Subspace Quantization Based Combining for Limited Feedback Block-Diagonalization

Spatial multiplexing of multiple users in a multi-antenna broadcast system, i.e., multi-user MIMO, is a promising technique for improving the spectral efficiency of cellular networks. Still, practical implementations struggle with the difficulty of obtaining sufficiently accurate channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT), due to restrictions on the capacity of the CSI feedback links from the users. Without accurate CSIT, residual multi-user interference diminishes the potential performance gain of multi-user MIMO, challenging its value for practical realizations. In this work we show that the CSI feedback overhead can be significantly reduced if the number of spatially multiplexed data streams per user is less than the number of receive antennas, and the antenna outputs are appropriately combined. We propose an interference-unaware antenna combining algorithm that minimizes the CSI quantization error, which has the effect of minimizing multi-user interference at the price of reducing the received signal power. We mathematically analyze the performance of the proposed algorithm, substantiating its value for limited feedback systems. Numerical simulations confirm the potential of the proposed algorithm in comparison to a traditional technique that maximizes the received signal power.