IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,831,934
Granted Patent B2
US 9,831,934 · App. 14/745,777 · Granted Nov 28, 2017

Beamforming for non-collaborative, space division multiple access systems

Inventors: Jayesh H. Kotecha (Austin, TX); Jayakrishnan C. Mundarath (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04B7/0897H04B7/0417H04B7/0452H04B7/0478H04B7/0617H04B7/0619H04B7/0632H04L25/0248
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,831,934
App. No.
14/745,777
Granted
Nov 28, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wireless communication system non-collaborative, multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) space division multiple access (SDMA) system determines subscriber station combining and weighting vectors that yield a high average signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR). Each subscriber station independently transmits information to a base station that allows the base station to determine a weight vector w i for each subscriber station using the determined combining vector of the subscriber station. The i th combining vector corresponds to a right singular vector corresponding to a maximum singular value of a channel matrix between a base station and the i th subscriber station. Each subscriber station transmits signals using a weight vector v i , which corresponds to a left singular vector corresponding to a maximum singular value of a channel matrix between the i th subscriber station and the base station. The base station uses the weight vector w i to determine the signal transmitted by the i th subscriber station.

Claims (40)

1. A method for operating a user equipment (UE) device that includes a plurality of UE antennas, the method comprising:

determining feedback information based on an estimate of a channel from a base station to the UE device, wherein the feedback information includes information identifying a combining vector, wherein individual components of the combining vector respectively correspond to the UE antennas;

transmitting the feedback information to the base station;

receiving channel output symbols from respective UE antennas in response to a transmission of channel input symbols by the base station; and

recovering an estimate of a data signal by weighting the channel output symbols from the respective UE antennas with respectively corresponding components of the combining vector.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the estimate of the channel is determined based on pilot signals that are inserted in a downlink transmission from the base station.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured to weight the data signal using a weighting vector in order to determine the channel input symbols.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the weighting vector is determined based on the feedback information and additional feedback information from one or more additional UE devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channel input symbols result from weighting the data signal using a weighting vector.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combining vector is a selected right singular vector of the channel estimate, wherein selected right singular vector corresponds to a maximal singular value of the channel estimate.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

weighting an uplink signal using a weight vector to obtain transmit signals, wherein the weight vector is determined based on the channel estimate;

transmitting the transmit signals respectively from the UE antennas.

8. A user equipment (UE) device comprising:

a plurality of UE antennas; and

a transceiver coupled to the UE antennas and configured to:

determine feedback information based on an estimate of a channel from a base station to the UE device, wherein the feedback information includes information identifying a combining vector, wherein individual components of the combining vector respectively correspond to the UE antennas;

transmit the feedback information to the base station;

receive channel output symbols from respective UE antennas in response to a transmission of channel input symbols by the base station; and

recover an estimate of a data signal by weighting the channel output symbols from the respective UE antennas with respectively corresponding components of the combining vector.

9. The UE device of claim 8 , wherein the estimate of the channel is determined based on pilot signals that are inserted in a downlink transmission from the base station.

10. The UE device of claim 8 , wherein the base station is configured to weight the data signal using a weighting vector in order to determine the channel input symbols.

11. The UE device of claim 10 , wherein the weighting vector is determined based on the feedback information and additional feedback information from one or more additional UE devices.

12. The UE device of claim 8 , wherein the channel input symbols result from weighting the data signal using a weighting vector.

13. The UE device of claim 8 , wherein the combining vector is a selected right singular vector of the channel estimate, wherein selected right singular vector corresponds to a maximal singular value of the channel estimate.

14. The UE device of claim 8 , wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

weight an uplink signal using a weight vector to obtain transmit signals, wherein the weight vector is determined based on the channel estimate; and

transmit the transmit signals respectively from the UE antennas.

15. A non-transitory memory medium for operating a user equipment (UE) device that includes a plurality of UE antennas, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, wherein the program instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the UE device to implement:

determining feedback information based on an estimate of a channel from a base station to the UE device, wherein the feedback information includes information identifying a combining vector, wherein individual components of the combining vector respectively correspond to the UE antennas;

transmitting the feedback information to the base station;

receiving channel output symbols from respective UE antennas in response to a transmission of channel input symbols by the base station;

recovering an estimate of a data signal by weighting the channel output symbols from the respective UE antennas with respectively corresponding components of the combining vector.

16. The memory medium of claim 15 , wherein the estimate of the channel is determined based on pilot signals that are inserted in a downlink transmission from the base station.

17. The memory medium of claim 15 , wherein the base station is configured to weight the data signal using a weighting vector in order to determine the channel input symbols.

18. The memory medium of claim 17 , wherein the weighting vector is determined based on the feedback information and additional feedback information from one or more additional UE devices.

19. The memory medium of claim 15 , wherein the channel input symbols result from weighting the data signal using a weighting vector.

20. The memory medium of claim 15 , further comprising:

weighting an uplink signal using a weight vector to obtain transmit signals, wherein the weight vector is determined based on the channel estimate; and

transmitting the transmit signals respectively from the UE antennas.

Continuity (5)
Continuation 14153470 · Jan 13, 2014
Continuation 13550478 · Jul 16, 2012
Continuation 12419701 · Apr 7, 2009
Continuation 11254392 · Oct 20, 2005
Related Publication 20150288441A1 · Oct 8, 2015