Mixed-Timescale Deep-Unfolding for Joint Channel Estimation and Hybrid Beamforming

Abstract: In massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, hybrid analog-digital beamforming is an essential technique for exploiting the potential array gain without using a dedicated radio frequency chain for each antenna. However, due to the large number of antennas, the conventional channel estimation and hybrid beamforming algorithms generally require high computational complexity and signaling overhead. In this work, we propose an end-to-end deep-unfolding neural network (NN) joint channel estimation and hybrid beamforming (JCEHB) algorithm to maximize the system sum rate in time-division duplex (TDD) massive MIMO. Specifically, the recursive least-squares (RLS) algorithm and stochastic successive convex approximation (SSCA) algorithm are unfolded for channel estimation and hybrid beamforming, respectively. In order to reduce the signaling overhead, we consider a mixed-timescale hybrid beamforming scheme, where the analog beamforming matrices are optimized based on the channel state information (CSI) statistics offline, while the digital beamforming matrices are designed at each time slot based on the estimated low-dimensional equivalent CSI matrices. We jointly train the analog beamformers together with the trainable parameters of the RLS and SSCA induced deep-unfolding NNs based on the CSI statistics offline. During data transmission, we estimate the low-dimensional equivalent CSI by the RLS induced deep-unfolding NN and update the digital beamformers. In addition, we propose a mixed-timescale deep-unfolding NN where the analog beamformers are optimized online, and extend the framework to frequency-division duplex (FDD) systems where channel feedback is considered. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can significantly outperform conventional algorithms with reduced computational complexity and signaling overhead.