Novel transmission schemes for application in two-way cooperative relay wireless communication networks

Recently, cooperative relay networks have emerged as an attractive communications technique that can generate a new form of spatial diversity which is known as cooperative diversity, that can enhance system reliability without sacrificing the scarce bandwidth resource or consuming more transmit power. To achieve cooperative diversity single-antenna terminals in a wireless relay network typically share their antennas to form a virtual antenna array on the basis of their distributed locations. As such, the same diversity gains as in multi-input multi-output systems can be achieved without requiring multiple-antenna terminals. However, there remain technical challenges to maximize the benefit of cooperative communications, e.g. data rate, asynchronous transmission, interference and outage. Therefore, the focus of this thesis is to exploit cooperative relay networks within two-way transmission schemes. Such schemes have the potential to double the data rate as compared to one-way transmission schemes. Firstly, a new approach to two-way cooperative communications via extended distributed orthogonal space-time block coding (E-DOSTBC) based on phase rotation feedback is proposed with four relay nodes. This scheme can achieve full cooperative diversity and full transmission rate in addition to array gain. Then, distributed orthogonal space-time block coding (DOSTBC) is applied within an asynchronous two-way cooperative wireless relay network using two relay nodes. A parallel interference cancelation (PIC) detection scheme with low structural and computational complexity is applied at the terminal nodes in order to overcome the effect of imperfect synchronization among the cooperative relay nodes. Next, a DOSTBC scheme based on cooperative orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) type transmission is proposed for flat fading channels which can overcome imperfect synchronization in the network. As such, this technique can effectively cope with the effects of fading and timing errors. Moreover, to increase the end-to-end data rate, a closed-loop EDOSTBC approach using through a three-time slot framework is proposed. A full interference cancelation scheme with OFDM and cyclic prefix type transmission is used in a two-hop cooperative four relay network with asynchronism in the both hops to achieve full data rate and completely cancel the timing error. The topic of outage probability analysis in the context of multi-relay selection for one-way cooperative amplify and forward networks is then considered. Local measurements of the instantaneous channel conditions are used to select the best single and best two relays from a number of available relays. Asymptotical conventional polices are provided to select the best single and two relays from a number of available relays. Finally, the outage probability of a two-way amplify and forward relay network with best and Mth relay selection is analyzed. The relay selection is performed either on the basis of a max-min strategy or one based on maximizing exact end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio. MATLAB and Maple software based simulations are employed throughout the thesis to support the analytical results and assess the performance of new algorithms and methods

Code-aided iterative techniques in OFDM systems

Inspired by the 'turbo principle', this thesis deals with two iterative technologies in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems: iterative interference cancelation in space-frequency block coded OFDM (SFBC-OFDM) and iterative channel estimation/ tracking in OFDM Access (OFDMA) with particular application to Worldwide Inter-operability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems. The linear matched filter (MF) decoding in SFBC-OFDM is simple yet obtains maximumlikelihood (ML) performance based on the assumption that the channel frequency response remains constant within a block. However, frequency response variations gives rise to inter-channel interference (lCI). In this thesis, a parallel interference cancelation (PIC) approach with soft iterations will be proposed to iteratively eliminate ICI in G4 SFBC-OFDM. Furthermore, the information from outer convolutional decoder is exploited and fed back to aid the inner PIC process to generate more accurate coded bits for the convolutional decoder. Therefore, inner and outer iterations work in a collaborative way to enhance the performance of interference cancelation. Code-aided iterative channel estimation/tracking has the ability of efficiently improving the quality of estimation/tracking without using additional pilots/training symbols. This technique is particularly applied to OFDMA physical layer ofWiMAX systems according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard. It will be demonstrated that the performance of the pilot-based channel estimation in uplink (UL) transmission and the channel tracking based on the preamble symbol in downlink (DL) transmission can be improved by iterating between the estimator and the detector the useful information from the outer convolutional codes. The above two issues will be discussed in Chapter 5 and Chapter 6, and before this, Chapter 2 to Chapter 4 will introduce some background techniques that are used throughout the thesis

Distributed space time block coding and application in cooperative cognitive relay networks

The design and analysis of various distributed space time block coding schemes for cooperative relay networks is considered in this thesis. Rayleigh frequency flat and selective fading channels are assumed to model the links in the networks, and interference suppression techniques together with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) type transmission approach are employed to mitigate synchronization errors at the destination node induced by the different delays through the relay nodes. Closed-loop space time block coding is first considered in the context of decode-and-forward (regenerative) networks. In particular, quasi orthogonal and extended orthogonal coding techniques are employed for transmission from four relay nodes and parallel interference cancellation detection is exploited to mitigate synchronization errors. Availability of a direct link between the source and destination nodes is studied. Outer coding is then added to gain further improvement in end-to-end performance and amplify-and-forward (non regenerative) type networks together with distributed space time coding are considered to reduce relay node complexity. A novel detection scheme is then proposed for decode-and-forward and amplify-and-forward networks with closed-loop extended orthogonal coding and closed-loop quasi-orthogonal coding which reduce the computational complexity of the parallel interference cancellation. The near-optimum detector is presented for relay nodes with single or dual antennas. End-to-end bit error rate simulations confirm the potential of the approach and its ability to mitigate synchronization errors

Cooperative diversity in CDMA networks

Spatial diversity is one of the well known diversity methods used in combating fading channels. Recently, cooperative diversity has been widely studied in literature as a spatial diversity technique. Different from multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, each user in the cooperative network is employed with a single transmit/receive antenna. In this thesis, we propose a cooperative diversity technique for asynchronous direct sequence code division multiple access (D8-CDMA) over frequency selective slow fading environment. First we assume the single cooperation relay case, where the bit-error-rate performance of the system is studied for both cases of perfect and imperfect inter-user channel (user-relay link). In order to mitigate the multi-access interference (MAI), decorrelator multiuser detectors are introduced at both relay and base station sides. Its effect on performance is studied and compared to the performance of the conventional matched filter receiver. Additionally, the performance of the system is studied and compared for different multi-path diversity scenarios in the inter-user and uplink channel. Furthermore, a coded multi-relay cooperation technique is proposed, where channel coding is introduced to minimize errors over the inter-user channel. All users are embedded with convolutional encoder and a Viterbi decoder. We study the performance of the coded system for different number of cooperating relays and over different multi-path diversity scenarios. Both simulation and analytical results are compared. Finally, we conclude that for a communication network to benefit from the cooperation diversity technique, a reliable communication link between active users and the cooperating relays should be secured (inter-user channel). We show that for an active user cooperating with V relays over a P -path frequency-selective fading channel, the expected diversity degree is P ( V +1

Low-complexity soft-decision feedback turbo equalization for multilevel modulations

This dissertation proposes two new decision feedback equalization schemes suitable for multilevel modulation systems employing turbo equalization. One is soft-decision feedback equalization (SDFE) that takes into account the reliability of both soft a priori information and soft decisions of the data symbols. The proposed SDFE exhibits lower signal to noise ratio (SNR) threshold that is required for water fall bit error rate (BER) and much faster convergence than the near-optimal exact minimum mean square error linear equalizer (Exact-MMSE-LE) for high-order constellation modulations. The proposed SDFE also offers a low computational complexity compared to the Exact-MMSE-LE. The drawback of the SDFE is that its coefficients cannot reach the matched filter bound (MFB) and therefore after a large number of iterations (e.g. 10), its performance becomes inferior to that of the Exact-MMSE-LE. Therefore, soft feedback intersymbol interference (ISI) canceller-based (SIC) structure is investigated. The SIC structure not only exhibits the same low complexity, low SNR threshold and fast convergence as the SDFE but also reaches the MFB after a large number of iterations. Both theoretical analysis and numerical simulations demonstrate why the SIC achieves MFB while the SDFE cannot. These two turbo equalization structures are also extended from single-input single-output (SISO) systems to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems and applied in high data-rate underwater acoustic (UWA) communications --Abstract, page iv

High rate space time code with linear decoding complexity for multiple transmitting antennas

The multipath nature of the wireless channel, results in a superposition of the signals of each path at the receiver. This can lead to either constructive or destructive interference. Strong destructive interference is frequently referred to as deep fade and may result in temporary failure of communication due to the severe drop in the channel\u27s signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). To avoid this situation, signal diversity might be introduced. When having more than one antenna at the transmitter and / or receiver, forming a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) channel, spatial diversity can be employed to overcome the fading problem. Space time block codes (STBC) have been shown to be used well with the MIMO channel. Each type of STBC is designed to optimize a different criteria such as rate and diversity, while other characteristics of the code are its error performance and decoding computational complexity. The Orthogonal STBC (OSTBC) family of codes is known to achieve full diversity as well as very simple implementation of the Maximum Likelihood (ML) decoder. However, it was proven that, with complex symbol constellation one cannot achieve a full rate code when the number of transmitting antennas is larger than two. Quasi OSTBC are codes with full rate but with the penalty of more complex decoding, and in general does not achieve full diversity. In this work, new techniques for OSTBC transmission / decoding are explored, such that a full rate code can be transmitted and decoded with linear complexity. The Row Elimination Method (REM) for OSTBC transmission is introduced, which basically involves the transmission of only part of the original OSTBC codeword, resulting in a full rate code termed Semi-Orthogonal STBC (SSTBC). Novel decoding scheme is presented, such that the SSTBC decoding computational complexity remains linear although the transmitted codeword is not orthogonal anymore. A new OSTBC, that complies with the new scheme\u27s requirements, is presented for any number of transmit antennas. The performance of the new scheme is studied under various settings, such as system with limited feedback and multiple antennas at the receiver. The general decoding techniques presented for STBC, assume perfect channel knowledge at the receiver. It was shown, that the performance of any STBC system is severely degraded due to partial channel state information, results from imperfect channel estimation. To minimize the performance loss, one may lengthen the training sequences used for the channel estimation which, inevitably, results in some rate loss. In addition, complex decoding schemes can be used at the receiver to jointly decode the data while enhancing the channel estimation. It is suggested in this work to apply adaptive techniques to mitigate the performance loss without the penalty of additional rate loss or complex decoding. Namely, the bootstrap algorithm is used to further refine the received signals, resulting in better effective rate and performance in the presence of channel estimation errors. Modified implementations for the bootstrap\u27s weights calculation method are also presented, to improve the convergence rate of the algorithm, as well as to maintain a very low computational burden

Distributed space time block coding in asynchronous cooperative relay networks

The design and analysis of various distributed space time block coding schemes for asynchronous cooperative relay networks is considered in this thesis. Rayleigh frequency flat fading channels are assumed to model the links in the networks, and interference suppression techniques together with an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing type transmission approach are employed to mitigate the synchronization errors at the destination node induced by the different delays through the relay nodes. Closed-loop space time block coding is first considered in the context of decode-and-forward (regenerative) networks. In particular, quasi orthogonal and extended orthogonal coding techniques are employed for transmission from four relay nodes and parallel interference cancellation detection is exploited to mitigate synchronization errors. Availability of a direct link between the source and destination nodes is studied, and a new Alamouti space time block coding technique with parallel interference cancellation detection which does not require such a direct link connection and employs two relay nodes is proposed. Outer coding is then added to gain further improvement in end-to-end performance and amplify-and-forward (non regenerative) type networks together with distributed space time coding are considered to reduce relay node complexity. Novel detection schemes are then proposed for decode-and-forward networks with closed-loop extended orthogonal coding which reduce the computational complexity of the parallel interference cancellation. Both sub-optimum and near-optimum detectors are presented for relay nodes with single or dual antennas. End-to-end bit error rate simulations confirm the potential of the approaches and their ability to mitigate synchronization errors. A relay selection approach is also formulated which maximizes spatial diversity gain and attains robustness to timing errors. Finally, a new closed-loop distributed extended orthogonal space time block coding solution for amplify-and-forward type networks which minimizes the number of feedback bits by using a cyclic rotation phase is presented. This approach utilizes an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing type transmission structure with a cyclic prefix to mitigate synchronization errors. End-to-end bit error performance evaluations verify the efficacy of the scheme and its success in overcoming synchronization errors

High Capacity CDMA and Collaborative Techniques

The thesis investigates new approaches to increase the user capacity and improve the error performance of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) by employing adaptive interference cancellation and collaborative spreading and space diversity techniques. Collaborative Coding Multiple Access (CCMA) is also investigated as a separate technique and combined with CDMA. The advantages and shortcomings of CDMA and CCMA are analysed and new techniques for both the uplink and downlink are proposed and evaluated. Multiple access interference (MAI) problem in the uplink of CDMA is investigated first. The practical issues of multiuser detection (MUD) techniques are reviewed and a novel blind adaptive approach to interference cancellation (IC) is proposed. It exploits the constant modulus (CM) property of digital signals to blindly suppress interference during the despreading process and obtain amplitude estimation with minimum mean squared error for use in cancellation stages. Two new blind adaptive receiver designs employing successive and parallel interference cancellation architectures using the CM algorithm (CMA) referred to as ‘CMA-SIC’ and ‘BA-PIC’, respectively, are presented. These techniques have shown to offer near single user performance for large number of users. It is shown to increase the user capacity by approximately two fold compared with conventional IC receivers. The spectral efficiency analysis of the techniques based on output signal-to interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) also shows significant gain in data rate. Furthermore, an effective and low complexity blind adaptive subcarrier combining (BASC) technique using a simple gradient descent based algorithm is proposed for Multicarrier-CDMA. It suppresses MAI without any knowledge of channel amplitudes and allows large number of users compared with equal gain and maximum ratio combining techniques normally used in practice. New user collaborative schemes are proposed and analysed theoretically and by simulations in different channel conditions to achieve spatial diversity for uplink of CCMA and CDMA. First, a simple transmitter diversity and its equivalent user collaborative diversity techniques for CCMA are designed and analysed. Next, a new user collaborative scheme with successive interference cancellation for uplink of CDMA referred to as collaborative SIC (C-SIC) is investigated to reduce MAI and achieve improved diversity. To further improve the performance of C-SIC under high system loading conditions, Collaborative Blind Adaptive SIC (C-BASIC) scheme is proposed. It is shown to minimize the residual MAI, leading to improved user capacity and a more robust system. It is known that collaborative diversity schemes incur loss in throughput due to the need of orthogonal time/frequency slots for relaying source’s data. To address this problem, finally a novel near-unity-rate scheme also referred to as bandwidth efficient collaborative diversity (BECD) is proposed and evaluated for CDMA. Under this scheme, pairs of users share a single spreading sequence to exchange and forward their data employing a simple superposition or space-time encoding methods. At the receiver collaborative joint detection is performed to separate each paired users’ data. It is shown that the scheme can achieve full diversity gain at no extra bandwidth as inter-user channel SNR becomes high. A novel approach of ‘User Collaboration’ is introduced to increase the user capacity of CDMA for both the downlink and uplink. First, collaborative group spreading technique for the downlink of overloaded CDMA system is introduced. It allows the sharing of the same single spreading sequence for more than one user belonging to the same group. This technique is referred to as Collaborative Spreading CDMA downlink (CS-CDMA-DL). In this technique T-user collaborative coding is used for each group to form a composite codeword signal of the users and then a single orthogonal sequence is used for the group. At each user’s receiver, decoding of composite codeword is carried out to extract the user’s own information while maintaining a high SINR performance. To improve the bit error performance of CS-CDMA-DL in Rayleigh fading conditions, Collaborative Space-time Spreading (C-STS) technique is proposed by combining the collaborative coding multiple access and space-time coding principles. A new scheme for uplink of CDMA using the ‘User Collaboration’ approach, referred to as CS-CDMA-UL is presented next. When users’ channels are independent (uncorrelated), significantly higher user capacity can be achieved by grouping multiple users to share the same spreading sequence and performing MUD on per group basis followed by a low complexity ML decoding at the receiver. This approach has shown to support much higher number of users than the available sequences while also maintaining the low receiver complexity. For improved performance under highly correlated channel conditions, T-user collaborative coding is also investigated within the CS-CDMA-UL system

Iterative Receiver Techniques for Data-Driven Channel Estimation and Interference Mitigation in Wireless Communications

Wireless mobile communications were initially a way for people to communicate through low data rate voice call connections. As data enabled devices allow users the ability to do much more with their mobile devices, so to will the demand for more reliable and pervasive wireless data. This is being addressed by so-called 4th generation wireless systems based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna systems. Mobile wireless customers are becoming more demanding and expecting to have a great user experience over high speed broadband access at any time and anywhere, both indoor and outdoor. However, these promising improvements cannot be realized without an e±cient design of the receiver. Recently, receivers utilizing iterative detection and decoding have changed the fundamental receiver design paradigm from traditional separated parameter estimation and data detection blocks to an integrated iterative parameter estimator and data detection unit. Motivated by this iterative data driven approach, we develop low complexity iterative receivers with improved sensitivity compared to the conventional receivers, this brings potential benefits for the wireless communication system, such as improving the overall system throughput, increasing the macro cell coverage, and reducing the cost of the equipments in both the base station and mobile terminal. It is a challenge to design receivers that have good performance in a highly dynamic mobile wireless environment. One of the challenges is to minimize overhead reference signal energy (preamble, pilot symbols) without compromising the performance. We investigate this problem, and develop an iterative receiver with enhanced data-driven channel estimation. We discuss practical realizations of the iterative receiver for SISO-OFDM system. We utilize the channel estimation from soft decoded data (the a priori information) through frequency-domain combining and time-domain combining strategies in parallel with limited pilot signals. We analyze the performance and complexity of the iterative receiver, and show that the receiver's sensitivity can be improved even with this low complexity solution. Hence, seamless communications can be achieved with better macro cell coverage and mobility without compromising the overall system performance. Another challenge is that a massive amount of interference caused by MIMO transmission (spatial multiplexing MIMO) reduces the performance of the channel estimation, and further degrades data detection performance. We extend the iterative channel estimation from SISO systems to MIMO systems, and work with linear detection methods to perform joint interference mitigation and channel estimation. We further show the robustness of the iterative receivers in both indoor and outdoor environment compared to the conventional receiver approach. Finally, we develop low complexity iterative spatial multiplexed MIMO receivers for nonlinear methods based on two known techniques, that is, the Sphere Decoder (SD) method and the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. These methods have superior performance, however, they typically demand a substantial increase in computational complexity, which is not favorable in practical realizations. We investigate and show for the first time how to utilize the a priori information in these methods to achieve performance enhancement while simultaneously substantially reducing the computational complexity. In our modified sphere decoder method, we introduce a new accumulated a priori metric in the tree node enumeration process. We show how we can improve the performance by obtaining the reliable tree node candidate from the joint Maximum Likelihood (ML) metric and an approximated a priori metric. We also show how we can improve the convergence speed of the sphere decoder (i.e., reduce the com- plexity) by selecting the node with the highest a priori probability as the starting node in the enumeration process. In our modified MCMC method, the a priori information is utilized for the firrst time to qualify the reliably decoded bits from the entire signal space. Two new robust MCMC methods are developed to deal with the unreliable bits by using the reliably decoded bit information to cancel the interference that they generate. We show through complexity analysis and performance comparison that these new techniques have improved performance compared to the conventional approaches, and further complexity reduction can be obtained with the assistance of the a priori information. Therefore, the complexity and performance tradeoff of these nonlinear methods can be optimized for practical realizations