Channelformer: Attention based Neural Solution for Wireless Channel Estimation and Effective Online Training

In this paper, we propose an encoder-decoder neural architecture (called Channelformer) to achieve improved channel estimation for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) waveforms in downlink scenarios. The self-attention mechanism is employed to achieve input precoding for the input features before processing them in the decoder. In particular, we implement multi-head attention in the encoder and a residual convolutional neural architecture as the decoder, respectively. We also employ a customized weight-level pruning to slim the trained neural network with a fine-tuning process, which reduces the computational complexity significantly to realize a low complexity and low latency solution. This enables reductions of up to 70\% in the parameters, while maintaining an almost identical performance compared with the complete Channelformer. We also propose an effective online training method based on the fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) configuration for the modern communication systems, which only needs the available information at the receiver for online training. Using industrial standard channel models, the simulations of attention-based solutions show superior estimation performance compared with other candidate neural network methods for channel estimation.

Achieving Robust Generalization for Wireless Channel Estimation Neural Networks by Designed Training Data

In this paper, we propose a method to design the training data that can support robust generalization of trained neural networks to unseen channels. The proposed design that improves the generalization is described and analysed. It avoids the requirement of online training for previously unseen channels, as this is a memory and processing intensive solution, especially for battery powered mobile terminals. To prove the validity of the proposed method, we use the channels modelled by different standards and fading modelling for simulation. We also use an attention-based structure and a convolutional neural network to evaluate the generalization results achieved. Simulation results show that the trained neural networks maintain almost identical performance on the unseen channels.

Attention Based Neural Networks for Wireless Channel Estimation

In this paper, we deploy the self-attention mechanism to achieve improved channel estimation for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing waveforms in the downlink. Specifically, we propose a new hybrid encoder-decoder structure (called HA02) for the first time which exploits the attention mechanism to focus on the most important input information. In particular, we implement a transformer encoder block as the encoder to achieve the sparsity in the input features and a residual neural network as the decoder respectively, inspired by the success of the attention mechanism. Using 3GPP channel models, our simulations show superior estimation performance compared with other candidate neural network methods for channel estimation.

Low Complexity Channel estimation with Neural Network Solutions

Research on machine learning for channel estimation, especially neural network solutions for wireless communications, is attracting significant current interest. This is because conventional methods cannot meet the present demands of the high speed communication. In the paper, we deploy a general residual convolutional neural network to achieve channel estimation for the orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) signals in a downlink scenario. Our method also deploys a simple interpolation layer to replace the transposed convolutional layer used in other networks to reduce the computation cost. The proposed method is more easily adapted to different pilot patterns and packet sizes. Compared with other deep learning methods for channel estimation, our results for 3GPP channel models suggest improved mean squared error performance for our approach.