Method and apparatus for pre-scheduling in closed-loop MU-MIMO antenna system

A base station apparatus for pre-scheduling in a Closed-Loop (CL) Multiple User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) antenna system, the base station apparatus comprising:

• a channel information receiver configured to receive channel information representing a downlink channel condition of each mobile station in a plurality of mobile stations in a cell;
• a pre-scheduling unit configured to determine a plurality of candidate user groups associated with a plurality of frequency bands included in an entire frequency band, based on the channel information, each candidate user group comprising mobile stations to which resources can be simultaneously allocated in the corresponding frequency band;
• a control channel transmitter configured to command the mobile stations in each candidate user group to transmit sounding signals through the frequency band associated with the each candidate user group;
• and
• a scheduling unit configured to perform a scheduling with regard to the mobile stations in the each candidate user group in response to receiving the sounding signals through the frequency band associated with the each candidate user group,
• wherein each of the plurality of candidate user groups is respectively associated with one of the plurality of frequency bands.

A method for pre-scheduling in a Closed-Loop (CL) Multiple User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) antenna system, the method comprising:

• transmitting channel information representing a downlink channel condition of a mobile station to a base station;
• receiving notification information instructing to transmit a sounding signal through a specific frequency band of an entire frequency band comprising a plurality of frequency bands from the base station in response to the channel information, each of the plurality of frequency bands respectively associated with a corresponding candidate user group, the mobile station associated with at least one of the candidate user groups;
• transmitting the sounding signal through the specific frequency band;
• and
• performing a data communication with the base station according to a result of a scheduling performed by the base station based on the sounding signal.

A mobile station apparatus for pre-scheduling in, a Closed-Loop (CL) Multiple User Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO) antenna system, the mobile station apparatus comprising:

• a channel information transmitter configured to transmit channel information representing a downlink channel condition of a mobile station to a base station;
• a control channel receiver configured to receive notification information instructing to transmit a sounding signal through a specific frequency band of an entire frequency band comprising a plurality of frequency bands from the base station in response to the channel information, each of the plurality of frequency bands respectively associated with a corresponding candidate user group, the mobile station associated with at least one of the candidate user groups;
• a sounding signal transmitter configured to transmit the sounding signal through the specific frequency band;
• and
• a controller configured to perform a data communication with the base station according to a result of a scheduling performed by the base station based on the sounding signal.