Beam alignment in a multiuser wireless cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output network

Abstract

An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising a processing unit adapted for executing a beam-alignment protocol based on a sequence of communication data-patterns, each associated with one of a sequence of alignment subcarrier-frequency slots. The protocol comprises receiving a plurality of receive information records, one from each of a plurality of wireless end devices and indicative of a plurality of signal qualities of the sequence of beam-alignment signals. Each beam alignment signal is received by the respective wireless end device in an alignment subcarrier-frequency-slot associated with the respective communication data-pattern associated with the beam-alignment signal. The protocol further comprises computing according to the plurality of receive information records a plurality of preferred communication channels, each for one of a plurality of wireless access points, and configuring the plurality of wireless access points according to the plurality of preferred communication channels.