Interference-Aware Decoupled Cell Association in Device-to-Device based 5G Networks

Cell association in cellular networks is an important aspect that impacts network capacity and eventually quality of experience. The scope of this work is to investigate the different and generalized cell association (CAS) strategies for Device-to-Device (D2D) communications in a cellular network infrastructure. To realize this, we optimize D2D-based cell association by using the notion of uplink and downlink decoupling that was proven to offer significant performance gains. We propose an integer linear programming (ILP) optimization framework to achieve efficient D2D cell association that minimizes the interference caused by D2D devices onto cellular communications in the uplink as well as improve the D2D resource utilization efficiency. Simulation results based on Vodafone's LTE field trial network in a dense urban scenario highlight the performance gains and render this proposal a candidate design approach for future 5G networks.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures. Accepted in IEEE VTC spring 201

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

Study of decoupled uplink and downlink access in 5G heterogeneus systems

El projecte analitzarà les funcionalitats i problemàtiques de l'Internet tàctil.Uplink and downlink decoupling (DUDe) is a disruptive technique that has been proposed recently to reduce the uplink and downlink imbalance problem, which occurs in HetNets due to the strong transmit power disparities between macro and small cells. In this thesis, previous research done on DUDe, in particular the association probability derivation, is used to calculate how the capacity is affected when the association is made to any SCell in the scenario. This specific situation is highly realistic since one or several small cells might be unavailable due to overload reasons. Therefore, one of the main objectives of this thesis is to evaluate and compare the potential capacity gains of decoupling to any other small cell in the scenario with respect to the macro cell, association that follows classical downlink received power policies. Decoupling uplink from the macro cell can improve as well the uplink outage, metric also evaluated and compared in this study. Moreover, there is a strong trend in research to empower multi-connectivity solutions, where one user has more than one uplink connection. We refer to this case as a dual connectivity scenario, and the uplink is further studied by allowing decoupled associations in dual connectivity scenarios. Dual connectivity in the uplink is highly controversial, since the user has limited power to share between two different access points. Therefore, a part from comparing the decoupled association performance with the downlink received power policies, this study compares the performance of multi-connectivity against having one single serving cell. In this case, a comparison is done with respect to the best uplink serving cell. Results show that decoupling the access increases the capacity even if there are some SCells unreachable and presents great performance on DC scenario.El uplink and downlink decoupling (DUDe) es una novedosa técnica propuesta recientemente para reduir el problema del uplink and downlink imbalance. El uplink and downlink imbalance ocurre cuando las potencias de las antenas de una heterogeneus network (HetNet) son muy dispares. En este proyecto, teniendo en cuenta la investigación realitzada hasta la fecha sobre el DUDe (especialmente sobre la probabilidad de asociación), se calcula la capacidad asociándose a cualquier SCell. Esta situación es muy importante ya que puede ser que algunes celdas sean inalcanzables por el usuario debido a que puedn estar sobrecargadas. Por este motivo, uno de los principales objetivos del proyecto es aavaluar la mejora de capacidad al relaizar el DUDe con cualquier SCell y mantenir la asociaciín con la MCell tal y como se ha hecho hasta ahora. Esta técnica se llama downlink receive power (DRP). El DUDe también mejora la outage probability, indicador que también se evalua en el estudio. En los estudios mas recientes también se trabaja con dual connectivity para mejorar las prestacions de la conexión. Aunque dividir la transmisión en el enlace de subida puede disminuir la capacidad debido a la baja potencia del usuario, se compara la capacidad de desacoplar el acceso en dual connectivity con el escenario de single best association. Los resultados muestran que el DUDe aumenta la capacidad aun teniendo algunes SCells inalcanzables. También se ha demostrado que el DUDe funciona perfectamente con la dual connectivity.L’Uplink and downlink decoupling és una innovadora tècnica que ha sigut proposada recentment per reduir el problema de l’uplink and downlink imbalance. L’uplink and downlink imbalance es dona a les heterogeneus networks (HetNets) degut a la disparitat de potències entre les diferents antenes. Durant aquest projecte, tenint en compte la recent recerca sobre DUDe (sobretot sobre la probabilitat d’associació), s’utilitza per calcular la capacitat a qualsevol SCell. Aquesta situació és molt important d’analitzar ja que pot ser possible que algunes no estiguin accessibles per sobrecàrrega. Per aquest motiu, un dels principals objectius del projecte és avaluar la millora de capacitat entre realitzar el DUDe a qualsevol SCell i mantenir l’associació amb la MCell com s’havia fet fins ara, el que es coneix com downlink receive power (DRP). El DUDe també comporta moltes millores a la outage probability, indicador que també s’avalua a l’estudi. En els estudis més recents també treballen amb dual connectivity per millorar les prestacions. Tot i que dividir la transmissió a l’enllaç de pujada pot comportar perdre capacitat degut a la baixa potència de l’usuari, es compara la capacitat amb el DUDe en un escenari de dual connectivity amb el cas de single best association. Els resultats mostren que el fet de desacoblar l’accés augmenta la capacitat de la connexió tot i tenir algunes SCells inabastables. També s’ha demostrat que el DUDe funciona perfectament amb la dual connectivity

Decoupled Uplink and Downlink in a Wireless System with Buffer-Aided Relaying

The paper treats a multiuser relay scenario where multiple user equipments (UEs) have a two-way communication with a common Base Station (BS) in the presence of a buffer-equipped Relay Station (RS). Each of the uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) transmission can take place over a direct or over a relayed path. Traditionally, the UL and the DL path of a given two-way link are coupled, that is, either both are direct links or both are relayed links. By removing the restriction for coupling, one opens the design space for a decoupled two-way links. Following this, we devise two protocols: orthogonal decoupled UL/DL buffer-aided (ODBA) relaying protocol and non-orthogonal decoupled UL/DL buffer-aided (NODBA) relaying protocol. In NODBA, the receiver can use successive interference cancellation (SIC) to extract the desired signal from a collision between UL and DL signals. For both protocols, we characterize the transmission decision policies in terms of maximization of the average two-way sum rate of the system. The numerical results show that decoupling association and non-orthogonal radio access lead to significant throughput gains for two-way traffic.Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures, submitted to IEEE Transactions on Communication