Antenna Systems and Methods for Massive MIMO Communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016308589-A1
Application number	US-201615196397-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Apr 15, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Antenna systems and methods for Massive Multi-Input-Multi-Output (MIMO) (M-MIMO) communication are provided. Antennas systems include a M-MIMO transmitter architecture with a hybrid matrix structure. The hybrid matrix structure protects against transmit path component failures and ensures that a spatial rate of the M-MIMO transmitter is not degraded by the failures. Antenna systems and methods also include antenna selection schemes for selecting a subset of antennas from a plurality of antennas to transmit to a receiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A Multi-Input-Multi-Output (MIMO) antenna system, comprising:
a first M-input M-output hybrid matrix configured to receive a plurality of input signals and to generate a respective plurality of hybrid signals, wherein each of the plurality of hybrid signals is a combination of the plurality of input signals; a plurality of power amplifiers (PAs) each configured to receive a respective one of the plurality of hybrid signals and to generate a respective one of a plurality of amplified hybrid signals; a second M-input M-output hybrid matrix configured to receive the plurality of amplified hybrid signals and to generate a plurality of signals, wherein each of the plurality of signals includes a component from each of the plurality of input signals with equal weight; and a plurality of first antennas for transmitting the plurality of signals to a plurality of second antennas.

2 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first antennas are located at a base station, and the plurality of second antennas are located at a user equipment (UE).

3 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a measurement module, coupled to the plurality of first antennas, configured to estimate a channel from the plurality of first antennas to the plurality of second antennas and to select a subset of the plurality of first antennas, based on the estimated channel, for transmitting the plurality of signals to the plurality of second antennas.

4 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 3 , further comprising:
an antenna selection matrix configured to receive the plurality of signals for transmission, wherein the measurement module is further configured to control the antenna selection matrix to couple the plurality of signals to the selected subset of the plurality of first antennas.

5 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 4 , wherein the antenna selection matrix includes an M-input N-output switch matrix, where M is equal to the number of the plurality of signals and N is equal to the number of the plurality of first antennas.

6 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 3 , wherein the measurement module is further configured to receive, from at least one of the plurality of first antennas, a plurality of reference signals transmitted respectively by the plurality of second antennas and to estimate the channel using the plurality of reference signals.

7 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of reference signals include sounding reference signals (SRS).

8 . A method comprising:
receiving a plurality of input signals: generating a respective plurality of hybrid signals, wherein each of the plurality of hybrid signals is a combination of the plurality of input signals; generate a respective one of a plurality of amplified hybrid signals based on a respective one of the plurality of hybrid signals; generate a plurality of signals. wherein each of the plurality of signals is a combination of the plurality of amplified hybrid signals; and transmitting the plurality of signals from a plurality of first antennas to a plurality of second antennas.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of first antennas are located at a base station, and the plurality of second antennas are located at a user equipment (UE).

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
estimating a channel from the plurality of first antennas to the plurality of second antennas; and selecting a subset of the plurality of first antennas, based on the estimated channel, for transmitting the plurality of signals to the plurality of second antennas.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
coupling the plurality of signals to the selected subset of the plurality of first antennas.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, from at least one of the plurality of first antennas, a plurality of reference signals transmitted respectively by the plurality of second antennas; and estimating the channel using the plurality of reference signals.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of reference signals include sounding reference signals (SRS).

14 . A Multi-Input-Multi-Output (MIMO) antenna system, comprising:
a first M-input M-output hybrid matrix configured to receive a plurality of input signals and to generate a respective plurality of hybrid signals, wherein each of the plurality of hybrid signals is a combination of the plurality of input signals; a plurality of power amplifiers (PAs) each configured to receive a respective one of the plurality of hybrid signals and to generate a respective one of a plurality of amplified hybrid signals; a second M-input M-output hybrid matrix configured to receive the plurality of amplified hybrid signals and to generate a plurality of signals, wherein each of the plurality of signals is a combination of the plurality of amplified hybrid signals: and a plurality of first antennas for transmitting the plurality of signals to a plurality of second antennas, wherein the plurality of first antennas are located at a base station, and the plurality of second antennas are located at a user equipment (UE).

15 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a measurement module, coupled to the plurality of first antennas, configured to estimate a channel from the plurality of first antennas to the plurality of second antennas and to select a subset of the plurality of first antennas, based on the estimated channel, for transmitting the plurality of signals to the plurality of second antennas.

16 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 15 , further comprising:
an antenna selection matrix configured to receive the plurality of signals for transmission, wherein the measurement module is further configured to control the antenna selection matrix to couple the plurality of signals to the selected subset of the plurality of first antennas.

17 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 16 , wherein the antenna selection matrix includes an M-input N-output switch matrix, where M is equal to the number of the plurality of signals and N is equal to the number of the plurality of first antennas.

18 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 15 , wherein the measurement module is further configured to receive, from at least one of the plurality of first antennas, a plurality of reference signals transmitted respectively by the plurality of second antennas and to estimate the channel using the plurality of reference signals.

19 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of reference signals include sounding reference signals (SRS).

20 . The MIMO antenna system of claim 14 , wherein the first hybrid matrix and the second hybrid matrix have inverse transfer functions.

Assignees

• Broadcom Corp

Inventors

• Jalloul Louay
• Alex Sam
• Mobasher Amin

Classifications

• H04L25/0228

  with direct estimation from sounding signals · CPC title

• H04L25/0204

  of multiple channels · CPC title

• H04B7/0684

  using different training sequences per antenna · CPC title

• H04B7/0413 Primary

  MIMO systems · CPC title

• H04L25/0202

  Channel estimation · CPC title