572 research outputs found
Separation Framework: An Enabler for Cooperative and D2D Communication for Future 5G Networks
Soaring capacity and coverage demands dictate that future cellular networks
need to soon migrate towards ultra-dense networks. However, network
densification comes with a host of challenges that include compromised energy
efficiency, complex interference management, cumbersome mobility management,
burdensome signaling overheads and higher backhaul costs. Interestingly, most
of the problems, that beleaguer network densification, stem from legacy
networks' one common feature i.e., tight coupling between the control and data
planes regardless of their degree of heterogeneity and cell density.
Consequently, in wake of 5G, control and data planes separation architecture
(SARC) has recently been conceived as a promising paradigm that has potential
to address most of aforementioned challenges. In this article, we review
various proposals that have been presented in literature so far to enable SARC.
More specifically, we analyze how and to what degree various SARC proposals
address the four main challenges in network densification namely: energy
efficiency, system level capacity maximization, interference management and
mobility management. We then focus on two salient features of future cellular
networks that have not yet been adapted in legacy networks at wide scale and
thus remain a hallmark of 5G, i.e., coordinated multipoint (CoMP), and
device-to-device (D2D) communications. After providing necessary background on
CoMP and D2D, we analyze how SARC can particularly act as a major enabler for
CoMP and D2D in context of 5G. This article thus serves as both a tutorial as
well as an up to date survey on SARC, CoMP and D2D. Most importantly, the
article provides an extensive outlook of challenges and opportunities that lie
at the crossroads of these three mutually entangled emerging technologies.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figures, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials 201
Distributed Optimization of Multi-Cell Uplink Co-operation with Backhaul Constraints
We address the problem of uplink co-operative reception with constraints on
both backhaul bandwidth and the receiver aperture, or number of antenna signals
that can be processed. The problem is cast as a network utility (weighted sum
rate) maximization subject to computational complexity and architectural
bandwidth sharing constraints. We show that a relaxed version of the problem is
convex, and can be solved via a dual-decomposition. The proposed solution is
distributed in that each cell broadcasts a set of {\em demand prices} based on
the data sharing requests they receive. Given the demand prices, the algorithm
determines an antenna/cell ordering and antenna-selection for each scheduled
user in a cell. This algorithm, referred to as {\em LiquidMAAS}, iterates
between the preceding two steps. Simulations of realistic network scenarios
show that the algorithm exhibits fast convergence even for systems with large
number of cells.Comment: IEEE ICC Conference, 201
Ubiquitous Cell-Free Massive MIMO Communications
Since the first cellular networks were trialled in the 1970s, we have
witnessed an incredible wireless revolution. From 1G to 4G, the massive traffic
growth has been managed by a combination of wider bandwidths, refined radio
interfaces, and network densification, namely increasing the number of antennas
per site. Due its cost-efficiency, the latter has contributed the most. Massive
MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) is a key 5G technology that uses massive
antenna arrays to provide a very high beamforming gain and spatially
multiplexing of users, and hence, increases the spectral and energy efficiency.
It constitutes a centralized solution to densify a network, and its performance
is limited by the inter-cell interference inherent in its cell-centric design.
Conversely, ubiquitous cell-free Massive MIMO refers to a distributed Massive
MIMO system implementing coherent user-centric transmission to overcome the
inter-cell interference limitation in cellular networks and provide additional
macro-diversity. These features, combined with the system scalability inherent
in the Massive MIMO design, distinguishes ubiquitous cell-free Massive MIMO
from prior coordinated distributed wireless systems. In this article, we
investigate the enormous potential of this promising technology while
addressing practical deployment issues to deal with the increased
back/front-hauling overhead deriving from the signal co-processing.Comment: Published in EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and
Networking on August 5, 201
Harmonized Cellular and Distributed Massive MIMO: Load Balancing and Scheduling
Multi-tier networks with large-array base stations (BSs) that are able to
operate in the "massive MIMO" regime are envisioned to play a key role in
meeting the exploding wireless traffic demands. Operated over small cells with
reciprocity-based training, massive MIMO promises large spectral efficiencies
per unit area with low overheads. Also, near-optimal user-BS association and
resource allocation are possible in cellular massive MIMO HetNets using simple
admission control mechanisms and rudimentary BS schedulers, since scheduled
user rates can be predicted a priori with massive MIMO.
Reciprocity-based training naturally enables coordinated multi-point
transmission (CoMP), as each uplink pilot inherently trains antenna arrays at
all nearby BSs. In this paper we consider a distributed-MIMO form of CoMP,
which improves cell-edge performance without requiring channel state
information exchanges among cooperating BSs. We present methods for harmonized
operation of distributed and cellular massive MIMO in the downlink that
optimize resource allocation at a coarser time scale across the network. We
also present scheduling policies at the resource block level which target
approaching the optimal allocations. Simulations reveal that the proposed
methods can significantly outperform the network-optimized cellular-only
massive MIMO operation (i.e., operation without CoMP), especially at the cell
edge
An Efficient Uplink Multi-Connectivity Scheme for 5G mmWave Control Plane Applications
The millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies offer the potential of orders of
magnitude increases in capacity for next-generation cellular systems. However,
links in mmWave networks are susceptible to blockage and may suffer from rapid
variations in quality. Connectivity to multiple cells - at mmWave and/or
traditional frequencies - is considered essential for robust communication. One
of the challenges in supporting multi-connectivity in mmWaves is the
requirement for the network to track the direction of each link in addition to
its power and timing. To address this challenge, we implement a novel uplink
measurement system that, with the joint help of a local coordinator operating
in the legacy band, guarantees continuous monitoring of the channel propagation
conditions and allows for the design of efficient control plane applications,
including handover, beam tracking and initial access. We show that an
uplink-based multi-connectivity approach enables less consuming, better
performing, faster and more stable cell selection and scheduling decisions with
respect to a traditional downlink-based standalone scheme. Moreover, we argue
that the presented framework guarantees (i) efficient tracking of the user in
the presence of the channel dynamics expected at mmWaves, and (ii) fast
reaction to situations in which the primary propagation path is blocked or not
available.Comment: Submitted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Wireless
Communications (TWC
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