Array antennas based joint beamforming for IEEE 802.11n Wi-Fi

—In order to achieve array gain and spatial diversity or multiplexing gain simultaneously, a novel joint beamforming based on MIMO and array antenna techniques, referred to as JBF, is proposed for the LTE and Wifi downlink. Array gain is achieved from array antenna based beamforming, referred to as AA-BF. Spatial diversity and multiplexing gains are achieved from MIMO based beamforming, referred to as MIMO-BF. To implement J-BF, i.e., joint AA-BF and MIMO-BF, an access point (AP) is equipped with separate array antennas. Before sending any data-frame in the J-BF mode, firstly, based on the estimated omni-directional CSI, the directional beam can be formed by the array antenna, and the array gain is achieved. Secondly, based on the estimated directional CSI, MIMO-BF is implemented to achieve the spatial diversity or multiplexing gain. More importantly, the J-BF algorithm maintains compatibility with 802.11n and there is not any change in terminals. Simulation results show that the pro...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2015
• Where: QSHINE
• Authors: Cheng Guo, Liqiang Zhao, Whai-En Chen
• Keywords: Computer Networks, QSHINE 2015