CQI feedback mechanisms for distortion-aware link adaptation toward enhanced multimedia communications

A method comprising:

• measuring a first signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) by a distortion-aware mobile station;
• determining first distortion-minimizing link adaptation parameters for use by a base station that minimize distortion of one or more multimedia layers received over a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) channel based on the first SINR;
• and
• transmitting a second SINR and second link adaptation parameters to the base station that cause the base station to transmit source data to the mobile station over the MIMO channel using the first distortion-minimizing link adaptation parameters.

A station comprising:

• a receiver having a processor for implementing a source decoder for decoding a source subject to the knowledge of application-layer information after transmission over a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel;
• a distortion-aware feedback module for generating a link adaptation parameter set including a MIMO modulation and coding scheme (MCS), packet size and precoding information for one or more multimedia layers selected to minimize distortion of the source due to transmission over the MIMO channel, subject to the knowledge of the application layer information;
• and
• a transmitter to transmit the MIMO MCS, packet size and the precoding information for one or more multimedia layers to an upstream station for the upstream station's use in encoding the source for downstream transmission over the MIMO channel.