Beam information exchange between base stations

• US 9,826,442 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2016
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Dinan, Esmael Hejazi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Brian D
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TOAN D
• Application Number:
  US15/206,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20170041056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/043 using best eigenmode, e.g. beam forming or beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0456 Selection of precoding matrices or codebooks, e.g. using matrices antenna weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/046 taking physical layer constraints into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0473 taking constraints in layer or codeword to antenna mapping into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0478 Special codebook structures directed to feedback optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0617 for beam forming
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0626 Channel coefficients, e.g. channel state information [CSI]
• 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 7/0634 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: H04J 11/0056 Inter-base station aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03955 in combination with downlink estimations, e.g. downlink path losses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2646 using feedback from receiver for adjusting OFDM transmission parameters, e.g. transmission timing or guard interval length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0073 Allocation arrangements that take into account other cell interferences for intercell interference mitigation or co-ordination in orthogonal multiplex systems H04J11/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0236 radio quality, e.g. interference, losses or delay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0058 Transmission of hand-off measurement information, e.g. measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0064 : of control information between different access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 : of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0094 : Definition of hand-off measurement parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/085 : involving beams of access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/30 : by measured or perceived connection quality data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/044 : based on the type of the allocated resource
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/046 : the resource being in the space domain, e.g. beams
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/27 : between access points
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 : using the level of interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 : Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

According to some aspects, a first base station employing a first beamforming codebook may receive a second beamforming codebook from a second base station. The first beamforming codebook may comprise a plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the first base station, and the second beamforming codebook may comprise a plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station. The first base station may receive at least one message from the second base station indicating a subset of the plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station. The first base station may select one or more first beamforming codewords from the first beamforming codebook based on the indicated subset of the plurality of codewords associated with the second base station. The first base station may transmit signals to at least one wireless device employing the one or more first beamforming codewords.

Claims

1. A method for use in a first base station employing a first beamforming codebook, the method comprising:

receiving, by the first base station and from a second base station, an indication of a second beamforming codebook comprising a plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station;

receiving, by the first base station and from the second base station, at least one message comprising at least one index indicating a subset of beamforming codewords of the plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station;

selecting one or more first beamforming codewords from the first beamforming codebook based, at least in part, on the indicated subset of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station; and

transmitting, by the first base station and to at least one wireless device, at least one signal employing the one or more first beamforming codewords selected from the first beamforming codebook.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein each codeword in the first beamforming codebook comprises a first number of rows or columns equal to a first number of transmit antennas associated with the first base station.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting the one or more first beamforming codewords comprises determining the one or more first beamforming codewords based on a subset of the transmit antennas associated with the first base station and based on a corresponding subset of rows or columns of one or more codewords in the first beamforming codebook.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein each codeword in the second beamforming codebook comprises a second number of rows or columns equal to a second number of transmit antennas associated with the second base station,

wherein the second number of transmit antennas associated with the second base station is different from the first number of transmit antennas associated with the first base station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication of the second beamforming codebook comprises receiving the second beamforming codebook.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first beamforming codebook is related to a first number of transmit antennas associated with the first base station,

a first codeword in the first beamforming codebook comprises a third number of rows or columns equal to the first number of transmit antennas,

the second beamforming codebook is related to a second number of transmit antennas associated with the second base station, and

a second codeword in the second beamforming codebook comprises a fourth number of rows or columns equal to said second number of transmit antennas.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one indexes indicates a unique beamforming codeword within the second beamforming codebook.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first beamforming codewords are selected to reduce inter-cell interference.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising computing inter-cell interference based on information received from the at least one wireless device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first beamforming codebook is defined for a plurality of layers.

11. A first base station comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first base station to;

receive, from a second base station, an indication of a second beamforming codebook comprising a plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station;

receive, from the second base station, at least one message comprising at least one index indicating a subset of beamforming codewords of the plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station;

select one or more first beamforming codewords from a first beamforming codebook based, at least in part, on the indicated subset of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station; and

transmit, to at least one wireless device, at least one signal employing the one or more first beamforming codewords selected from the first beamforming codebook.

12. The first base station of claim 11, wherein

each codeword in the first beamforming codebook comprises a first number of rows or columns equal to a first number of transmit antennas associated with the first base station.

13. The first base station of claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first base station to select the one or more first beamforming codewords by causing the first base station to:

determine the one or more first beamforming codewords based on a subset of the transmit antennas associated with the first base station and based on a corresponding subset of rows or columns of one or more codewords in the first beamforming codebook.

14. The first base station of claim 12, wherein each codeword in the second beamforming codebook comprises a second number of rows or columns equal to a second number of transmit antennas associated with the second base station,

wherein the second number of transmit antennas associated with the second base station is different from the first number of transmit antennas associated with the first base station.

15. The first base station of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the first base station to receive the indication of the second beamforming codebook by causing the first base station to receive the second beamforming codebook.

16. The first base station of claim 11, wherein:

the first beamforming codebook is related to a first number of transmit antennas associated with the first base station,

a first codeword in the first beamforming codebook comprises a third number of rows or columns equal to the first number of transmit antennas,

the second beamforming codebook is related to a second number of transmit antennas associated with the second base station, and

a second codeword in the second beamforming codebook comprises a fourth number of rows or columns equal to said second number of transmit antennas.

17. The first base station of claim 11, wherein each of the at least one indexes indicates a unique beamforming codeword within the second beamforming codebook.

18. The first base station of claim 11, wherein the one or more first beamforming codewords are selected to reduce inter-cell interference.

19. The first base station of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the first base station to:

compute inter-cell interference based on information received from the at least one wireless device.

20. The first base station of claim 11, wherein the first beamforming codebook is defined for a plurality of layers.

21. A system comprising:

a first base station configured to;

receive, from a second base station, an indication of a second beamforming codebook comprising a plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station;

receive, from the second base station, at least one message comprising at least one index indicating a subset of beamforming codewords of the plurality of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station;

select one or more first beamforming codewords from a first beamforming codebook based, at least in part, on the indicated subset of beamforming codewords associated with the second base station; and

transmit, to one or more wireless devices, at least one signal employing one or more first beamforming codewords selected from the first beamforming codebook; and

the one or more wireless devices configured to receive the at least one signal transmitted employing the one or more first beamforming codewords.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein

each codeword in the first beamforming codebook comprises a first number of rows or columns equal to a first number of transmit antennas associated with the first base station.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the first base station is configured to select the one or more first beamforming codewords by:

determining the one or more first beamforming codewords based on a subset of the transmit antennas associated with the first base station and based on a corresponding subset of rows or columns of one or more codewords in the first beamforming codebook.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein each codeword in the second beamforming codebook comprises a second number of rows or columns equal to a second number of transmit antennas associated with the second base station,

wherein the second number of transmit antennas associated with the second base station is different from the first number of transmit antennas associated with the first base station.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the first base station is further configured to receive the indication of the second beamforming codebook by:

receiving the second beamforming codebook.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the first beamforming codebook is related to a first number of transmit antennas associated with the first base station,

a first codeword in the first beamforming codebook comprises a third number of rows or columns equal to the first number of transmit antennas,

the second beamforming codebook is related to a second number of transmit antennas associated with the second base station, and

a second codeword in the second beamforming codebook comprises a fourth number of rows or columns equal to said second number of transmit antennas.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein each of the at least one indexes indicates a unique beamforming codeword within the second beamforming codebook.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more first beamforming codewords are selected to reduce inter-cell interference.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the first base station is further configured to:

compute inter-cell interference based on information received from the one or more wireless devices.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the first beamforming codebook is defined for a plurality of layers.