183 research outputs found
Improved Handover Through Dual Connectivity in 5G mmWave Mobile Networks
The millimeter wave (mmWave) bands offer the possibility of orders of
magnitude greater throughput for fifth generation (5G) cellular systems.
However, since mmWave signals are highly susceptible to blockage, channel
quality on any one mmWave link can be extremely intermittent. This paper
implements a novel dual connectivity protocol that enables mobile user
equipment (UE) devices to maintain physical layer connections to 4G and 5G
cells simultaneously. A novel uplink control signaling system combined with a
local coordinator enables rapid path switching in the event of failures on any
one link. This paper provides the first comprehensive end-to-end evaluation of
handover mechanisms in mmWave cellular systems. The simulation framework
includes detailed measurement-based channel models to realistically capture
spatial dynamics of blocking events, as well as the full details of MAC, RLC
and transport protocols. Compared to conventional handover mechanisms, the
study reveals significant benefits of the proposed method under several
metrics.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, to appear on the 2017 IEEE JSAC Special Issue
on Millimeter Wave Communications for Future Mobile Network
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
Terahertz Wireless Channels: A Holistic Survey on Measurement, Modeling, and Analysis
Terahertz (0.1-10 THz) communications are envisioned as a key technology for
sixth generation (6G) wireless systems. The study of underlying THz wireless
propagation channels provides the foundations for the development of reliable
THz communication systems and their applications. This article provides a
comprehensive overview of the study of THz wireless channels. First, the three
most popular THz channel measurement methodologies, namely, frequency-domain
channel measurement based on a vector network analyzer (VNA), time-domain
channel measurement based on sliding correlation, and time-domain channel
measurement based on THz pulses from time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS), are
introduced and compared. Current channel measurement systems and measurement
campaigns are reviewed. Then, existing channel modeling methodologies are
categorized into deterministic, stochastic, and hybrid approaches.
State-of-the-art THz channel models are analyzed, and the channel simulators
that are based on them are introduced. Next, an in-depth review of channel
characteristics in the THz band is presented. Finally, open problems and future
research directions for research studies on THz wireless channels for 6G are
elaborated.Comment: to appear in IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial
An Efficient Uplink Multi-Connectivity Scheme for 5G mmWave Control Plane Applications
The millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies offer the potential of orders of
magnitude increases in capacity for next-generation cellular systems. However,
links in mmWave networks are susceptible to blockage and may suffer from rapid
variations in quality. Connectivity to multiple cells - at mmWave and/or
traditional frequencies - is considered essential for robust communication. One
of the challenges in supporting multi-connectivity in mmWaves is the
requirement for the network to track the direction of each link in addition to
its power and timing. To address this challenge, we implement a novel uplink
measurement system that, with the joint help of a local coordinator operating
in the legacy band, guarantees continuous monitoring of the channel propagation
conditions and allows for the design of efficient control plane applications,
including handover, beam tracking and initial access. We show that an
uplink-based multi-connectivity approach enables less consuming, better
performing, faster and more stable cell selection and scheduling decisions with
respect to a traditional downlink-based standalone scheme. Moreover, we argue
that the presented framework guarantees (i) efficient tracking of the user in
the presence of the channel dynamics expected at mmWaves, and (ii) fast
reaction to situations in which the primary propagation path is blocked or not
available.Comment: Submitted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Wireless
Communications (TWC
Modeling and Design of Millimeter-Wave Networks for Highway Vehicular Communication
Connected and autonomous vehicles will play a pivotal role in future
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs) and smart cities, in general.
High-speed and low-latency wireless communication links will allow
municipalities to warn vehicles against safety hazards, as well as support
cloud-driving solutions to drastically reduce traffic jams and air pollution.
To achieve these goals, vehicles need to be equipped with a wide range of
sensors generating and exchanging high rate data streams. Recently, millimeter
wave (mmWave) techniques have been introduced as a means of fulfilling such
high data rate requirements. In this paper, we model a highway communication
network and characterize its fundamental link budget metrics. In particular, we
specifically consider a network where vehicles are served by mmWave Base
Stations (BSs) deployed alongside the road. To evaluate our highway network, we
develop a new theoretical model that accounts for a typical scenario where
heavy vehicles (such as buses and lorries) in slow lanes obstruct Line-of-Sight
(LOS) paths of vehicles in fast lanes and, hence, act as blockages. Using tools
from stochastic geometry, we derive approximations for the
Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) outage probability, as well as
the probability that a user achieves a target communication rate (rate coverage
probability). Our analysis provides new design insights for mmWave highway
communication networks. In considered highway scenarios, we show that reducing
the horizontal beamwidth from to determines a minimal
reduction in the SINR outage probability (namely, at
maximum). Also, unlike bi-dimensional mmWave cellular networks, for small BS
densities (namely, one BS every m) it is still possible to achieve an
SINR outage probability smaller than .Comment: Accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology
-- Connected Vehicles Serie
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