MU-MIMO implementation with configurable antenna system

摘要

Disclosed herein is a system, apparatus, and method for using an antenna system comprising individually configurable antenna circuitries in a wireless network device to simulate the standard MU-MIMO transmissions as specified in the IEEE 802.11ac standard with antenna beamforming. The individually configurable antenna circuitries can be configured to transmit radio frequency (RF) signals with specific radiation patterns including directional beam patterns. Client devices may be grouped and antenna circuitries may be configured in such a way as to minimize inter-user interference. Frequent sounding-channel state feedback cycles and associated overhead are obviated with antenna beamforming, and no change to standard-compliant client devices is necessary. A better overall performance compared to MU-MIMO based on DSP-based beamforming as specified in the IEEE 802.11ac standard is expected.

主权项

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause performance of operations comprising:
identifying a plurality of client devices associated with a particular wireless network device; grouping a first subset of the plurality of client devices into a first group for concurrent communication during a first period of time using a plurality of antenna circuitries in the particular wireless network device such that each antenna circuitry, in the plurality of antenna circuitries, is to communicate with a respective single client device in the first group during the first period of time, wherein members of the first group are selected based at least on a first interference value between sets of wireless signals transmitted between the particular wireless network device and the corresponding client devices in the first group; and concurrently communicating with client devices in the first group using the plurality of antenna circuitries such that each antenna circuitry, in the plurality of antenna circuitries, is transmitting messages directed to the respective single client device in the first group during the first period of time without the use of steering matrices.