Exploiting Multiuser Diversity With Imperfect One-Bit Channel State Feedback

It has been well recognized that significant throughput gains can be leveraged in multiuser wireless communication systems by exploiting multiuser diversity with a smart scheduler. This scheduler collects channel state information (CSI) from all users and allocates the resources to the user(s) experiencing favorable channel conditions. However, for a frequency-division-duplex system with a large number of users, how to efficiently collect the required CSI will be a challenging task, especially when the feedback links are of limited capacity. In this paper, we propose a scheduling algorithm to exploit multiuser diversity with possibly imperfect one-bit channel state feedback. The basic idea is to define a threshold lambda and let each user report one-bit information to the scheduler about the comparison between its measured channel fading level and lambda. Correspondingly, the scheduler uses these feedback bits to classify all users into two sets and assigns the channel to one user belonging to the set experiencing favorable channel conditions. Several implementation schemes are developed by attacking the optimization of lambda under different system configurations, covering both the case when the one-bit feedback is perfect and those when the one-bit feedback is imperfect. Computer simulations show that when the user number is large, say, more than ten users, the proposed scheduling supports significantly larger data rate over the round-robin scheduling, while in comparison with the optimum scheduling with complete CSI, the performance loss is limited if the one-bit feedback is of high reliability. In addition, our studies show that we can effectively enhance the robustness against feedback imperfectness by incorporating the feedback reliability into optimization of lambda     

MIMO Broadcast Scheduling with Limited Feedback

We consider multiuser scheduling with limited feedback of partial channel state information in MIMO broadcast channels. By using spatial multiplexing at the base station (BS) and antenna selection for each user, we propose a multiuser scheduling method that allocates independent information streams from all M transmit antennas to the M most favorable users with the highest signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). A close approximation of the achievable sum-rate throughput for the proposed method is obtained and shown to match the simulation results very well. Moreover, two reduced feedback scheduling approaches are proposed. In the first approach, which we shall refer to as selected feedback scheduling, the users are selected based on their SINR compared to a predesigned threshold. Only those selected users are allowed to feed back limited information to the BS. The resultant feedback load and achievable throughput are derived. It will then be demonstrated that with a proper choice of the threshold, the feedback load can be greatly reduced with a negligible performance loss. The second reduced feedback scheduling approach employs quantization for each user, in which only few bits of quantized SINR are fed back to the BS. Performance analysis will show that even with only 1-bit quantization, the proposed quantized feedback scheduling approach can exploit the multiuser diversity at the expense of slight decrease of throughput.     

一种低复杂度的多用户分集调度算法

利用多用户分集增益可以显著的提高系统容量,但最大化吞吐量的调度算法会导致用户不公平的占用资源,比例公平算法在损失较大容量的条件下可以让用户公平的分享资源。本文重点考虑多用户分集系统中的系统容量和公平性的折中,结合最大化吞吐量和比例公平调度算法的思想,提出一种低复杂度的加权调度算法,并推导出门限反馈和全反馈时的系统容量和公平性的理论表达式。仿真结果表明,所提算法在损失较少容量的同时,可以保持较高的公平性。并且在用户数较少的同时,性能优于已有的折中算法,而在用户数较多时,可以通过设置反馈门限来降低用户的反馈开销,同时不会带来容量和公平性的损失。     

Control of wireless networks with flow level dynamics under constant time scheduling

We consider a network control problem for wireless networks with flow level dynamics under the general k-hop interference model. In particular, we investigate the control problem in low load and high load regimes. In the low load regime, we show that the network can be stabilized by a regulated maximal scheduling policy considering flow level dynamics if the offered load satisfies a constraining bound condition. Because maximal scheduling is a general scheduling rule whose implementation is not specified, we propose a constant-time and distributed scheduling algorithm for a general k-hop interference model which can approximate the maximal scheduling policy within an arbitrarily small error. Under the stability condition, we show how to calculate transmission rates for different user classes such that the long-term (time average) network utility is maximized. This long-term network utility captures the real network performance due to the fact that under flow level dynamics, the number of users randomly change so instantaneous network utility maximization does not result in useful network performance. Our results imply that congestion control is unnecessary when the offered load is low and optimal user rates can be determined to maximize users’ long-term satisfaction. In the high load regime where the network can be unstable under the regulated maximal scheduling policy, we propose a cross-layer congestion control and scheduling algorithm which can stabilize the network under arbitrary network load. Through extensive numerical analysis for some typical networks, we show that the proposed scheduling algorithm has much lower overhead than other existing queue-length-based constant-time scheduling schemes in the literature, and it achieves performance much better than the guaranteed bound.     

Reducing feedback for opportunistic scheduling in wireless systems

We study reducing feedback overhead of users' channel state information required for opportunistic scheduling at a base station while minimizing the throughput penalty incurred due to reduced feedback. We first propose a simple contention based scheme known as 'static splitting' for best effort traffic. The idea is to divide users into static groups, with users that belong to a group, and have their currently supported rate above a threshold, contending to send their current feedback to the base station. This is combined with maximum quantile scheduling -scheduling a user whose current rate is high relative to its distribution, to obtain thresholds that are independent of users' rate distributions even when they are heterogeneous, allowing off-line optimization of thresholds. Next we develop the insight that for a traffic mixture of best effort and real-time traffic one has to combine contention and polling to reduce feedback while providing quality of service. We propose a scheme based on this insight. Under this scheme we prove a lower bound on the service seen by a real-time when users' channel capacities are fast fading. Furthermore, we propose a heuristic modification that is able to exploit a larger fraction of opportunism. Simulation results illustrate the performance advantage of the proposed schemes.     

Design of a fair scheduler exploiting multiuser diversity with feedback information reduction

In this letter, we propose a new downlink fair scheduling scheme exploiting the multiuser diversity to enhance the transmission capacity. In the proposed scheme, only the MSs (mobile stations) whose normalized SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) values are larger than a given threshold feedback one-bit information to the BS (base station). As a result, while achieving the strict fairness, the proposed scheme can efficiently utilize the spectrum by reducing the considerable amount of the feedback information, compared to the proportional fair scheduling scheme where all the MSs feed back the normalized SNR values to the BS. Numerical studies show that the transmission capacity in the proposed scheme with a suitable value of the threshold is very close to that in the proportional fair scheduling scheme.     

Multiuser Diversity with Binary Feedback

In this paper, we propose a scheduling algorithm that reduces the feedback load with no penalty loss in the spectral efficiency when compared to the optimal selective diversity scheme (Harthi et al. in IEEE Trans Wirel Commun 6(1), 2007). In order to reduce the feedback rate, a two stage probing technique is introduced. In the first stage, the scheduler estimates the threshold level in which the best user is likely to be found. In the second stage, the scheduler permits two users to contend for a mini-slot using only one bit of feedback information per user. After deriving closed-form expressions for the feedback load, we compare the performance of our algorithm with the discrete rate switch-based multiuser diversity (DSMUDiv) scheme (Harthi et al. in IEEE Trans Wirel Commun 6(1), 2007) and the optimal selective diversity scheme. Numerical results show that our scheme further reduces the feedback load, rate and guard time when compared to both the DSMUDiv and the optimal selective diversity schemes under slow Rayleigh fading assumption.     

A Novel Method of Feedback Reducing and Cross-layer Scheduling Based on Traffic Rates for Relay System

This paper studies the scheduling schemes in multiuser downlink relay systems with orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) where base station (BS) supports different traffic rates for different users. We formulate the problem as a cross-layer design of joint feedback reducing and OFDMA scheduling to support traffic rates and minimize packet loss rate. In most previous scheduling mechanisms with feedback, the parameters of traffic arrival process were not taken into account, consequently, the requirement of user traffic can not be guaranteed. In this paper, a dynamic threshold feedback mechanism (DTFM) based on traffic rates is proposed, of which the user with channel gain being larger than the dynamic threshold is only allowed to send its channel state information, thereby reducing the number of required feedback users and the computational burden of exhaustive search for best users at the BS. A cross-layer scheduling algorithm of traffic and queue proportional fairness (TQPF) taking into consideration the traffic fairness, the user queue length and the user transmission rate (related to its channel quality) is then proposed. Finally, a method of feedback reducing and cross-layer scheduling, i.e., TQPF based on DTFM (TQPF-DTFM), is proposed. Theoretical and simulation results show that DTFM reduces feedback by more than 90%, and TQPF-DTFM successfully meets user traffic rates that is, the user with high traffic rate can obtain more transmission rate than the user with low traffic rate and deceases packet loss rate of the system by almost 50% than the conventional methods.     

Compression of Feedback for Adaptive Transmission and Scheduling

For wireless systems with adaptive modulation and/or scheduling, feedback of channel quality information is often necessary. It has been questioned whether the increased system performance is worth the additional feedback rate and the increased algorithm complexity. In this paper, we study how the feedback rate can be minimized, without losing the gains due to adaptive modulation and multiuser diversity. We present an in-depth study of the literature in the area, and evaluate the performance of several state-of-the-art channel quality feedback schemes. By illustrating the compromise between system throughput and feedback channel rate for various schemes, we are able to give valuable insight in choice of method for feedback rate reduction. A major conclusion is that for multicarrier systems, a lossy compression scheme is the best choice, while for single-carrier systems, schemes limiting feedback to only high-SNR users show good performance. Another conclusion is that there are still many issues to study before the schemes can be used in practice.     

自适应多天线OFDMA蜂窝系统中反馈压缩新方法

在自适应调制和调度的无线通信系统,特别是OFDMA系统中,反馈信息压缩技术已成为研究热点。文中研究了随机波束成形OFDMA系统中分簇反馈压缩技术以及门限信噪比压缩技术,结合二者的优点提出了一种改进方案——分簇门限信噪比压缩技术。仿真证明,采用分簇门限信噪比技术与分簇技术、门限信噪比技术相比,明显降低了反馈量,且在用户较多时系统容量损失很少。     

Scheduling algorithm for MPEG-2 TS multiplexers in CATV networks

We study the scheduling algorithm for multiplexers in CATV networks. First we propose the scheduling matrix concept, and then two kinds of scheduling algorithms are given, which are described with the scheduling matrix. Especially, we focus on the VBR scheduling algorithm being able to achieve a better display of the MPEG-2 program in CATV networks. The scheduler applying our VBR scheduling algorithm maintains, for each input stream, a counter to determine how many TS packets should be transmitted in the current scheduling cycle (one frame period) in order to prevent deadline violation. The real-time bit rate of each input stream is used to update the parameters of the scheduling matrix. Our VBR scheduling algorithm is compared numerically with the traditional CBR scheduling algorithm. The results of the simulation show that our VBR scheduling algorithm can achieve significantly lower delay, i.e., deadline violation probability, in comparison with the CBR scheduling algorithm. Also it is shown that a higher utilization of bandwidth can be achieved by means of our VBR scheduling algorithm than by the CBR scheduling algorithm     

Feedback Reduction for Multiuser OFDM Systems

Feedback reduction in multiuser orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems has become an important issue due to the excessive amount of feedback required to use opportunistic scheduling, particularly when the number of users and carriers is large. In this paper, we propose a novel feedback-reduction scheme for efficient downlink scheduling. In the proposed scheme, each user determines the amount of feedback based on the so-called feedback efficiency in a distributed manner. The key idea is to give more of an opportunity for feedback to users who are more often scheduled. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can substantially decrease the feedback load while achieving almost the same scheduling performance as in the case of full feedback. In addition, the proposed scheme offers unique advantages over existing ones. First, it is not tailored to a specific scheduling policy; thus, it has adaptability to the change of the underlying scheduling policy. Second, the total feedback load can be maintained below a target level, regardless of the number of users in the system.      

中继网络中减少反馈的多用户调度算法

针对多用户中继网络中上行反馈负荷过大的问题,本文提出了一种减少信道状态信息反馈的半分布式调度算法（RRFD）。基于反馈中断概率及总用户数,基站与中继分别设置信道状态反馈门限。每一调度周期内,通过与门限的比较,用户决定是否反馈相应链路信息,基站根据用户反馈情况决定系统采用何种传输模式。文中还对AF协议下采用该算法时的反馈用户数及平均可达速率等性能指标进行了理论推导。仿真结果表明,系统性能与数学推导相一致,与此同时,本文提出的算法可极大程度（90%以上）的减少系统反馈量,并显著降低了系统反馈中断概率,减小了容量损失。      

On the optimality of multiantenna broadcast scheduling using zero-forcing beamforming

Although the capacity of multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) broadcast channels (BCs) can be achieved by dirty paper coding (DPC), it is difficult to implement in practical systems. This paper investigates if, for a large number of users, simpler schemes can achieve the same performance. Specifically, we show that a zero-forcing beamforming (ZFBF) strategy, while generally suboptimal, can achieve the same asymptotic sum capacity as that of DPC, as the number of users goes to infinity. In proving this asymptotic result, we provide an algorithm for determining which users should be active under ZFBF. These users are semiorthogonal to one another and can be grouped for simultaneous transmission to enhance the throughput of scheduling algorithms. Based on the user grouping, we propose and compare two fair scheduling schemes in round-robin ZFBF and proportional-fair ZFBF. We provide numerical results to confirm the optimality of ZFBF and to compare the performance of ZFBF and proposed fair scheduling schemes with that of various MIMO BC strategies.     

On Scheduling for Multiple-Antenna Wireless Networks Using Contention-Based Feedback

Multiuser diversity gain is an effective technique for improving the performance of wireless networks. This gain can be exploited by scheduling the users with the best current channel conditions. However, this kind of scheduling requires that the base station (or access point) knows some kind of channel quality indicator (CQI) information for every user in the system. When the wireless link lacks channel reciprocity, each user must feed back this CQI information to the base station. The required feedback load makes exploiting multiuser diversity extremely difficult when the number of users becomes large. To alleviate this problem, this paper considers a contention-based CQI feedback where only users whose channel gains are larger than a threshold are allowed to transmit their CQI information through a spread-spectrum based contention channel. Considering the capture effect in this contention channel, it is shown that i) the multiuser diversity gain can be exploited regardless of the number of transmit antennas at the base station and ii) the total system throughput exponentially approaches that of the full feedback scheme as the spreading code length of the contention channel linearly increases. In addition, it is also shown that multiuser diversity can be maintained with the feedback delay of time-variant channels. We also consider the issue of differentiated rate scheduling, in which the base station gives different rates to different subsets of mobiles. In this scenario, mobiles feed back their CQI with some access probability, and we show this technique causes only a negligible throughput loss compared to the case without supporting differentiated rate.     

The Effect of On-Off Scheduling to the Required Transmit Power in Systems with Fast Power Control

Physical layer channel-aware scheduling may significantly improve coverage and throughput of IP based services in wireless cellular networks, and the feasibility of such schedulers is actively studied within 3G and 4G systems. A channel-aware scheduler requires access to instantaneous channel state information in order to direct transmission to users with favorable channel conditions. In frequency division duplex (FDD) systems, this requires a fast feedback channel between mobile and base stations, and the overhead of the feedback control channel should be kept as low as possible.In this paper, we study the effect of control channel overhead to on-off scheduling (OOS) when fast transmit power control is applied in data and control channels. On-off scheduling is a simple channel-aware scheduling algorithm, where transmission to a user is suspended if the transmit power exceeds a given threshold. On-off scheduling is applied on the data channel while control channel is always on so that the scheduler is able to obtain channel state information from active users. The gain of OOS strongly depends on the power ratio between control and data channels, and increased interference due to control signaling and decreased interference due to channel-aware scheduling should be jointly considered in system design. Gains in the required transmit power are translated into gains in coverage and capacity assuming WCDMA parameters, and the results can be applied, e.g., when designing scheduling algorithms and corresponding signaling formats for WCDMA uplink.     

Efficient scheduling algorithms for mixed services in wireless OFDMA system

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) is an attracting system for combating the frequency selective fading. It’s widely considered as a promising candidate modulation and access scheme for next generation mobile communication systems. However, the explosive growth of multimedia applications raises higher performance requirements for Radio Resource Management (RRM) in OFDMA system. In particular, limited bandwidth and fierce resource competition impose a challenging issue on the design of packet scheduler. In this paper, we propose two scheduling algorithms applicable to mixed services (i.e., real-time and non-real-time services), that is QoS-oriented Dynamic Threshold Control (DTC) algorithm and fairness-oriented Fairness Aware and QoS Aware (FAQA) algorithm. These two algorithms are both composed of two stages, i.e., initial subcarrier allocation and subcarrier reallocation. For the DTC algorithm, in the stage of initial subcarrier allocation, based on the different metrics to weigh QoS between both services, we design a unique scheduling strategy for each type of service. A dynamic threshold is adopted to help users quickly recover from starvation, so that any one user in system can escape from severely degraded QoS. In the stage of subcarrier reallocation, we will reallocate the surplus subcarriers from the buffer-empty users to the buffer-nonempty users so as to increase spectrum efficiency. For FAQA algorithm, in the stage of initial subcarrier allocation, for the purpose of achieving Proportional Fairness (PF) with lower complexity, we deduce a simple scheduling strategy satisfying PF criterion by means of Greedy algorithm. In the stage of subcarrier reallocation, in order to increase the number of users satisfying QoS requirements, we’ll reallocate the surplus subcarriers from the QoS-satisfied users to the QoS-unsatisfied users. Simulation results demonstrate that, on one hand, the DTC algorithm not only guarantees the quality of both services, but also increases the spectrum efficiency; on the other hand, the FAQA algorithm well maintains the fairness among users, and increases the QoS satisfaction degree at the same time.     

基于分簇门限反馈的机会波束成形算法研究

在波束间存在干扰的小区通信场景中,研究满足反馈用户数约束条件时,如何有效运用机会波束成形（ORBF）算法实现和速率最大化的问题。针对该问题,提出了一种基于分簇门限反馈的ORBF算法。首先,将问题建模为基于反馈用户数约束的和速率最大化优化问题。然后,根据用户信噪比信息对小区内各用户进行分簇处理,并在各簇内利用极值理论工具独立设置反馈门限。最终,在分簇基础上构造出多门限反馈的ORBF算法。对算法性能进行理论分析,获得了和速率损失量上界的闭合表达式以及多用户分集增益的渐进形式。仿真实验验证了理论分析的正确性,同时表明,该算法与经典ORBF算法相比,能够在极大降低反馈量的同时取得很好的和速率性能。     

MU-MIMO系统下行链路中的自适应用户调度算法

在多用户MIMO系统下行链路中,经典的半正交用户调度算法(SUS)难以控制备选用户的门限参数值,且该算法没有考虑QOS对时延的要求。为此,提出一种自适应用户调度算法(AUS),在其调度过程中根据备选用户数及基站端天线数动态改变门限参数值,同时将用户最大时延限制作为用户选择准则的权重。仿真结果表明,与其他算法比,该算法提高了系统吞吐率,在加权用户选择准则时最大可减少24%的平均时延。     

Energy-aware wireless systems with adaptive power-fidelity tradeoffs

Wireless networked embedded systems, such as multimedia terminals, sensor nodes, etc., present a rich domain for making energy/performance/quality tradeoffs based on application needs, network conditions, etc. Energy awareness in these systems is the ability to perform tradeoffs between available battery energy and application quality requirements. In this paper, we show how operating system directed dynamic voltage scaling and dynamic power management can provide for such a capability. We propose a real-time scheduling algorithm that uses runtime feedback about application behavior to provide adaptive power-fidelity tradeoffs. We demonstrate our approach in the context of a static priority-based preemptive task scheduler. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm results in significant energy savings compared to state-of-the-art dynamic voltage scaling schemes with minimal loss in system fidelity. We have implemented our scheduling algorithm into the eCos real-time operating system running on an Intel XScale-based variable voltage platform. Experimental results obtained using this platform confirm the effectiveness of our technique