and a second wireless node, the first wireless node comprising:

an antenna system; and

circuitry coupled to the antenna system and configured to:

determine feedback data, wherein determining feedback data includes selecting an entry in a predefined codebook, wherein rows of the codebook correspond respectively to two or more values of PMI, wherein columns of the codebook correspond respectively to two or more rank values;

transmit feedback data over a wireless channel from the first wireless node to the second wireless node, wherein the feedback data includes at least a first of the PMI values, wherein the first PMI value corresponds to the row of the selected codebook entry, wherein said transmitting is performed by a wireless interface;

wherein the second wireless node is configured to:

override the first PMI value transmitted by the first wireless node;

precode a transmission to the first wireless node based a second PMI value different from the first PMI value; and

signal the second PMI value to the first wireless node.

19. The first wireless node of claim 18 , wherein said selecting is based on a maximization of an objective value over at least a portion of the codebook.

20. The first wireless node of claim 18 , wherein the feedback data is transmitted over the wireless channel in a plurality of messages, wherein a first of the messages includes a first rank value, wherein the first rank value corresponds to the column of the selected codebook entry, wherein a second of the messages includes the first PMI value.