Attention-based deep learning approach for CSI feedback under 5G TDL channel

Abstract

In 5G communication systems, accurate channel state information (CSI) is indispensable for signal detection and regulation at the base station side. However, frequent CSI feedback from users leads to excessive system overhead. To tackle this challenge, this paper puts forward a novel deep learning framework - HCNet based on attention mechanism and autoencoder, aiming to efficiently compress and reconstruct the high-dimensional time-varying CSI matrices in an end-to-end approach. The proposed framework incorporates a self-attention module in the encoder to explicitly capture global dependencies within the CSI matrix. Meanwhile, the decoder adopts gated recurrent unit networks to fully exploit inter-feature correlations and redundancy. To evaluate the performance, simulations are conducted using datasets conforming to current 5G time-varying TDL channel models. Results demonstrate superior performance over existing deep learning based feedback networks. Specifically, the proposed framework can reduce the normalized mean square error of CSI reconstruction by 4 dB under various compression ratios which confirms the effectiveness of the attention-enhanced autoencoder structure for compressive CSI sensing and feedback in practical dynamic communication systems.