Software-defined massive multi-input multi-output (MIMO)
AssigneeNorth Carolina State University Office of Research Commercialization
InventorShih-Chun Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are various embodiments for providing a spectrally efficient communication network using clustered devices and virtualized resources in a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) environment. A plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs) can be connected to a central base band unit (BBU) pool of a software-defined network (SDN) associated with the communication network. A procedure can be performed to yield a design for software-defined massive MIMO subject to a plurality of constraints. The design provides a plurality of clusters comprising the RRHs and an association of user devices to the clusters. Examples of initiating implementation of the design by the SDN are provided.
Claims19
A system, comprising:
- at least one computing device coupled to a network;
- at least one application executable in the at least one computing device, the at least one application causing the at least one computing device to:
- define a configuration of a plurality of clusters formed from individual subsets of a plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs) available to a communication network and an association of user devices to the plurality of clusters, where the defined configuration and association mitigates impact of interference and pilot contamination;
- configure the individual subsets of the plurality of RRHs into the plurality of clusters based upon the defined configuration;
- and
- associate the user devices to the plurality of clusters based upon the defined association.
A method, comprising:
- identifying resources available to a communication network;
- identifying user devices associated with the communication network;
- determining a configuration of the resources and an association of the user devices to the configuration to provide spectral efficiency to the communication network;
- configuring the resources based at least in part on the configuration;
- and
- associating the user devices based at least in part on the association.
A system, comprising:
- at least one computing device coupled to a network;
- at least one application executable in the at least one computing device, the at least one application causing the at least one computing device to:
- identify a plurality of remote radio heads (RRHs) connected to a central base band unit (BBU) pool of a software-defined network (SDN) associated with a communication network, the plurality of RRHs connected to the BBU pool via a plurality of fronthaul links;
- identify a plurality of user devices associated with the SDN;
- iterate a procedure until at least one stopping criterion is reached to yield a design for software-defined massive MIMO subject to a plurality of constraints comprising at least a system level constraint and an association constraint;
- and
- initiate implementation of the design by the SDN.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.