Systems and methods for beamforming feedback in multi antenna communication systems

• US 9,154,211 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sampath, Hemanth, Khandekar, Aamod, Gore, Dhananjay Ashok, Gorokhov, Alexei, Kadous, Tamer
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, DHAVAL V
• Application Number:
  US11/233,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,667 Days
• Field of Search: 375/260, 375/136, 375/146, 375/262, 375/265, 375/267, 375/295, 375/316, 375/340, 375/346, 375/347, 375/350, 455/69, 370/208, 370/203, 370/204, 370/205, 370/209, 370/210
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/063 Parameters other than those covered in groups H04B7/0623 - H04B7/0634, e.g. channel matrix rank or transmit mode selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0632 Channel quality parameters, e.g. channel quality indicator [CQI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0634 Antenna weights or vector/matrix coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0639 Using selective indices, e.g. of a codebook, e.g. pre-distortion matrix index [PMI] or for beam selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0645 Variable feedback

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that determine whether to feedback, and the amount of feedback, with respect to eigenbeam information based upon channel resources. Additionally, methods and apparatuses are disclosed that determine whether to feedback, and the amount of feedback, with respect to eigenbeam information based upon channel information and changes in channel information.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus comprising:

at least two antennas;

and a processor operative to determine available reverse link transmission resources in a multiple-input-multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) frequency division duplexed (FDD) system operative to generate and provide to an access terminal an indicator of reverse link transmission resources allocated for transmission of the beamforming information, wherein the indicator is based at least upon the determination of the available reverse link transmission resources, operative to cause allocation at the access terminal of reverse link resources for transmission of the beamforming information in accordance with the indicator, and operative to cause the beamforming information to be transmitted based upon the reverse link resources allocated in accordance with the indicator.

2. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to determine the available reverse link transmission resources based upon a number of users transmitting reverse link transmissions.

3. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is further operative to cause the indicator to be transmitted from the at least two antennas.

4. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operative to determine the available reverse link transmission resources based upon a forward link transmission to a wireless communication device.

5. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reverse link resources comprise data channels and control channels.

6. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the indicator further comprises information as to a number of eigenbeams to be fedback over the reverse link transmission resources allocated.

7. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication apparatus comprises an access terminal.

8. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication apparatus comprises an access point.

9. The wireless communication apparatus of claim 1, wherein transmitting beamforming information based upon the reverse link resources allocated in accordance with the indicator comprises transmitting feedback information based upon per hop based eigenbeam information.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled with the processor, and storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor

to determine whether to transmit eigenbeam information from the at least one antenna in a multiple-input-multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) frequency division duplexed (FDD) system based upon channel information, the channel information comprising at least channel statistics, and

to determine whether the channel is stationary or variable based upon the channel statistics and to transmit the eigenbeam information if the channel is determined to be stationary, and to not transmit the eigenbeam information if the channel is determined to be variable.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to determine whether the channel is stationary or variable, cause the processor to determine whether the channel is stationary or variable based upon whether a change in the channel statistics within a time period exceeds a threshold.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to determine a number of eigenbeams for which to transmit eigenbeam information based upon the channel statistics.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to determine a number of eigenbeams for which to transmit eigenbeam information, cause the processor to determine the number of eigenbeams for which to transmit eigenbeam information to be less than all eigenbeams utilized for transmission to the wireless communication apparatus.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to determine the channel statistics at predetermined time intervals.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to determine the channel statistics at predetermined time intervals, cause the processor to determine a length of the predetermined time intervals based upon an instruction received at the at least one antenna.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the eigenbeam information comprises information corresponding to one or more eigenvectors of signals received at the wireless communication apparatus.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to average terms of the one or more eigenvectors over multiple signals received at the wireless communication apparatus.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the one or more eigenvectors comprise one or more time averaged eigenvectors.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to average terms of the one or more eigenvectors over multiple subcarriers of the signals received at the wireless communication apparatus.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the one or more eigenvectors comprise one or more subcarriers averaged eigenvectors.

21. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the eigenbeam information comprises information corresponding to one or more eigenvectors of signals received at the wireless communication apparatus and an eigenvalue of each of the one or more eigenvectors.

22. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the eigenbeam information comprises information corresponding to dominant eigenvectors of signals received at the wireless communication apparatus.

23. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to quantize the eigenbeam information according to a codebook.

24. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to quantize complex elements of the eigenbeam information using a desired number of bits.

25. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to quantize complex elements of the eigenbeam information according to a pre-determined constellation.

26. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to quantize some of the elements of the eigenbeam information.

27. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the channel information comprises second order channel statistics.

28. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the instructions stored in the memory, when executed by the processor, also cause the processor to determine whether to transmit eigenbeam information based upon the channel statistics and received instructions.

29. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the channel information comprises instantaneous channel information.

30. A method of resource allocation in a wireless communication system comprising:

determining reverse link resources available at a wireless communication apparatus for communication in a multiple-input-multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMI-OFDM) frequency division duplexed (FDD) system; and

transmitting beamforming feedback based upon a result of determining reverse link resources available at the wireless communication apparatus, wherein the transmitting comprises;

transmitting feedback comprising frequency averaged eigenbeam information in response to the result indicating low available reverse link resources available at the wireless communication apparatus, and

transmitting feedback comprising dominant eigenbeams in response to the result indicating high available reverse link resources available at the wireless communication apparatus.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein determining reverse link transmission resources available at the wireless communication apparatus comprises determining a number of users transmitting reverse link transmissions.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

assigning beamforming feedback resources on the reverse link based upon a result of determining reverse link resources available at the wireless communication apparatus; and

transmitting an indicator of the assigned beamforming feedback resources.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein determining reverse link resources available is based upon a forward link transmission.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the reverse link resources comprise data channels and control channels.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

assigning beamforming feedback resources on the reverse link based, at least in part, on a result of determining reverse link resources available at the wireless communication apparatus and wherein a number of eigenbeams to be fedback.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the wireless communication apparatus comprises an access terminal.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the wireless communication apparatus comprises an access point.

38. A method of resource allocation in a wireless communication system comprising:

generating eigenbeam information in a multiple-input-multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMI-OFDM) frequency division duplexed (FDD) system at wireless communication device;

generating channel information regarding a communication channel with respect to the wireless communication device, wherein the channel information comprises channel statistics;

determining, based at least in part upon the channel information, whether to transmit the eigenbeam information; and

transmitting the eigenbeam information in accordance with a result of said determining whether to transmit, wherein

determining whether to transmit includes determining whether the channel is stationary or variable based on the channel statistics, and

wherein transmitting the eigenbeam information in accordance with the result of said determining whether to transmit includes

transmitting the eigenbeam information if the channel is determined to be stationary, and

not transmitting the eigenbeam information if the channel is determined to be variable.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein determining whether the channel is stationary or variable comprises determining based upon whether a change in the channel statistics within a time period exceeds a threshold.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising determining a number of eigenbeams for which to transmit eigenbeam information based upon the channel statistics.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein determining the number of eigenbeams comprises determining a number of eigenbeams to be less than all of the eigenbeams utilized for transmission to the wireless communication apparatus.

42. The method of claim 38, wherein determining whether to transmit the eigenbeam information further comprises determining whether to transmit frequency averaged eigenbeam information based upon the channel statistics.

43. The method of claim 38, wherein generating channel statistics comprises generating channel statistics at predetermined time intervals.

44. The method of claim 38, wherein the eigenbeam information comprises information corresponding to one or more eigenvectors of signals received at the wireless communication apparatus.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising averaging the one or more eigenvectors over multiple received signals.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising averaging the one or more eigenvectors over multiple subcarriers of signals received.

47. The method of claim 38, wherein the eigenbeam information comprises information corresponding to one or more eigenvectors and an eigenvalue of each of the one or more eigenvectors.

48. The method of claim 38, wherein the eigenbeam information comprises information corresponding to dominant eigenvectors of signals received.

49. The method of claim 38, further comprising quantizing the eigenbeam information according to a codebook.

50. The method of claim 38, further comprising quantizing the eigenbeam information for an eigenbeam having a minimum mean squared error.

51. The method of claim 38, wherein the channel information comprises second order channel statistics.

52. The method of claim 38, wherein determining whether to transmit eigenbeam information is further based upon received instructions.

53. The method of claim 38, wherein the channel information comprises instantaneous channel information.

54. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining reverse link resources available for communication in a multiple-input-multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) frequency division duplexed (FDD) system based at least in part upon an available bandwidth of the control channel;

means for generating and providing, based at least in part on a result of determining reverse link resources available to an access terminal an indicator of reverse link resources allocated for transmission of the beamforming feedback;

means for assigning beamforming feedback resources on the reverse link based at least in part on the indicator; and

means for causing a message including the beamforming feedback to be transmitted based upon the reverse link resources assigned.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein determining the available reverse link transmission resources is based upon a number of users transmitting reverse link transmissions.

56. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein determining reverse link resources available is based upon a forward link transmission to the apparatus.

57. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the means for assigning comprises means for assigning a number of eigenbeams to be fedback over the reverse link resources assigned.

58. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating eigenbeam information for communication in a multiple-input-multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) frequency division duplexed (FDD) system;

means for generating channel information regarding a communication channel with respect to the apparatus, the channel information comprising at least channel statistics;

means for determining, based at least in part upon the channel information, and whether to transmit the eigenbeam information; and

means for transmitting the eigenbeam information in accordance with a result of said determining whether to transmit,

wherein the means for determining whether to transmit includes means for determining whether the channel is stationary or variable based on the channel statistics, and

wherein the means for transmitting the eigenbeam information in accordance with the result of said determining whether to transmit comprises;

means for transmitting the eigenbeam information if the channel is determined to be stationary, and

means for not transmitting the eigenbeam information if the channel is determined to be variable.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the means for determining whether the channel is stationary or variable comprises means for determining based upon whether a change in the channel statistics within a time period exceeds a threshold.

60. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the means for determining whether to transmit comprises means for determining a number of eigenbeams for which to transmit eigenbeam information based upon the channel statistics.

61. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the number of eigenbeams is less than all eigenbeams utilized for transmission to the wireless communication apparatus.

62. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the means for generating channel statistics comprises means for generating channel statistics at predetermined time intervals.

63. The apparatus of claim 58, further comprising means for averaging one or more eigenvectors over multiple received signals.

64. The apparatus of claim 58, further comprising means for averaging the one or more eigenvectors over multiple subcarriers of signals received.

65. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the eigenbeam information comprises information corresponding to dominant eigenvectors of signals received.

66. The apparatus of claim 58, further comprising means for quantizing the eigenbeam information according to a codebook.

67. The apparatus of claim 58, further comprising means for quantizing each complex element of the eigenbeam information according to a pre-determined constellation.

68. The electronic device of claim 58, further comprising means for quantizing some elements of the eigenbeam information.

69. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the channel information comprises second order channel statistics.

70. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the means for determining whether to transmit eigenbeam information comprises means for determining whether to transmit based upon channel statistics and received instructions.

71. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the channel information comprises instantaneous channel information.

72. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein determining whether the channel is stationary or variable is based upon whether the channel statistics change within a time period.

73. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein determining whether the channel is stationary or variable is based upon whether a change in the channel statistics within a time period exceeds a threshold.

74. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein determining whether to transmit comprises determining a number of eigenbeams for which to transmit eigenbeam information based upon the channel statistics.

75. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein determining whether to transmit eigenbeam information is based upon channel statistics and received instructions.

76. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein generating channel statistics includes generating channel statistics at predetermined time intervals.

77. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor apparatus in a wireless communications system, cause the processor apparatus to perform operations carrying out a method of resource allocation in the wireless communication system, comprising instructions that cause the processor apparatus to:

determine reverse link resources available at a wireless communication apparatus for communication in a multiple-input-multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMI-OFDM) frequency division duplexed (FDD) system; and

transmit beamforming feedback based upon a result of determining reverse link resources available at the wireless communication apparatus, wherein the transmitting comprises;

transmitting feedback comprising frequency averaged eigenbeam information in response to the result indicating low available reverse link resources available at the wireless communication apparatus, and

transmitting feedback comprising dominant eigenbeams in response to the result indicating high available reverse link resources available at the wireless communication apparatus.

78. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor apparatus in a wireless communications system, cause the processor apparatus to perform operations carrying out a method of resource allocation in the wireless communication system, comprising instructions that cause the processor apparatus to:

generate eigenbeam information in a multiple-input-multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMI-OFDM) frequency division duplexed (FDD) system at wireless communication device;

generate channel information regarding a communication channel with respect to the wireless communication device, wherein the channel information comprises channel statistics;

determine, based at least in part upon the channel information, whether to transmit the eigenbeam information; and

transmit the eigenbeam information in accordance with a result of said determining whether to transmit, wherein

determining whether to transmit includes determining whether the channel is stationary or variable based on the channel statistics, and

wherein transmitting the eigenbeam information in accordance with the result of said determining whether to transmit includes

transmitting the eigenbeam information if the channel is determined to be stationary, and

not transmitting the eigenbeam information if the channel is determined to be variable.

79. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which, when executed by a processor apparatus in a wireless communications system, cause the processor apparatus to perform operations carrying out a method of resource allocation in the wireless communication system, comprising instructions that cause the processor apparatus to:

determine reverse link resources available for communication in a multiple-input-multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) frequency division duplexed (FDD) system based at least in part upon an available bandwidth of the control channel;

generate and provide, based at least in part on a result of determining reverse link resources available to an access terminal an indicator of reverse link resources allocated for transmission of the beamforming feedback;

assign beamforming feedback resources on the reverse link based at least in part on the indicator; and

cause a message including the beamforming feedback to be transmitted based upon the reverse link resources assigned.