Multi-Antenna Techniques for Next Generation Cellular Communications

Future cellular communications are expected to offer substantial improvements for the pre- existing mobile services with higher data rates and lower latency as well as pioneer new types of applications that must comply with strict demands from a wider range of user types. All of these tasks require utmost efficiency in the use of spectral resources. Deploying multiple antennas introduces an additional signal dimension to wireless data transmissions, which provides a significant alternative solution against the plateauing capacity issue of the limited available spectrum. Multi-antenna techniques and the associated key enabling technologies possess unquestionable potential to play a key role in the evolution of next generation cellular systems. Spectral efficiency can be improved on downlink by concurrently serving multiple users with high-rate data connections on shared resources. In this thesis optimized multi-user multi-input multi-output (MIMO) transmissions are investigated on downlink from both filter design and resource allocation/assignment points of view. Regarding filter design, a joint baseband processing method is proposed specifically for high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions, where the necessary signaling overhead can be compensated for. Regarding resource scheduling, greedy- and genetic-based algorithms are proposed that demand lower complexity with large number of resource blocks relative to prior implementations. Channel estimation techniques are investigated for massive MIMO technology. In case of channel reciprocity, this thesis proposes an overhead reduction scheme for the signaling of user channel state information (CSI) feedback during a relative antenna calibration. In addition, a multi-cell coordination method is proposed for subspace-based blind estimators on uplink, which can be implicitly translated to downlink CSI in the presence of ideal reciprocity. Regarding non-reciprocal channels, a novel estimation technique is proposed based on reconstructing full downlink CSI from a select number of dominant propagation paths. The proposed method offers drastic compressions in user feedback reports and requires much simpler downlink training processes. Full-duplex technology can provide up to twice the spectral efficiency of conventional resource divisions. This thesis considers a full-duplex two-hop link with a MIMO relay and investigates mitigation techniques against the inherent loop-interference. Spatial-domain suppression schemes are developed for the optimization of full-duplex MIMO relaying in a coverage extension scenario on downlink. The proposed methods are demonstrated to generate data rates that closely approximate their global bounds

Efficient multiuser cooperative relay communications employing layered modulations

Relay-assisted cooperative communications are promising solutions for error-performance improvement and cell coverage extension. In this thesis, we propose several efficient cooperative relay communication schemes. First, an efficient space-time coded cooperative relay communications scheme that employs linear precoding and transmission-pattern selection is proposed. This is built upon an existing block linear precoding technique for conventional multiple-input multiple-output systems in order to improve the diversity performance of a multihop relay network. Second, we consider several multiuser cooperative relay communication schemes employing layered modulations, such as hierarchical modulation and superposition coding. Conventional cooperative relay communication is effective in mitigating fading effects. However, additional resources, such as time slots or frequency bands are required for the relay, which reduce the overall throughput. Reduction of throughput will become more severe as the number of users increases. In order to overcome this limitation, multiuser cooperative relaying schemes that employ hierarchical modulation and superposition coding are proposed. These schemes exploit the superimposed message for users in the network and allow the system to transmit two or more independent data streams simultaneously. The proposed schemes do not require additional resources than the conventional schemes, while improving the error performance by flexibly controlling the power division coefficient of superposition coding or the distance parameter of hierarchical modulation

Optimal Hybrid Beamforming Design for Millimeter-Wave Massive Multi-User MIMO Relay Systems

As a promising technology in the next generation mobile network, millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication can mitigate the spectrum crunch of improving the network capacity by exploiting the large underutilized spectrum bands of the mmWave frequencies. The hybrid (analog/digital) beamforming of multi-data streams are widely used to further the spectrum efficiency of mmWave relay system when faced with the complex environment or long distance communication. This paper investigates the hybrid beamforming scheme for the decode-and-forward (DF) mmWave massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) relay system with mixed structure and full-connected structure. We optimize hybrid beamforming of relay system by maximizing the sum rate of the overall system as an objective function. To reduce the computational complexity, we reformulate the original problem as two single-hop mmWave MIMO sum-rate maximization subproblems. Then, the piecewise successive approximation method is proposed based on the criterion which jointly designs the analog and digital beamforming stages by trying to avoid the loss of information at each stage. The hybrid beamforming of the two subproblems can be solved by the proposed scheme united with the idea of successive interference cancelation (SIC), the baseband block diagonalization (BD) scheme, and waterfilling power allocation method. Finally, simulation results confirm that the proposed optimal method can achieve good performance in hybrid beamforming design of relay system with both mixed and full-connected structures

Collaborative modulation multiple access for single hop and multihop networks

While the bandwidth available for wireless networks is limited, the world has seen an unprecedented growth in the number of mobile subscribers and an ever increasing demand for high data rates. Therefore efficient utilisation of bandwidth to maximise link spectral efficiency and number of users that can be served simultaneously are primary goals in the design of wireless systems. To achieve these goals, in this thesis, a new non-orthogonal uplink multiple access scheme which combines the functionalities of adaptive modulation and multiple access called collaborative modulation multiple access (CMMA) is proposed. CMMA enables multiple users to access the network simultaneously and share the same bandwidth even when only a single receive antenna is available and in the presence of high channel correlation. Instead of competing for resources, users in CMMA share resources collaboratively by employing unique modulation sets (UMS) that differ in phase, power, and/or mapping structure. These UMS are designed to insure that the received signal formed from the superposition of all users’ signals belongs to a composite QAM constellation (CC) with a rate equal to the sum rate of all users. The CC and its constituent UMSs are designed centrally at the BS to remove ambiguity, maximize the minimum Euclidian distance (dmin) of the CC and insure a minimum BER performance is maintained. Users collaboratively precode their transmitted signal by performing truncated channel inversion and phase rotation using channel state information (CSI ) obtained from a periodic common pilot to insure that their combined signal at the BS belongs to the CC known at the BS which in turn performs a simple joint maximum likelihood detection without the need for CSI. The coherent addition of users’ power enables CMMA to achieve high link spectral efficiency at any time without extra power or bandwidth but on the expense of graceful degradation in BER performance. To improve the BER performance of CMMA while preserving its precoding and detection structure and without the need for pilot-aided channel estimation, a new selective diversity combining scheme called SC-CMMA is proposed. SC-CMMA optimises the overall group performance providing fairness and diversity gain for various users with different transmit powers and channel conditions by selecting a single antenna out of a group of L available antennas that minimises the total transmit power required for precoding at any one time. A detailed study of capacity and BER performance of CMMA and SC-CMMA is carried out under different level of channel correlations which shows that both offer high capacity gain and resilience to channel correlation. SC-CMMA capacity even increase with high channel correlation between users’ channels. CMMA provides a practical solution for implementing the multiple access adder channel (MAAC) in fading environments hence a hybrid approach combining both collaborative coding and modulation referred to as H-CMMA is investigated. H-CMMA divides users into a number of subgroups where users within a subgroup are assigned the same modulation set and different multiple access codes. H-CMMA adjusts the dmin of the received CC by varying the number of subgroups which in turn varies the number of unique constellation points for the same number of users and average total power. Therefore H-CMMA can accommodate many users with different rates while flexibly managing the complexity, rate and BER performance depending on the SNR. Next a new scheme combining CMMA with opportunistic scheduling using only partial CSI at the receiver called CMMA-OS is proposed to combine both the power gain of CMMA and the multiuser diversity gain that arises from users’ channel independence. To avoid the complexity and excessive feedback associated with the dynamic update of the CC, the BS takes into account the independence of users’ channels in the design of the CC and its constituent UMSs but both remain unchanged thereafter. However UMS are no longer associated with users, instead channel gain’s probability density function is divided into regions with identical probability and each UMS is associated with a specific region. This will simplify scheduling as users can initially chose their UMS based on their CSI and the BS will only need to resolve any collision when the channels of two or more users are located at the same region. Finally a high rate cooperative communication scheme, called cooperative modulation (CM) is proposed for cooperative multiuser systems. CM combines the reliability of the cooperative diversity with the high spectral efficiency and multiple access capabilities of CMMA. CM maintains low feedback and high spectral efficiency by restricting relaying to a single route with the best overall channel. Two possible variations of CM are proposed depending on whether CSI available only at the users or just at the BS and the selected relay. The first is referred to Precode, Amplify, and Forward (PAF) while the second one is called Decode, Remap, and Forward (DMF). A new route selection algorithm for DMF based on maximising dmin of random CC is also proposed using a novel fast low-complexity multi-stage sphere based algorithm to calculate the dmin at the relay of random CC that is used for both relay selection and detection

Timing and Carrier Synchronization in Wireless Communication Systems: A Survey and Classification of Research in the Last 5 Years

Timing and carrier synchronization is a fundamental requirement for any wireless communication system to work properly. Timing synchronization is the process by which a receiver node determines the correct instants of time at which to sample the incoming signal. Carrier synchronization is the process by which a receiver adapts the frequency and phase of its local carrier oscillator with those of the received signal. In this paper, we survey the literature over the last 5 years (2010–2014) and present a comprehensive literature review and classification of the recent research progress in achieving timing and carrier synchronization in single-input single-output (SISO), multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), cooperative relaying, and multiuser/multicell interference networks. Considering both single-carrier and multi-carrier communication systems, we survey and categorize the timing and carrier synchronization techniques proposed for the different communication systems focusing on the system model assumptions for synchronization, the synchronization challenges, and the state-of-the-art synchronization solutions and their limitations. Finally, we envision some future research directions

Hybrid beamforming with sub-connected structure for MmWave massive multi-user MIMO relay systems

In this paper, we investigate the hybrid beamforming design with sub-connected structure for millimeter-wave (mmWave) massive multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) amplify-and-forward (AF) relay systems. Considering the constant-modulus and block-diagonal constraints, an iterative algorithm is proposed to sequentially design the analog beamforming of the base station, relay, and users. Next, the relay baseband combiner is designed by transforming the highly complicated non-convex mutual information maximization problem into an easily tractable weighted minimum mean squared error one. To mitigate the inter-user interference, a successive serial interference cancellation based and a piecewise successive approximation based methods are developed for the uniform sparse distribution and dense distribution scenarios, respectively. Simulation results demonstrate that the two proposed hybrid beamforming schemes can achieve good performance in terms of sum-rate and energy efficiency, and outperform benchmarks significantly. In addition, the two proposed schemes are shown to be robust to imperfect channel state information (CSI), even though they are studied based on perfect CSI