Methods and apparatus for signal transmission and reception in a wireless communication network

A node configured for operation in a wireless communication network, the node comprising:

• communication circuitry configured for transmitting from an antenna array;
• and
• processing circuitry operatively associated with the communication circuitry and configured to:
• estimate channels between elements of the antenna array and one or more first wireless communication devices that are targeted for directional transmission of corresponding device-specific signals on subcarriers in a set of subcarriers;
• for each subcarrier in the set of subcarriers:
• generate first beamforming precoder values for distributing the signal energy of the device-specific signals across the elements of the antenna array for directional transmission of the device-specific signals, the first beamforming precoder values generated from a channel estimate matrix representing the estimated channels;
• generate second beamforming precoder values for concentrating the signal energy of a broadcast signal not targeted to any specific wireless communication device on an assigned one of the elements comprising the antenna array, the second beamforming precoder values being determined from one or more orthonormal basis vectors for the null space of the channel estimate matrix, for attenuation of the broadcast signal in directions corresponding to the directional transmission of the device-specific signals;
• and
• form a combined signal for transmission from the antenna array, as a combination of the product of the first beamforming precoder values and the device-specific signals and the product of the second beamforming precoder values and the broadcast signal;
• and
• transmit the combined signals formed for the corresponding subcarriers in the set of subcarriers from the antenna array.