Beamforming based communications method and apparatus

• US 10,069,547 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wang, Guangjian, Zhang, Miaomiao, Cheng, Jingjing
• Primary Examiner(s): Mattis, Jason E
• Application Number:
  US15/234,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20160353294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0465 taking power constraints at power amplifier or emission constraints, e.g. constant modulus, into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/04 the signals being represented by different amplitudes or polarities, e.g. quadriplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/12 the signals being represented by different phase modulations of a single carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a beamforming based communications method and apparatus. The method includes: obtaining, by a transmit end, a transmit-end precoding matrix TrBB, a transmit-end intermediate-frequency beamforming matrix TrIF, and a transmit-end radio-frequency-end beamforming matrix TrRF according to feedback information that is from a receive end; acquiring a first data stream, and performing precoding processing on the first data stream according to TrBB, to generate a first analog signal; performing weighting and power amplification processing on the first analog signal according to TrIF, to generate a second analog signal; performing weighting and power amplification processing on the second analog signal according to TrRF, to generate a third analog signal; and determining an antenna array matching the third analog signal, and transmitting the third analog signal to the receive end by using the antenna array matching the third analog signal.

Claims

1. A transmit end comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to;

obtain a transmit-end precoding matrix Tr_BB, a transmit-end intermediate-frequency beamforming matrix Tr_IF, and a transmit-end radio-frequency-end beamforming matrix Tr_RF, according to feedback information from a receive end, wherein the feedback information comprises a channel matrix H and angle-of-departure (AOD) vector information;

acquire a first data stream;

perform precoding processing on the first data stream according to Tr_BB, to generate a first analog signal, wherein the first data stream is generated after a bitstream for transmission is scrambled and undergoes layer mapping;

perform weighting and power amplification processing on the first analog signal according to Tr_IF, to generate a second analog signal;

perform weighting and power amplification processing on the second analog signal according to Tr_RF, to generate a third analog signal;

determine an antenna array matching the third analog signal; and

transmit, to the receive end, the third analog signal, using the antenna array matching the third analog signal.

2. The transmit end according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

perform precoding on the first data stream according to Tr_BB, to obtain a precoding signal; and

perform digital-to-analog conversion processing on the precoding signal, to generate the first analog signal.

3. The transmit end according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

perform intermediate-frequency-end up-conversion processing on the first analog signal to produce an up-converted analog signal;

perform, according to Tr_IF, weighting processing on the up-converted analog signal to produce a processed analog signal; and

perform power amplification processing on the processed analog signal.

4. The transmit end according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

perform radio-frequency-end up-conversion processing on the second analog signal to produce an up-converted analog signal;

perform, according to Tr_RF, weighting processing on the up-converted analog signal to produce a processed analog signal; and

perform power amplification processing on the processed analog signal.

5. The transmit end according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

perform up-conversion on the first analog signal; and

perform, according to Tr_IF, weighting processing on the first analog signal after performing up-conversion on the first analog signal, wherein the instructions to perform weighting processing comprise instructions to perform one of amplitude weighting and phase weighting, amplitude weighting, and phase weighting.

6. The transmit end according to claim 1, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

acquire the channel matrix H and the AOD vector information according to the feedback information; and

process the channel matrix H and the AOD vector information using a first preset iteration function, to obtain Tr_BB, Tr_IF, and Tr_RF.

7. A receive end comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor, the programming including instructions to;

obtain a receive-end precoding matrix Rx_BB, a receive-end intermediate-frequency beamforming matrix Rx_IF, and a receive-end radio-frequency-end beamforming matrix Rx_RF, according to feedback information from a transmit end, wherein the feedback information comprises a channel matrix H, angle-of-arrival (AOA) vector information, a transmit-end precoding matrix Tr_BB, a transmit-end intermediate-frequency beamforming matrix Tr_IF, and a transmit-end radio-frequency-end beamforming matrix Tr_RF;

acquire a first analog signal;

perform weighting and power amplification processing on the first analog signal according to Rx_RF, to generate a second analog signal;

perform weighting and power amplification processing on the second analog signal according to Rx_IF, to generate a third analog signal; and

perform encoding processing on the third analog signal according to Rx_BB, to generate a second data stream, wherein the second data stream is used to perform layer demapping.

8. The receive end according to claim 7, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

perform weighting processing on the first analog signal according to Rx_RF to produce a processed analog signal;

perform power amplification processing on the processed analog signal to produce an amplified analog signal; and

perform radio-frequency-end down-conversion processing on the amplified analog signal.

9. The receive end according to claim 7, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

perform weighting processing on the second analog signal according to Rx_IF to produce a processed analog signal;

perform power amplification processing on the processed analog signal to produce an amplified analog signal; and

perform intermediate-frequency-end down-conversion processing on the amplified analog signal, to generate the third analog signal.

10. The receive end according to claim 7, wherein instructions further comprise instructions to:

convert the third analog signal to a digital signal; and

perform, according to Rx_BB, weighting processing on the digital signal, to obtain the second data stream.

11. The receive end according to claim 7, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

perform weighting processing on the second analog signal according to Rx_IF, wherein the instructions to perform weighting processing comprise instructions for one of amplitude weighting and phase weighting, amplitude weighting, and phase weighting.

12. The receive end according to claim 7, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to:

acquire the channel matrix H, the AOA vector information, Tr_BB, Tr_IF, and Tr_RF that are in the feedback information; and

process the channel matrix H, the AOA vector information, Tr_BB, Tr_IF, and Tr_RF by using a second preset iteration function, to obtain Rx_BB, Rx_IF, and Rx_RF.

13. A method, comprising:

obtaining, by a transmit end, a transmit-end precoding matrix Tr_BB, a transmit-end intermediate-frequency beamforming matrix Tr_IF, and a transmit-end radio-frequency-end beamforming matrix Tr_RF, according to feedback information that is from a receive end, wherein the feedback information comprises a channel matrix H and angle-of-departure (AOD) vector information;

acquiring, by the transmit end, a first data stream;

performing precoding processing on the first data stream according to Tr_BB, to generate a first analog signal, wherein the first data stream is generated after a bitstream for transmission is scrambled and undergoes layer mapping;

performing weighting and power amplification processing on the first analog signal according to Tr_IF, to generate a second analog signal;

performing weighting and power amplification processing on the second analog signal according to Tr_RF, to generate a third analog signal;

determining an antenna array matching the third analog signal; and

transmitting the third analog signal to the receive end using the antenna array matching the third analog signal.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein performing precoding processing on the first data stream according to Tr_BB, to generate the first analog signal comprises:

performing precoding on the first data stream according to Tr_BB, to obtain a precoding signal; and

performing digital-to-analog conversion processing on the precoding signal, to generate the first analog signal.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein performing weighting and power amplification processing on the first analog signal according to Tr_IF, to generate the second analog signal comprises:

performing intermediate-frequency-end up-conversion processing on the first analog signal to produce an up-converted analog signal;

performing, according to Tr_IF, weighting processing on the up-converted analog signal to produce a processed analog signal; and

performing, by the transmit end, power amplification processing on the processed analog signal, to generate the second analog signal.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein performing weighting and power amplification processing on the second analog signal according to Tr_RF, to generate the third analog signal comprises:

performing radio-frequency-end up-conversion processing on the second analog signal to produce an up-converted analog signal;

performing, according to Tr_BB, weighting processing on the up-converted analog signal to produce a processed analog signal; and

performing, by the transmit end, power amplification processing on the processed analog signal, to generate the third analog signal.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

performing up-conversion on the first analog signal to produce an up-converted analog signal; and

performing, according to Tr_IF, weighting processing on the up-converted analog signal, wherein performing weighting processing comprises performing one of amplitude weighting and phase weighting, amplitude weighting, and phase weighting.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein obtaining, by the transmit end, the transmit-end precoding matrix Tr_BB, the transmit-end intermediate-frequency beamforming matrix Tr_IF, and the transmit-end radio-frequency-end beamforming matrix Tr_RF according to the feedback information from the receive end comprises:

acquiring, by the transmit end, the channel matrix H and the AOD vector information, according to the feedback information; and

processing the channel matrix H and the AOD vector information using a first preset iteration function, to obtain Tr_BB, Tr_IF, and Tr_RF.

19. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a receive end, a receive-end precoding matrix Rx_BB, a receive-end intermediate-frequency beamforming matrix Rx_IF, and a receive-end radio-frequency-end beamforming matrix Rx_RF, according to feedback information from a transmit end, wherein the feedback information comprises a channel matrix H, angle-of-arrival (AOA) vector information, a transmit-end precoding matrix Tr_BB, a transmit-end intermediate-frequency beamforming matrix Tr_IF, and a transmit-end radio-frequency-end beamforming matrix Tr_RF;

acquiring, by the receive end, a first analog signal;

performing weighting and power amplification processing on the first analog signal according to Rx_RF, to generate a second analog signal;

performing weighting and power amplification processing on the second analog signal according to Rx_IF, to generate a third analog signal; and

performing encoding processing on the third analog signal according to Rx_BB, to generate a second data stream, wherein the second data stream is used to perform layer demapping.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein performing weighting and power amplification processing on the first analog signal according to Rx_RF, to generate the second analog signal comprises:

performing weighting processing on the first analog signal according to Rx_RF to produce a processed analog signal;

performing, by the receive end, power amplification processing on the processed analog signal to produce an amplified analog signal; and

performing, by the receive end, radio-frequency-end down-conversion processing on the amplified analog signal, to generate the second analog signal.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein performing weighting and power amplification processing on the second analog signal according to Rx_IF, to generate the third analog signal comprises:

performing weighting processing on the second analog signal according to Rx_IF to produce a processed analog signal;

performing power amplification processing on the processed analog signal to produce an amplified analog signal; and

performing, by the receive end, intermediate-frequency-end down-conversion processing on the amplified analog signal, to generate the third analog signal.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein performing encoding processing on the third analog signal according to Rx_BB, to generate the second data stream comprises:

converting the third analog signal into a digital signal; and

performing, according to Rx_BB, weighting processing on the digital signal, to obtain the second data stream.

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising performing weighting processing on the second analog signal according to Rx_IF, wherein performing weighting processing on the second analog signal comprises one of amplitude weighting and phase weighting, amplitude weighting, and phase weighting.

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein obtaining the receive-end precoding matrix Rx_BB, the receive-end intermediate-frequency beamforming matrix Rx_IF, and the receive-end radio-frequency-end beamforming matrix Rx_RF according to feedback information from the transmit end comprises:

acquiring, by the receive end, the channel matrix H, the angle-of-arrival vector information, Tr_BB, Tr_IF, and Tr_RF that are in the feedback information; and

processing the channel matrix H, the angle-of-arrival vector information, Tr_BB, Tr_IF, and Tr_RF by using a second preset iteration function, to obtain Rx_BB, Rx_IF, and Rx_RF.