Feedback of channel state information in multi-antenna systems based on quantization of channel Gram matrices

This dissertation deals with the proper design of efficient feedback strategies for Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) communication systems. MIMO systems outperform single antenna systems in terms of achievable throughput and are more resilient to noise and interference, which are becoming the limiting factors in the current and future communications. Apart from the clear performance advantages, MIMO systems introduce an additional complexity factor, since they require knowledge of the propagation channel in order to be able to adapt the transmission to the propagation channel’s characteristics and achieve optimum performance. This channel knowledge, also known as Channel State Information (CSI), is estimated at the receiver and sent to the transmitter through a limited feedback link. In this dissertation, first, the minimum channel information necessary at the transmitter for the optimum precoding design is identified. This minimum information for the optimum design of the system corresponds to the channel Gram matrix. It is essential for the design of optimized systems to avoid the transmission of redundant feedback information. Following this idea, a quantization algorithm that exploits the differential geometry of the set of Gram matrices and the correlation in time present in most propagation channels is developed in order to greatly improve the feedback performance. This scheme is applied first to single-user MIMO communications, then to some particular multiuser scenarios, and finally it is extended to general multiuser broadcast communications. To conclude, the feedback link sizing is studied. An analysis of the tradeoff between size of the forward link and size of the feedback link isformulated and the radio resource allocation problem, in terms of transmission energy, time, and bandwidth of the forward and feedback links is presented.En un mundo cada vez más interconectado, donde hay una clara tendencia hacia un mayor número de comunicaciones inalámbricas simultáneas (comunicaciones M2M: Machine to Machine, redes de sensores, etc.) y en el que las necesidades de capacidad de transmisión de los enlaces de comunicaciones aumentan de manera vertiginosa (audio, video, contenidos multimedia, alta definición, etc.) el problema de la interferencia se convierte en uno de los factores limitadores de los enlaces junto con los desvanecimientos del nivel de señal y las pérdidas de propagación. Por este motivo los sistemas que emplean múltiples antenas tanto en la transmisión como en la recepción (los llamados sistemas MIMO: Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) se presentan como una de las soluciones más interesantes para satisfacer los crecientes requisitos de capacidad y comportamiento relativo a interferencias. Los sistemas MIMO permiten obtener un mejor rendimiento en términos de tasa de transmisión de información y a su vez son más robustos frente a ruido e interferencias en el canal. Esto significa que pueden usarse para aumentar la capacidad de los enlaces de comunicaciones actuales o para reducir drásticamente el consumo energético manteniendo las mismas prestaciones. Por otro lado, además de estas claras ventajas, los sistemas MIMO introducen un punto de complejidad adicional puesto que para aprovechar al máximo las posibilidades de estos sistemas es necesario tener conocimiento de la información de estado del canal (CSI: Channel State Information) tanto en el transmisor como en el receptor. Esta CSI se obtiene mediante estimación de canal en el receptor y posteriormente se envía al transmisor a través de un canal de realimentación. Esta tesis trata sobre el diseño del canal de realimentación para la transmisión de CSI, que es un elemento fundamental de los sistemas de comunicaciones del presente y del futuro. Las técnicas de transmisión que consideran activamente el efecto de la interferencia y el ruido requieren adaptarse al canal y, para ello, la realimentación de CSI es necesaria. En esta tesis se identifica, en primer lugar, la mínima información sobre el estado del canal necesaria para implementar un diseño óptimo en el transmisor, con el fin de evitar transmitir información redundante y obtener así un sistema más eficiente. Esta información es la matriz de Gram del canal MIMO. Seguidamente, se desarrolla un algoritmo de cuantificación adaptado a la geometría diferencial del conjunto que contiene la información a cuantificar y que además aprovecha la correlación temporal existente en los canales de propagación inalámbricos. Este algoritmo se implementa y evalúa primero en comunicaciones MIMO punto a punto entre dos usuarios, después se implementa para algunos casos particulares con múltiples usuarios, y finalmente se amplía para el caso general de sistemas broadcast multi-usuario. Adicionalmente, esta tesis también estudia y optimiza el dimensionamiento del canal de realimentación en función de la cantidad de recursos radio disponibles, en términos de ancho de banda, tiempo y potencia de transmisión. Para ello presenta el problema de la distribución óptima de dichos recursos radio entre el enlace de transmisión de datos y el enlace de realimentación para transmisión de información sobre estado del canal como un problema de optimización

Linear precoding for mutual information maximization in MIMO systems

We study the design of linear precoders for maximization of the mutual information in MIMO systems with arbitrary constellations and with perfect channel state information at the transmitter. We derive the structure of the optimum precoder and we show that the mutual information is concave in a quadratic function of the precoder coefficients. An iterative algorithm is also proposed to find this optimum value.Postprint (published version

An Overview of Physical Layer Security with Finite-Alphabet Signaling

Providing secure communications over the physical layer with the objective of achieving perfect secrecy without requiring a secret key has been receiving growing attention within the past decade. The vast majority of the existing studies in the area of physical layer security focus exclusively on the scenarios where the channel inputs are Gaussian distributed. However, in practice, the signals employed for transmission are drawn from discrete signal constellations such as phase shift keying and quadrature amplitude modulation. Hence, understanding the impact of the finite-alphabet input constraints and designing secure transmission schemes under this assumption is a mandatory step towards a practical implementation of physical layer security. With this motivation, this article reviews recent developments on physical layer security with finite-alphabet inputs. We explore transmit signal design algorithms for single-antenna as well as multi-antenna wiretap channels under different assumptions on the channel state information at the transmitter. Moreover, we present a review of the recent results on secure transmission with discrete signaling for various scenarios including multi-carrier transmission systems, broadcast channels with confidential messages, cognitive multiple access and relay networks. Throughout the article, we stress the important behavioral differences of discrete versus Gaussian inputs in the context of the physical layer security. We also present an overview of practical code construction over Gaussian and fading wiretap channels, and we discuss some open problems and directions for future research.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials (1st Revision

precoding for mutual information maximization in MIMO systems

Abstract-We study the design of linear precoders for maximization of the mutual information in MIMO systems with arbitrary constellations and with perfect channel state information at the transmitter. We derive the structure of the optimum precoder and we show that the mutual information is concave in a quadratic function of the precoder coefficients. An iterative algorithm is also proposed to find this optimum value

An Overview of Physical Layer Security with Finite Alphabet Signaling

Providing secure communications over the physical layer with the objective of achieving secrecy without requiring a secret key has been receiving growing attention within the past decade. The vast majority of the existing studies in the area of physical layer security focus exclusively on the scenarios where the channel inputs are Gaussian distributed. However, in practice, the signals employed for transmission are drawn from discrete signal constellations such as phase shift keying and quadrature amplitude modulation. Hence, understanding the impact of the finite-alphabet input constraints and designing secure transmission schemes under this assumption is a mandatory step towards a practical implementation of physical layer security. With this motivation, this article reviews recent developments on physical layer security with finite-alphabet inputs. We explore transmit signal design algorithms for single-antenna as well as multi-antenna wiretap channels under different assumptions on the channel state information at the transmitter. Moreover, we present a review of the recent results on secure transmission with discrete signaling for various scenarios including multi-carrier transmission systems, broadcast channels with confidential messages, cognitive multiple access and relay networks. Throughout the article, we stress the important behavioral differences of discrete versus Gaussian inputs in the context of the physical layer security. We also present an overview of practical code construction over Gaussian and fading wiretap channels, and discuss some open problems and directions for future research

MIMO Systems

In recent years, it was realized that the MIMO communication systems seems to be inevitable in accelerated evolution of high data rates applications due to their potential to dramatically increase the spectral efficiency and simultaneously sending individual information to the corresponding users in wireless systems. This book, intends to provide highlights of the current research topics in the field of MIMO system, to offer a snapshot of the recent advances and major issues faced today by the researchers in the MIMO related areas. The book is written by specialists working in universities and research centers all over the world to cover the fundamental principles and main advanced topics on high data rates wireless communications systems over MIMO channels. Moreover, the book has the advantage of providing a collection of applications that are completely independent and self-contained; thus, the interested reader can choose any chapter and skip to another without losing continuity

D 3. 3 Final performance results and consolidated view on the most promising multi -node/multi -antenna transmission technologies

This document provides the most recent updates on the technical contributions and research challenges focused in WP3. Each Technology Component (TeC) has been evaluated under possible uniform assessment framework of WP3 which is based on the simulation guidelines of WP6. The performance assessment is supported by the simulation results which are in their mature and stable state. An update on the Most Promising Technology Approaches (MPTAs) and their associated TeCs is the main focus of this document. Based on the input of all the TeCs in WP3, a consolidated view of WP3 on the role of multinode/multi-antenna transmission technologies in 5G systems has also been provided. This consolidated view is further supported in this document by the presentation of the impact of MPTAs on METIS scenarios and the addressed METIS goals.Aziz, D.; Baracca, P.; De Carvalho, E.; Fantini, R.; Rajatheva, N.; Popovski, P.; Sørensen, JH.... (2015). D 3. 3 Final performance results and consolidated view on the most promising multi -node/multi -antenna transmission technologies. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/7675

Réduction d'interférence dans les systèmes de transmission sans fil

Wireless communications have known an exponential growth and a fast progress over the past few decades. Nowadays, wireless mobile communications have evolved over time starting with the first generation primarily developed for voice communications, and reaching the fourth generation referred to as long term evolution (LTE) that offers an increasing capacity and speed using a different radio interface together with core network improvements. Overall throughput and transmission reliability are among the essential measures of service quality in a wireless system. Such measures are mainly subjected to interference management constraint in a multi-user network. The interference management is at the heart of wireless regulation and is essential for maintaining a desirable throughput while avoiding the detrimental impact of interference at the undesired receivers. Our work is incorporated within the framework of interference network where each user is equipped with single or multiple antennas. The goal is to resolve the challenges that the communications face taking into account the achievable rate and the complexity cost. We propose several solutions for the precoding and decoding designs when transmitters have limited cooperation based on a technique called Interference Alignment. We also address the detection scheme in the absence of any precoding design and we introduce a low complexity detection scheme based on the sparse decomposition.Les communications mobiles sans fil ont connu un formidable essor au cours des dernières décennies. Tout a commencé avec les services vocaux offerts par les systèmes de la première génération en 1980, jusqu¿aux systèmes de la quatrième génération aujourd¿hui avec des services internet haut débit et un accroissement du nombre d¿utilisateurs. En effet, les caractéristiques essentielles qui définissent les services et la qualité de ces services dans les systèmes de communication sans fil sont: le débit, la fiabilité de transmission et le nombre d¿utilisateurs. Ces caractéristiques sont fortement liées entre elles et sont dépendantes de la gestion des interférences entre les différents utilisateurs. Les interférences entre-utilisateurs se produisent lorsque plusieurs émetteurs, dans une même zone, transmettent simultanément en utilisant la même bande de fréquence. Dans cette thèse, nous nous intéressons à la gestion d¿interférence entre utilisateurs par le biais de l¿approche d¿alignement d¿interférences où la coopération entre utilisateurs est réduite. Aussi, nous nous sommes intéressés au design d¿un récepteur où l¿alignement d¿interférences n¿est pas utilisé et où la gestion des interférences est réalisée par des techniques de décodage basées sur les décompositions parcimonieuses des signaux de communications. Ces approches ont conduit à des méthodes performantes et peu couteuses, exploitables dans les liens montant ou descendant