Harvest the potential of massive MIMO with multi-layer techniques

Massive MIMO is envisioned as a promising technology for 5G wireless networks due to its high potential to improve both spectral and energy efficiency. Although the massive MIMO system is based on innovations in the physical layer, the upper layer techniques also play important roles in harvesting the performance gains of massive MIMO. In this article, we begin with an analysis of the benefits and challenges of massive MIMO systems. We then investigate the multi-layer techniques for incorporating massive MIMO in several important network deployment scenarios. We conclude this article with a discussion of open and potential problems for future research.Comment: IEEE Networ

Reconfigurable Wireless Networks

Driven by the advent of sophisticated and ubiquitous applications, and the ever-growing need for information, wireless networks are without a doubt steadily evolving into profoundly more complex and dynamic systems. The user demands are progressively rampant, while application requirements continue to expand in both range and diversity. Future wireless networks, therefore, must be equipped with the ability to handle numerous, albeit challenging requirements. Network reconfiguration, considered as a prominent network paradigm, is envisioned to play a key role in leveraging future network performance and considerably advancing current user experiences. This paper presents a comprehensive overview of reconfigurable wireless networks and an in-depth analysis of reconfiguration at all layers of the protocol stack. Such networks characteristically possess the ability to reconfigure and adapt their hardware and software components and architectures, thus enabling flexible delivery of broad services, as well as sustaining robust operation under highly dynamic conditions. The paper offers a unifying framework for research in reconfigurable wireless networks. This should provide the reader with a holistic view of concepts, methods, and strategies in reconfigurable wireless networks. Focus is given to reconfigurable systems in relatively new and emerging research areas such as cognitive radio networks, cross-layer reconfiguration and software-defined networks. In addition, modern networks have to be intelligent and capable of self-organization. Thus, this paper discusses the concept of network intelligence as a means to enable reconfiguration in highly complex and dynamic networks. Finally, the paper is supported with several examples and case studies showing the tremendous impact of reconfiguration on wireless networks.Comment: 28 pages, 26 figures; Submitted to the Proceedings of the IEEE (a special issue on Reconfigurable Systems

Intelligent Wireless Communications Enabled by Cognitive Radio and Machine Learning

The ability to intelligently utilize resources to meet the need of growing diversity in services and user behavior marks the future of wireless communication systems. Intelligent wireless communications aims at enabling the system to perceive and assess the available resources, to autonomously learn to adapt to the perceived wireless environment, and to reconfigure its operating mode to maximize the utility of the available resources. The perception capability and reconfigurability are the essential features of cognitive radio while modern machine learning techniques project great potential in system adaptation. In this paper, we discuss the development of the cognitive radio technology and machine learning techniques and emphasize their roles in improving spectrum and energy utility of wireless communication systems. We describe the state-of-the-art of relevant techniques, covering spectrum sensing and access approaches and powerful machine learning algorithms that enable spectrum- and energy-efficient communications in dynamic wireless environments. We also present practical applications of these techniques and identify further research challenges in cognitive radio and machine learning as applied to the existing and future wireless communication systems

Joint Link Adaptation and User Scheduling with HARQ in Multi-Cell Environments

Inter-cell interference (ICI) is one of the most critical factors affecting performance of cellular networks. In this paper, we investigate a joint link adaptation and user scheduling problem for multi-cell downlink employing HARQ techniques, where the ICI exists among cells. We first propose an approximation method on aggregated ICI for analyzing an effective signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) with the HARQ technique at users, named identical path-loss approximation (IPLA). Based on the proposed IPLA, we propose a transmission rate selection algorithm maximizing an expected throughput at each user. We also propose a simple but effective cross-layer framework jointly combining transmission rate adaptation and user scheduling techniques, considering both HARQ and ICI. It is shown that statistical distribution of the effective SINR at users based on the IPLA agrees well with the empirical distribution, while the conventional Gaussian approximation (GA) does not work well in the case that dominant ICIs exist. Thus, IPLA enables base stations to choose more accurate transmission rates. Furthermore, the proposed IPLA-based cross-layer policy outperforms existing policies in terms of both system throughput and user fairness.Comment: Accepted for publication to IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technolog

KPI/KQI-Driven Coordinated Multi-Point in 5G: Measurements, Field Trials, and Technical Solutions

The fifth generation (5G) systems are expected to be able to support massive number of wireless devices and intense demands for high data rates while maintaining low latency. Coordinated multipoint (CoMP) is advocated by recent advances and is envisioned to continue its adoption in 5G to meet these requirements by alleviating inter-cell interference and improving spectral efficiency. The higher requirements in 5G have raised the stakes on developing a new CoMP architecture. To understand the merits and limitations of CoMP in 5G, this article systematically investigates evaluation criteria including key performance indicators (KPIs) and key quality indicators (KQIs) in 5G, conducts empirical measurements and field tests, and then proposes a KPI/KQI-driven CoMP architecture that fulfills KPI requirements and provides KQI guarantee for each user

Distortion-Aware Concurrent Multipath Transfer for Mobile Video Streaming in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

The massive proliferation of wireless infrastructures with complementary characteristics prompts the bandwidth aggregation for Concurrent Multipath Transfer (CMT) over heterogeneous access networks. Stream Control Transmission Protocol (SCTP) is the standard transport-layer solution to enable CMT in multihomed communication environments. However, delivering high-quality streaming video with the existing CMT solutions still remains problematic due to the stringent QoS (Quality of Service) requirements and path asymmetry in heterogeneous wireless networks. In this paper, we advance the state of the art by introducing video distortion into the decision process of multipath data transfer. The proposed Distortion-Aware Concurrent Multipath Transfer (CMT-DA) solution includes three phases: 1) per-path status estimation and congestion control; 2) quality-optimal video flow rate allocation; 3) delay and loss controlled data retransmission. The term `flow rate allocation' indicates dynamically picking appropriate access networks and assigning the transmission rates. We analytically formulate the data distribution over multiple communication paths to minimize the end-to-end video distortion and derive the solution based on the utility maximization theory. The performance of the proposed CMT-DA is evaluated through extensive semi-physical emulations in Exata involving H.264 video streaming. Experimental results show that CMT-DA outperforms the reference schemes in terms of video PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio), goodput, and inter-packet delay.Comment: This paper has already accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing on Jun, 23rd, 201

User Association and Interference Management in Massive MIMO HetNets

Two key traits of 5G cellular networks are much higher base station (BS) densities - especially in the case of low-power BSs - and the use of massive MIMO at these BSs. This paper explores how massive MIMO can be used to jointly maximize the offloading gains and minimize the interference challenges arising from adding small cells. We consider two interference management approaches: joint transmission (JT) with local precoding, where users are served simultaneously by multiple BSs without requiring channel state information exchanges among cooperating BSs, and resource blanking, where some macro BS resources are left blank to reduce the interference in the small cell downlink. A key advantage offered by massive MIMO is channel hardening, which enables to predict instantaneous rates a priori. This allows us to develop a unified framework, where resource allocation is cast as a network utility maximization (NUM) problem, and to demonstrate large gains in cell-edge rates based on the NUM solution. We propose an efficient dual subgradient based algorithm, which converges towards the NUM solution. A scheduling scheme is also proposed to approach the NUM solution. Simulations illustrate more than 2x rate gain for 10th percentile users vs. an optimal association without interference management

Game Theoretic Methods for the Smart Grid

The future smart grid is envisioned as a large-scale cyber-physical system encompassing advanced power, communications, control, and computing technologies. In order to accommodate these technologies, it will have to build on solid mathematical tools that can ensure an efficient and robust operation of such heterogeneous and large-scale cyber-physical systems. In this context, this paper is an overview on the potential of applying game theory for addressing relevant and timely open problems in three emerging areas that pertain to the smart grid: micro-grid systems, demand-side management, and communications. In each area, the state-of-the-art contributions are gathered and a systematic treatment, using game theory, of some of the most relevant problems for future power systems is provided. Future opportunities for adopting game theoretic methodologies in the transition from legacy systems toward smart and intelligent grids are also discussed. In a nutshell, this article provides a comprehensive account of the application of game theory in smart grid systems tailored to the interdisciplinary characteristics of these systems that integrate components from power systems, networking, communications, and control.Comment: IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, Special Issue on Signal Processing Techniques for the Smart Gri

V2X Meets NOMA: Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access for 5G Enabled Vehicular Networks

Benefited from the widely deployed infrastructure, the LTE network has recently been considered as a promising candidate to support the vehicle-to-everything (V2X) services. However, with a massive number of devices accessing the V2X network in the future, the conventional OFDM-based LTE network faces the congestion issues due to its low efficiency of orthogonal access, resulting in significant access delay and posing a great challenge especially to safety-critical applications. The non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technique has been well recognized as an effective solution for the future 5G cellular networks to provide broadband communications and massive connectivity. In this article, we investigate the applicability of NOMA in supporting cellular V2X services to achieve low latency and high reliability. Starting with a basic V2X unicast system, a novel NOMA-based scheme is proposed to tackle the technical hurdles in designing high spectral efficient scheduling and resource allocation schemes in the ultra dense topology. We then extend it to a more general V2X broadcasting system. Other NOMA-based extended V2X applications and some open issues are also discussed.Comment: Accepted by IEEE Wireless Communications Magazin

Game Theoretical Power Control for Open-Loop Overlaid Network MIMO Systems with Partial Cooperation

Network MIMO is considered to be a key solution for the next generation wireless systems in breaking the interference bottleneck in cellular systems. In the MIMO systems, open-loop transmission scheme is used to support mobile stations (MSs) with high mobilities because the base stations (BSs) do not need to track the fast varying channel fading. In this paper, we consider an open-loop network MIMO system with $K$ BSs serving K private MSs and $M^c$ common MS based on a novel partial cooperation overlaying scheme. Exploiting the heterogeneous path gains between the private MSs and the common MSs, each of the $K$ BSs serves a private MS non-cooperatively and the $K$ BSs also serve the $M^c$ common MSs cooperatively. The proposed scheme does not require closed loop instantaneous channel state information feedback, which is highly desirable for high mobility users. Furthermore, we formulate the long-term distributive power allocation problem between the private MSs and the common MSs at each of the $K$ BSs using a partial cooperative game. We show that the long-term power allocation game has a unique Nash Equilibrium (NE) but standard best response update may not always converge to the NE. As a result, we propose a low-complexity distributive long-term power allocation algorithm which only relies on the local long-term channel statistics and has provable convergence property. Through numerical simulations, we show that the proposed open-loop SDMA scheme with long-term distributive power allocation can achieve significant performance advantages over the other reference baseline schemes.Comment: 18pages, 7 figures, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communication, accepte