Downlink Channel Estimation in Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output with Correlated Sparsity by Overcomplete Dictionary and Bayesian Inference

Abstract

We exploited the temporal correlation of channels in the angular domain for the downlink channel estimation in a massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system. Based on the slow time-varying channel supports in the angular domain, we combined the channel support information of the downlink angular channel in the previous timeslot into the channel estimation in the current timeslot. A downlink channel estimation method based on variational Bayesian inference (VBI) and overcomplete dictionary was proposed, in which the support prior information of the previous timeslot was merged into the VBI for the channel estimation in the current timeslot. Meanwhile the VBI was discussed for a complex value in our system model, and the structural sparsity was utilized in the Bayesian inference. The Bayesian Cramér–Rao bound for the channel estimation mean square error (MSE) was also given out. Compared with other algorithms, the proposed algorithm with overcomplete dictionary achieved a better performance in terms of channel estimation MSE in simulations.

Massive MIMO Systems: Present and Future

“…Work in [11] proposed a path loss based pilot allocation strategy and pseudo-random code pilot design. In [12], a modified heuristic pilot assignment algorithm was proposed.…”