2,855 research outputs found
Context Information Based Initial Cell Search for Millimeter Wave 5G Cellular Networks
Millimeter wave (mmWave) communication is envisioned as a cornerstone to
fulfill the data rate requirements for fifth generation (5G) cellular networks.
In mmWave communication, beamforming is considered as a key technology to
combat the high path-loss, and unlike in conventional microwave communication,
beamforming may be necessary even during initial access/cell search. Among the
proposed beamforming schemes for initial cell search, analog beamforming is a
power efficient approach but suffers from its inherent search delay during
initial access. In this work, we argue that analog beamforming can still be a
viable choice when context information about mmWave base stations (BS) is
available at the mobile station (MS). We then study how the performance of
analog beamforming degrades in case of angular errors in the available context
information. Finally, we present an analog beamforming receiver architecture
that uses multiple arrays of Phase Shifters and a single RF chain to combat the
effect of angular errors, showing that it can achieve the same performance as
hybrid beamforming
Initial access with neighbor assistance in 5G mmWave cellular networks
The advent of 5G communications has already started. In order to achieve the objectives of high speed and low latency, mmWave technologies will be adopted in the near future. In this thesis we present a new cell discovery algorithm that takes advantage of context information available through legacy networks in order to achieve a faster initial access. We compute analytically the relevant probabilities and then we implement a 3GPP-compliant and spatially consistent simulation environment.openEmbargo temporaneo per motivi di segretezza e/o di proprietà dei risultati e/o informazioni sensibil
Integration of Carrier Aggregation and Dual Connectivity for the ns-3 mmWave Module
Thanks to the wide availability of bandwidth, the millimeter wave (mmWave)
frequencies will provide very high data rates to mobile users in next
generation 5G cellular networks. However, mmWave links suffer from high
isotropic pathloss and blockage from common materials, and are subject to an
intermittent channel quality. Therefore, protocols and solutions at different
layers in the cellular network and the TCP/IP protocol stack have been proposed
and studied. A valuable tool for the end-to-end performance analysis of mmWave
cellular networks is the ns-3 mmWave module, which already models in detail the
channel, Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, and extends the
Long Term Evolution (LTE) stack for the higher layers. In this paper we present
an implementation for the ns-3 mmWave module of multi connectivity techniques
for 3GPP New Radio (NR) at mmWave frequencies, namely Carrier Aggregation (CA)
and Dual Connectivity (DC), and discuss how they can be integrated to increase
the functionalities offered by the ns-3 mmWave module.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, submitted to the Workshop on ns-3 (WNS3) 201
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
Millimeter Wave Cellular Networks: A MAC Layer Perspective
The millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency band is seen as a key enabler of
multi-gigabit wireless access in future cellular networks. In order to overcome
the propagation challenges, mmWave systems use a large number of antenna
elements both at the base station and at the user equipment, which lead to high
directivity gains, fully-directional communications, and possible noise-limited
operations. The fundamental differences between mmWave networks and traditional
ones challenge the classical design constraints, objectives, and available
degrees of freedom. This paper addresses the implications that highly
directional communication has on the design of an efficient medium access
control (MAC) layer. The paper discusses key MAC layer issues, such as
synchronization, random access, handover, channelization, interference
management, scheduling, and association. The paper provides an integrated view
on MAC layer issues for cellular networks, identifies new challenges and
tradeoffs, and provides novel insights and solution approaches.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, to appear in IEEE Transactions on
Communication
Performance Comparison of Dual Connectivity and Hard Handover for LTE-5G Tight Integration
Communications at frequencies above 10 GHz (the mmWave band) are expected to
play a major role for the next generation of cellular networks (5G), because of
the potential multi-gigabit, ultra-low latency performance of this technology.
mmWave frequencies however suffer from very high isotropic pathloss, which may
result in cells with a much smaller coverage area than current LTE macrocells.
High directionality techniques will be used to improve signal quality and
extend coverage area, along with a high density deployment of mmWave base
stations (BS). However, when propagation conditions are hard and it is
difficult to provide high quality coverage with mmWave BS, it is necessary to
rely on previous generation LTE base stations, which make use of lower
frequencies (900 MHz - 3.5 GHz), which are less sensitive to blockage and
experience lower pathloss. In order to provide ultra-reliable services to
mobile users there is a need for network architectures that tightly and
seamlessly integrate the LTE and mmWave Radio Access Technologies. In this
paper we will present two possible alternatives for this integration and show
how simulation tools can be used to assess and compare their performance.Comment: This paper was accepted for presentation at the ninth EAI SIMUtools
2016 conference, August 22 - 23, 2016, Prague, Czech Republi
Performance Comparison of Dual Connectivity and Hard Handover for LTE-5G Tight Integration in mmWave Cellular Networks
MmWave communications are expected to play a major role in the Fifth
generation of mobile networks. They offer a potential multi-gigabit throughput
and an ultra-low radio latency, but at the same time suffer from high isotropic
pathloss, and a coverage area much smaller than the one of LTE macrocells. In
order to address these issues, highly directional beamforming and a very
high-density deployment of mmWave base stations were proposed. This Thesis aims
to improve the reliability and performance of the 5G network by studying its
tight and seamless integration with the current LTE cellular network. In
particular, the LTE base stations can provide a coverage layer for 5G mobile
terminals, because they operate on microWave frequencies, which are less
sensitive to blockage and have a lower pathloss. This document is a copy of the
Master's Thesis carried out by Mr. Michele Polese under the supervision of Dr.
Marco Mezzavilla and Prof. Michele Zorzi. It will propose an LTE-5G tight
integration architecture, based on mobile terminals' dual connectivity to LTE
and 5G radio access networks, and will evaluate which are the new network
procedures that will be needed to support it. Moreover, this new architecture
will be implemented in the ns-3 simulator, and a thorough simulation campaign
will be conducted in order to evaluate its performance, with respect to the
baseline of handover between LTE and 5G.Comment: Master's Thesis carried out by Mr. Michele Polese under the
supervision of Dr. Marco Mezzavilla and Prof. Michele Zorz
Hybrid Spectrum Sharing in mmWave Cellular Networks
While spectrum at millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies is less scarce than at
traditional frequencies below 6 GHz, still it is not unlimited, in particular
if we consider the requirements from other services using the same band and the
need to license mmWave bands to multiple mobile operators. Therefore, an
efficient spectrum access scheme is critical to harvest the maximum benefit
from emerging mmWave technologies. In this paper, we introduce a new hybrid
spectrum access scheme for mmWave networks, where data is aggregated through
two mmWave carriers with different characteristics. In particular, we consider
the case of a hybrid spectrum scheme between a mmWave band with exclusive
access and a mmWave band where spectrum is pooled between multiple operators.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study proposing hybrid spectrum
access for mmWave networks and providing a quantitative assessment of its
benefits. Our results show that this approach provides major advantages with
respect to traditional fully licensed or fully unlicensed spectrum access
schemes, though further work is needed to achieve a more complete understanding
of both technical and non technical implications
Improved Handover Through Dual Connectivity in 5G mmWave Mobile Networks
The millimeter wave (mmWave) bands offer the possibility of orders of
magnitude greater throughput for fifth generation (5G) cellular systems.
However, since mmWave signals are highly susceptible to blockage, channel
quality on any one mmWave link can be extremely intermittent. This paper
implements a novel dual connectivity protocol that enables mobile user
equipment (UE) devices to maintain physical layer connections to 4G and 5G
cells simultaneously. A novel uplink control signaling system combined with a
local coordinator enables rapid path switching in the event of failures on any
one link. This paper provides the first comprehensive end-to-end evaluation of
handover mechanisms in mmWave cellular systems. The simulation framework
includes detailed measurement-based channel models to realistically capture
spatial dynamics of blocking events, as well as the full details of MAC, RLC
and transport protocols. Compared to conventional handover mechanisms, the
study reveals significant benefits of the proposed method under several
metrics.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, to appear on the 2017 IEEE JSAC Special Issue
on Millimeter Wave Communications for Future Mobile Network
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