Massive MIMO antenna and method for operating a massive MIMO antenna

1. Massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna for wireless communication, the massive MIMO antenna comprising:

a plurality of antenna elements configured to receive upstream wireless signals and to transmit downstream wireless signals, the antenna elements being arranged in a matrix-like arrangement comprising rows and/or columns of antenna elements,

a plurality of transceivers each coupled to at least one of the antenna elements, and

a control unit configured to selectively activate and/or deactivate specific ones of the transceivers, the control unit configured to store the operating time of the single transceivers and to selectively activate and/or deactivate the transceivers based on the stored operating time.

2. The massive MIMO antenna according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to selectively activate and/or deactivate in groups the transceivers that are coupled to the antenna elements of a specific row and/or column of the matrix-like arrangement.

3. The massive MIMO antenna according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to selectively activate and/or deactivate the transceivers based on a load condition of the massive MIMO antenna.

4. The massive MIMO antenna according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit is configured to gradually determine the number of selectively activated and/or deactivated transceivers based on a load condition of the massive MIMO antenna.

5. The massive MIMO antenna according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises a control interface that is configured to receive activation information and to selectively activate and/or deactivate the transceivers based on the activation information.

6. The massive MIMO antenna according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine a load information for the massive MIMO antenna and to selectively activate and/or deactivate the transceivers based on the determined load information.

7. The massive MIMO antenna according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises at least one temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature inside of the massive MIMO antenna, and wherein the control unit is configured to selectively activate and/or deactivate the transceivers based on the measured temperature.

8. Method for operating a massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna, the method comprising:

initiating (S 1 ) operation of a plurality of transceivers, each transceiver being coupled to at least one antenna element of a plurality of antenna elements configured to receive upstream wireless signals and to transmit downstream wireless signals, the antenna elements being arranged in a matrix-like arrangement comprising rows and/or columns of antenna elements,

during operation of the transceivers selectively activating and/or deactivating (S 2 ) specific ones of the transceivers; and

storing the operating time of the single transceivers and selectively activating and/or deactivating the transceivers based on the stored operating time.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein when selectively activating and/or deactivating, the transceivers that are coupled to the antenna elements of a specific row and/or column of the matrix-like arrangement are selectively activated and/or deactivated in groups.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the transceivers are selectively activated and/or deactivated based on a load condition of the massive MIMO antenna.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the number of selectively activated and/or deactivated transceivers is gradually determined based on a load condition of the massive MIMO antenna.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein activation information is received via a control interface and the transceivers are selectively activated and/or deactivated based on the activation information.

13. The method according to claim 8 , comprising sensing the temperature in the massive MIMO antenna with at least one temperature sensor, and selectively activating and/or deactivating the transceivers based on the measured temperature.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a load information is determined for the massive MIMO antenna and the transceivers are selectively activated and/or deactivated based on the determined load information.

15. The method according to claim 11 , comprising:

sensing the temperature in the massive MIMO antenna with at least one temperature sensor, and

selectively activating and/or deactivating the transceivers based on the measured temperature.

16. The massive MIMO antenna according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit comprises a control interface that is configured to receive activation information and to selectively activate and/or deactivate the transceivers based on the activation information.

17. The massive MIMO antenna according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine a load information for the massive MIMO antenna and to selectively activate and/or deactivate the transceivers based on the determined load information.