Performance analysis of downlink shared channels in a UMTS network

In light of the expected growth in wireless data communications and the commonly anticipated up/downlink asymmetry, we present a performance analysis of downlink data transfer over \textsc{d}ownlink \textsc{s}hared \textsc{ch}annels (\textsc{dsch}s), arguably the most efficient \textsc{umts} transport channel for medium-to-large data transfers. It is our objective to provide qualitative insight in the different aspects that influence the data \textsc{q}uality \textsc{o}f \textsc{s}ervice (\textsc{qos}). As a most principal factor, the data traffic load affects the data \textsc{qos} in two distinct manners: {\em (i)} a heavier data traffic load implies a greater competition for \textsc{dsch} resources and thus longer transfer delays; and {\em (ii)} since each data call served on a \textsc{dsch} must maintain an \textsc{a}ssociated \textsc{d}edicated \textsc{ch}annel (\textsc{a}-\textsc{dch}) for signalling purposes, a heavier data traffic load implies a higher interference level, a higher frame error rate and thus a lower effective aggregate \textsc{dsch} throughput: {\em the greater the demand for service, the smaller the aggregate service capacity.} The latter effect is further amplified in a multicellular scenario, where a \textsc{dsch} experiences additional interference from the \textsc{dsch}s and \textsc{a}-\textsc{dch}s in surrounding cells, causing a further degradation of its effective throughput. Following an insightful two-stage performance evaluation approach, which segregates the interference aspects from the traffic dynamics, a set of numerical experiments is executed in order to demonstrate these effects and obtain qualitative insight in the impact of various system aspects on the data \textsc{qos}

Training Optimization for Gauss-Markov Rayleigh Fading Channels

In this paper, pilot-assisted transmission over Gauss-Markov Rayleigh fading channels is considered. A simple scenario, where a single pilot signal is transmitted every T symbols and T-1 data symbols are transmitted in between the pilots, is studied. First, it is assumed that binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) modulation is employed at the transmitter. With this assumption, the training period, and data and training power allocation are jointly optimized by maximizing an achievable rate expression. Achievable rates and energy-per-bit requirements are computed using the optimal training parameters. Secondly, a capacity lower bound is obtained by considering the error in the estimate as another source of additive Gaussian noise, and the training parameters are optimized by maximizing this lower bound.Comment: To appear in the Proc. of the 2007 IEEE International Conference on Communication

Parallels in the sequential organization of birdsong and human speech.

Human speech possesses a rich hierarchical structure that allows for meaning to be altered by words spaced far apart in time. Conversely, the sequential structure of nonhuman communication is thought to follow non-hierarchical Markovian dynamics operating over only short distances. Here, we show that human speech and birdsong share a similar sequential structure indicative of both hierarchical and Markovian organization. We analyze the sequential dynamics of song from multiple songbird species and speech from multiple languages by modeling the information content of signals as a function of the sequential distance between vocal elements. Across short sequence-distances, an exponential decay dominates the information in speech and birdsong, consistent with underlying Markovian processes. At longer sequence-distances, the decay in information follows a power law, consistent with underlying hierarchical processes. Thus, the sequential organization of acoustic elements in two learned vocal communication signals (speech and birdsong) shows functionally equivalent dynamics, governed by similar processes

Blind multiuser detection using hidden markov models theory

We present an adaptive algorithm based on the theory of hidden Markov models (HMM) which is capable of jointly detecting the users in a DS-CDMA system. The proposed technique is near-far resistant and completely blind in the sense that no knowledge of the signature sequences, channel state information or training sequences is required for any user. In addition to this, an estimate of the signature of each user convolved with its physical channel impulse response (CIR), and an estimate of the background noise variance are provided once convergence is achieved (as well as estimated data sequences). At this moment, and using that CIR estimate, we can switch to any decision-directed (DD) adaptation scheme.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version