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 J-BF, 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 proposed scheme can support the joint AA-BF and MIMO-BF effectively and provide much higher array gain or spatial gains than the traditional MIMO or array antenna respectively.