Joint Scheduling and ARQ for MU-MIMO Downlink in the Presence of Inter-Cell Interference

User scheduling and multiuser multi-antenna (MU-MIMO) transmission are at the core of high rate data-oriented downlink schemes of the next-generation of cellular systems (e.g., LTE-Advanced). Scheduling selects groups of users according to their channels vector directions and SINR levels. However, when scheduling is applied independently in each cell, the inter-cell interference (ICI) power at each user receiver is not known in advance since it changes at each new scheduling slot depending on the scheduling decisions of all interfering base stations. In order to cope with this uncertainty, we consider the joint operation of scheduling, MU-MIMO beamforming and Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ). We develop a game-theoretic framework for this problem and build on stochastic optimization techniques in order to find optimal scheduling and ARQ schemes. Particularizing our framework to the case of "outage service rates", we obtain a scheme based on adaptive variable-rate coding at the physical layer, combined with ARQ at the Logical Link Control (ARQ-LLC). Then, we present a novel scheme based on incremental redundancy Hybrid ARQ (HARQ) that is able to achieve a throughput performance arbitrarily close to the "genie-aided service rates", with no need for a genie that provides non-causally the ICI power levels. The novel HARQ scheme is both easier to implement and superior in performance with respect to the conventional combination of adaptive variable-rate coding and ARQ-LLC.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Communications, v2: small correction

Wireless Network Control with Privacy Using Hybrid ARQ

We consider the problem of resource allocation in a wireless cellular network, in which nodes have both open and private information to be transmitted to the base station over block fading uplink channels. We develop a cross-layer solution, based on hybrid ARQ transmission with incremental redundancy. We provide a scheme that combines power control, flow control, and scheduling in order to maximize a global utility function, subject to the stability of the data queues, an average power constraint, and a constraint on the privacy outage probability. Our scheme is based on the assumption that each node has an estimate of its uplink channel gain at each block, while only the distribution of the cross channel gains is available. We prove that our scheme achieves a utility, arbitrarily close to the maximum achievable utility given the available channel state information

Using Channel Output Feedback to Increase Throughput in Hybrid-ARQ

Hybrid-ARQ protocols have become common in many packet transmission systems due to their incorporation in various standards. Hybrid-ARQ combines the normal automatic repeat request (ARQ) method with error correction codes to increase reliability and throughput. In this paper, we look at improving upon this performance using feedback information from the receiver, in particular, using a powerful forward error correction (FEC) code in conjunction with a proposed linear feedback code for the Rayleigh block fading channels. The new hybrid-ARQ scheme is initially developed for full received packet feedback in a point-to-point link. It is then extended to various different multiple-antenna scenarios (MISO/MIMO) with varying amounts of packet feedback information. Simulations illustrate gains in throughput.Comment: 30 page

Green Communication via Power-optimized HARQ Protocols

Recently, efficient use of energy has become an essential research topic for green communication. This paper studies the effect of optimal power controllers on the performance of delay-sensitive communication setups utilizing hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ). The results are obtained for repetition time diversity (RTD) and incremental redundancy (INR) HARQ protocols. In all cases, the optimal power allocation, minimizing the outage-limited average transmission power, is obtained under both continuous and bursting communication models. Also, we investigate the system throughput in different conditions. The results indicate that the power efficiency is increased substantially, if adaptive power allocation is utilized. For instance, assume Rayleigh-fading channel, a maximum of two (re)transmission rounds with rates $\{1,\frac{1}{2}\}$ nats-per-channel-use and an outage probability constraint ${10}^{-3}$. Then, compared to uniform power allocation, optimal power allocation in RTD reduces the average power by 9 and 11 dB in the bursting and continuous communication models, respectively. In INR, these values are obtained to be 8 and 9 dB, respectively.Comment: Accepted for publication on IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technolog

Ultra reliable communication via optimum power allocation for repetition and parallel coding in finite block-length

Abstract. In this thesis we evaluate the performance of several retransmission mechanisms with ultra-reliability constraints. First, we show that achieving a very low packet outage probability by using an open loop setup is a difficult task. Thus, we resort to retransmission schemes as a solution for achieving the required low outage probabilities for ultra reliable communication. We analyze three retransmission protocols, namely Type-1 Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ), Chase Combining Hybrid ARQ (CC-HARQ) and Incremental Redundancy (IR) HARQ. For these protocols, we develop optimal power allocation algorithms that would allow us to reach any outage probability target in the finite block-length regime. We formulate the power allocation problem as minimization of the average transmitted power under a given outage probability and maximum transmit power constraint. By utilizing the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions, we solve the optimal power allocation problem and provide closed form solutions. Next, we analyze the effect of implementing these protocols on the throughput of the system. We show that by using the proposed power allocation scheme we can minimize the loss of throughput that is caused from the retransmissions. Furthermore, we analyze the effect of the feedback delay length in our protocols.Optimaalista tehoallokointia toisto- ja rinnakkaiskoodaukseen käyttävä erittäin luotettava tiedonsiirto äärellisillä lohkonpituuksilla. Tiivistelmä. Tässä työssä arvioidaan usean uudelleenlähetysmenetelmän suorituskykyä erittäin luotettavan tietoliikenteen järjestelmäoletuksin. Aluksi osoitetaan, että hyvin alhaisen pakettilähetysten katkostodennäköisyyden saavuttaminen avoimen silmukan menetelmillä on haastava tehtävä. Niinpä työssä turvaudutaan uudelleenlähetyspohjaisiin ratkaisuihin, joilla on mahdollista päästä suuren luotettavuuden edellyttämiin hyvin alhaisiin katkostodennäköisyyksiin. Työssä analysoidaan kolmea uudelleenlähetysprotokollaa, nimittäin tyypin 1 automaattista uudelleen lähetystä (ARQ), Chase Combining -tyyppistä hybridi-ARQ -protokollaa (CC-HARQ) ja redundanssia lisäävää HARQ-protokollaa (IR-HARQ). Näille protokollille kehitetään optimaalisia tehon allokointialgoritmeja, joiden avulla päästään halutulle katkostodennäköisyystasolle äärellisillä lohkonpituuksilla. Tehon allokointiongelma muotoillaan keskimääräisen lähetystehon minimointiongelmaksi toteuttaen halutun katkostodennäköisyyden ja maksimilähetystehorajoituksen. Käyttämällä Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) -ehtoja ratkaistaan optimaalinen tehoallokointiongelma ja esitetään ratkaisut suljetussa muodossa. Seuraavaksi analysoidaan näiden protokollien järjestelmätason toteutusta läpäisykykytarkastelujen avulla. Niillä osoitetaan, että ehdotetulla tehon allokointimenetelmällä voidaan minimoida uudelleen lähetyksistä aiheutuvia suorituskykyhäviöitä. Lisäksi työssä tutkitaan takaisinkytkentäviiveen vaikutusta esitettyihin protokolliin