Antenna clustering for multi-antenna aperture selection

An apparatus comprising:

• a processing system comprising at least one processor and a memory storing a set of computer instructions, in which the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to:
• receive M signals, each of the M signals being detected by one of M antennas of a plurality of network elements from a user equipment, where each network element has two or more antennas;
• process separately multiple groups of signals formed from the received M signals to select one or more signals in each group by excluding at least one signal from each group, evaluate a signal-to-interference noise ratio for each signal in the group, and select the one or more signals in each group having highest signal-to-interference noise ratios for signals in the group, wherein each group of the multiple groups comprises two or more signals of the M signals;
• and
• combine all selected signals from the multiple groups of signals to represent a signal transmitted by the user equipment.

An apparatus comprising:

• a processing system comprising at least one processor and a memory storing a set of computer instructions, in which the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to:
• receive M signals, each of the M signals being detected by one of M antennas of a plurality of network elements from a user equipment, where each network element has two or more antennas and where the plurality of network elements comprises six remote radio heads, each representing a cell in a wireless network;
• process separately multiple groups of signals from the received M signals to select one or more signals in each group by excluding at least one signal from each group, wherein each group of the multiple groups comprises two or more signals of the M signals;
• and
• combine all selected signals from the multiple groups of signals to represent a signal transmitted by the user equipment.

An apparatus comprising:

• a processing system comprising at least one processor and a memory storing a set of computer instructions, in which the processing system is arranged to cause the apparatus to:
• receive M signals, each of the M signals being detected by one of M antennas of a plurality of network elements from a user equipment, where each network element has two or more antennas and where M=12 and each group has three signals, and the selected signals in each group are two signals;
• process separately multiple groups of signals formed from the received M signals to select one or more signals in each group by excluding at least one signal from each group, wherein each group of the multiple groups comprises two or more signals of the M signals;
• and
• combine all selected signals from the multiple groups of signals to represent a signal transmitted by the user equipment.