Spatial filtering technique

A method of updating spatial filters in a radio network comprising at least two transmit nodes each in a radio communication with at least one receive node on a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) radio channel, the method comprising:

• receiving, from each of the transmit nodes, first reference signals precoded by a first spatial filter of a respective transmit node, the first reference signals received from different transmit nodes being at least one of orthogonal and synchronously signaled;
• transmitting, from a respective receive node, second reference signals that are precoded utilizing a second spatial filter of the respective receive node and an error matrix of the respective receive node, wherein being precoded utilizing the second spatial filter of the respective receive node and the error matrix of the respective receive node enables the respective transmit node in the radio communication with the respective receive node to recompute the error matrix of the respective receive node, and wherein the second spatial filter depends on a channel estimate based on the received first reference signals, and wherein the error matrix is indicative of an error of the first and second spatial filters in equalizing the MIMO radio channel;
• performing a channel estimate based on the received second reference signals;
• and
• receiving, utilizing the second spatial filter, data from the transmit node in the radio communication with the respective receive node, wherein the data is precoded by an updated first spatial filter, the updated first spatial filter depending on the recomputed error matrix and a quadratic form of a result of the channel estimate based on the received second reference signals, the quadratic form of the result comprising μj HjkH RjH Ej-1 Hjk, the Ej, Rj, and Hjk, representing the error matrix, the second spatial filter and the MIMO radio channel, respectively, for the j-th receive node and the k-th transmit node and μ representing a weighting factor.

A device for updating spatial filters in a radio network comprising at least two transmit nodes each in a radio communication with at least one receive node on a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) radio channel, the device comprising:

• processing circuitry;
• memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry to cause the device to:
• transmit, from a respective transmit node, first reference signals precoded by a first spatial filter of the respective transmit node, the first reference signals transmitted from different transmit nodes being at least one of orthogonal and synchronously signaled;
• receive, from the receive nodes, second reference signals that are precoded utilizing a second spatial filter of a respective receive node and an error matrix of the respective receive node, wherein the second spatial filter depends on a channel estimate based on the transmitted first reference signals, and wherein the error matrix is indicative of an error of the first and second spatial filters in equalizing the MIMO radio channel;
• recompute, for each of the receive nodes in the radio communication with the respective transmit node, the error matrix of the respective receive node;
• perform a channel estimate based on the received second reference signals;
• update the first spatial filter of the respective transmit node utilizing the recomputed error matrix and a quadratic form of a result of the channel estimate based on the received second reference signals, the quadratic form of the result comprising μj HjkH RjH Ej-1 Hjk, the Ej, Rj, and Hjk, representing the error matrix, the second spatial filter and the MIMO radio channel, respectively, for the j-th receive node and the k-th transmit node and μ representing a weighting factor;
• and
• transmit data from the respective transmit node, wherein the data is precoded by the updated first spatial filter.

A device for updating spatial filters in a radio network comprising at least two transmit nodes each in a radio communication with at least one receive node on a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) radio channel, the device comprising:

• processing circuitry;
• memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry to cause the device to:
• receive, from each of the transmit nodes, first reference signals precoded by a first spatial filter of a respective transmit node, the first reference signals received from different transmit nodes being at least one of orthogonal and synchronously signaled;
• transmit, from a respective receive node, second reference signals that are precoded utilizing a second spatial filter of the respective receive node and an error matrix of the respective receive node, wherein being precoded utilizing the second spatial filter of the respective receive node and the error matrix of the respective receive node enables the respective transmit node in the radio communication with the respective receive node to recompute the error matrix of the respective receive node, and wherein the second spatial filter depends on a channel estimate based on the received first reference signals, and wherein the error matrix is indicative of an error of the first and second spatial filters in equalizing the MIMO radio channel;
• perform a channel estimate based on the received second reference signals;
• and
• receive, utilizing the second spatial filter, data from the transmit node in the radio communication with the respective receive node, wherein the data is precoded by an updated first spatial filter, the updated first spatial filter depending on the recomputed error matrix and a quadratic form of a result of the channel estimate based on the received second reference signals, the quadratic form of the result comprising μj HjkH RjH Ej-1 Rj Hjk, the Ej, Rj, and Hjk, representing the error matrix, the second spatial filter and the MIMO radio channel, respectively, for the j-th receive node and the k-th transmit node and μ representing a weighting factor.