Department Publications

This paper presents a comprehensive framework to analyze the impact of aggregate interference from an underlay clustered Device-to-Device (D2D) network on the performance of its primary cellular network, when different power control schemes are used at the D2D network. A single base station, located at the center, operates with a cellular network and a D2D network, modeled using a homogeneous spatial Poisson Point Process and a Poisson Cluster Process, respectively. Using this system, the cellular network performance is examined under three power control schemes used by the D2D network namely, no power control, path loss inversion and channel inversion. For each scheme, the coverage probability of the cellular network is analyzed. Numerical results indicate that the cellular network performance is greatly dependent on the D2D system parameters such as density, size of a cell, number of …

Power control schemes are proposed for a full-duplex (FD) device-to-device (D2D) network operating as an underlay of a primary FD network. As networks with different quality of service (QoS) requirements may coexist in future heterogeneous networks, it is assumed that the underlay D2D network is operating with best effort QoS provisioning, while the primary FD network requires guaranteed QoS. A centralized power control (CPC) solution is proposed by casting the power control problem as a convex optimization problem. Furthermore, a heuristic distributed power control (DPC) solution is proposed to reduce information feedback overhead. It is found that the heuristic DPC achieves D2D user data rate that is within 87% and 80% of that provided by the CPC scheme in 3-node and 2-node FD primary network, respectively.

Vehicular ad-hoc networks (VANETs) play a vital role in enabling intelligent transport services (ITS). The state of art dedicated short range communication (DSRC), which is envisioned to facilitate the communication in VANETs, requires dedicated hardware. This hinders the penetration of ITS especially in developing countries. This paper studies the suitability of Wi-Fi Direct (WD), which is readily available on many smart phones, as an alternative communication technology for VANETs. Performance measures such as throughput, end-to-end delay, packet receiving/loss ratios for both WD and DSRC are presented through simulations, using network simulator NS3, and the traffic simulator Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO). Both single-hop and multi-hop communication is considered. The results show the potential of WD as an alternative communication technology for VANETs.

Visible Light Communication (VLC) is emerging as a next generation data transmission method for short-range communication applications. In this paper we implement and characterize two prototype stereo audio streaming methods utilizing VLC. A software architecture is developed to process and stream data. The software architecture is bridged with a hardware section, which facilitates free-space VLC channel, over a Universal Serial Bus (USB) to serial interface. A particularly attractive feature of our system is that it uses commonly available, low-cost components which enables its implementation in everyday applications.

This paper introduces a model to study both single tier and multitier wireless communication systems consisting of a multitude of wireless access points (AP), and operating according to the classical opportunistic beamforming framework. The AP locations in the proposed network model are determined by using planar Poisson point processes. The extreme value distribution of signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (SINR) on a beam is of fundamental importance for obtaining performance bounds for such an opportunistic communication system. Two tight distribution approximation results are provided for the distribution of maximum SINR on a beam, which is hard to obtain due to correlation structure of the underlying inter-AP interference field, using key tools from stochastic geometry. These approximations hold for general path loss models that satisfy some mild conditions. Simulations and numerical evaluations …

Multiple antenna techniques, that allow energy beamforming, have been looked upon as a possible candidate for increasing the efficiency of the transfer process between the energy transmitter (ET) and the energy receiver (ER) in wireless energy transfer. This paper introduces a novel scheme that facilitates energy beamforming by utilizing Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) values to estimate the channel. Firstly, in the training stage, the ET will transmit sequentially using each beamforming vector in a codebook, which is pre-defined using a Cramer-Rao lower bound analysis. The RSSI value corresponding to each beamforming vector is fed back to the ET, and these values are used to estimate the channel through a maximum likelihood analysis. The results that are obtained are remarkably simple, requires minimal processing, and can be easily implemented. Also, the results are general and hold for all …

We present the development and testing of a cellular network built on open source technologies. This network supports voice calls and text messages within the network or between networks. The main objective of this work is to develop a stand-alone mobile network consisting of one base station and a switch, the access to which can be controlled as required. The mobile network is also connected to public networks. The designed network is based on Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). Our work includes the configuration of the embedded hardware components, selection and integration of the proper software combination, testing of compatible versions of the software, hardware-software integration within the embedded system, and interconnecting the systems via the Internet. The key contribution and novelty of the project is the development of a stand-alone mobile network base station/ switch …

The achievable average rate of a full-duplex (FD) multiple-input-single-output interference channel with linear transceiver structures is analyzed. The impact of transmit front-end noise is included in the analysis. Both cooperative and non-cooperative strategies for the FD interference channel are considered and the closed-form expressions are derived for the achievable average rate of each strategy.

In this paper, we focus on the ergodic downlink sum-rate performance of a system consisting of a set of heterogeneous users. We study three user selection schemes to group near-orthogonal users for simultaneous transmission. The first scheme is a random selection policy that achieves fairness, but does not exploit multi-user diversity. The second scheme is a greedy selection policy that fully exploits multi-user diversity, but does not achieve fairness, and the third scheme achieves fairness while partially exploiting multi-user diversity. We also consider two beamforming methods for data transmission, namely, maximum-ratio transmission and zero-forcing beamforming. In all scheduling schemes studied in the paper, there is a key parameter that controls the degrees of orthogonality of channel directions between co-scheduled users. We focus on optimally setting this parameter for each scheduling scheme such that …

The outage probability of a two-hop coordinated decode-and-forward relay network is investigated. The case of two interfering cells is considered. This is analogous to the case when network coordination is performed with the dominant cochannel interfering cell. Different levels of network coordination are studied and their performances are compared. Exact expressions are derived for of the system for each coordination method. The impact of user location randomness on the outage probability is investigated.

The outage probability of a two-hop coordinated decode-and-forward relay network is investigated. Relay coordination is performed only with the dominant interferer. Different levels of network coordination are studied and their performances are compared. Exact expressions are derived for the outage probability of a particular mobile user for each coordination scheme. Asymptotic outage probability is derived to identify the diversity and coding gains for each coordination scheme.

An ergodic rate analysis is presented for relay coordination schemes of two-hop decode-and forward relay networks. A simplified two-cell network model is used in the analysis. This model is related to a practically significant case, where the relay coordination is implemented with the cell which causes the most dominant cochannel interference level. Closed-form expressions are derived for the ergodic rate of the system. Simplified approximations are derived to approximate the ergodic rate behaviour in the asymptotically high signal-to-noise ratio regime.

The demand for high data rate wireless services has grown tremendously. The demand is expected to grow further at an increased pace. The scarcity of the usable radio frequency spectrum is a major bottleneck to cater to the growing demand for high data rate wireless services. Current cellular wireless networks rely on deploying small cells as a possible solution to cater to the growing demand. However, this practice has resulted in severe co-channel interference (CCI) levels in cellular networks. The first phase of this thesis investigates the impact of CCI on relay networks and distributed antenna systems, which are included in recent wireless standards such as long-term evolution advanced (LTE-A). The analytical results derived for system performance metrics, such as the outage probability and the ergodic rate, are used to obtain valuable insights for system design. The second stage of this thesis research …

A theoretical framework is presented for the evaluation of sum ergodic rate of a full-duplex underlay device-to-device network, when it shares the uplink resources of a conventional cellular user. The sum-rate of the full-duplex network is compared with a half-duplex network with equivalent radio frequency hardware complexity. Closed-form approximations are derived for the sum ergodic rate of the systems. Furthermore, the sum-rate performances are investigated for the case when a transmit power constraint is imposed on the underlay network to minimize the interference on the cellular network. The analytical results presented can be used as a tool to identify when full-duplex transmissions are viable in underlay device-to-device networks.

This paper studies downlink coverage maximization for cellular networks in which base station (BS) locations are modeled using a spatial Poisson point process, considering three different coverage models, and under constraints on transmit power, BS density and transmit power density. Firstly, the coverage optimization problem is solved analytically for the first coverage model that focuses on noise-limited communication by ignoring interference and random fading effects. This model provides useful insights into the significance of bounded path loss models to obtain meaningful solutions for this problem. The other two coverage models are based on the users' received signal-to-interference-plus-noise-ratio (\sinr) from their associated BSs. For these models, it is shown that the coverage optimization problem can be reduced to a constrained single dimensional optimization problem without any loss of optimality …

The DV-Hop algorithm is an attractive option for the localization of nodes in a wireless sensor network due to its simplicity. However it suffers from poor accuracy. This paper presents a novel algorithm to enhance the accuracy of this algorithm. The idea is to use the DV-Hop algorithm to estimate positions of the anchors which are already known. The estimation errors so obtained are then minimized through an optimization algorithm which finds the optimum correction to the hop size. The locations of the unknown nodes are then estimated with the modified hop size using least squares estimation. We examine the performance of the algorithm for varying node numbers, anchor ratios and radio range. The results show that the proposed algorithm has better performances in localization precision and stability than the original DV-Hop algorithm.

This paper studies the outage capacity of a network consisting of a multitude of heterogeneous mobile users and operating according to the classical opportunistic beamforming framework. The base station is located at the center of the cell, which is modeled as a disk of finite radius. The random user locations are modeled using a homogeneous spatial Poisson point process. The received signals are impaired by both fading and location dependent path loss. For this system, we first derive an expression for the beam outage probability. This expression holds for all path loss models that satisfy some mild conditions. Then, we focus on two specific path loss models ( i.e. , an unbounded model and a more realistic bounded one) to illustrate the applications of our results. In the large system limit, where the cell radius tends to infinity, the beam outage capacity and its scaling behavior are derived for the selected specific …

This paper studies the coverage maximization for wireless networks in which base station (BS) locations are drawn from a homogenous spatial Poisson point process, and user locations are arbitrary. A user is covered for communication if its received signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) is above a given threshold value, and the objective is to maximize the coverage probability under per unit area power density constraints. The resulting optimization problem is solved analytically by making use of the underlying concavity in the objective function when transmissions are impaired only by a power-law bounded path loss. Our results show that the optimal transmit power per BS is independent of the power density constraint, and the solution to the optimization problem represents the Pareto optimal boundary between the power density constraint and the coverage probability. Then, these results are extended to a system in which …

The downlink performance of a two-cell relay enhanced wireless network is investigated. A single relay is shared by the two base stations in the system. The relay is assumed to be placed in a geographic region covered by both base stations. The relay station is operating in the decode-and-forward mode. Closed-form approximations which estimate the exact results extremely closely are derived for the outage probability and the ergodic rate of the system. The impact of finite rate channel state information feedback on the user ergodic rate is examined.

The Australian construction industry is identified as one among five industries to receive priority attention under the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012-2022. Among the recorded construction fatalities in 2012, vehicle incidents accounted for 15% and being hit by moving objects accounted for 10%. Tracking of individuals on-site could provide a technological solution to improve safety. This paper proposes a novel, non-tagging-based, wireless networking solution (called device-free localization) to enhance safety on site. Device free localization techniques use radio signal propagation effects such as multi-path fading and shadowing caused by the obstruction(s). The proposed solution defines zones in the construction site. Zone identification is based on the risk associated with the location map of the site. Defining risk profiles considers the activities associated with the geographic location, such as …

Device free detection and localization is a promising and a very practical research area where installation of expensive sensors and/or tagging the intruder is not feasible. This paper reports a mesh network developed for device free trespasser detection. We use the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurements of the wireless links within the mesh as the sole sensing mechanism. A fingerprint of RSSI measurements characterizes the environment under normal conditions including multi-path effects. A technique to differentiate RSSI variations due to trespassers from those due to multi-path effects is demonstrated. The results of the experiments conducted in an outdoor environment have verified that the proposed method can be used to detect trespassers successfully. The reliability of the detection is improved by cross-correlating RSSI variations among the multiple links in the mesh. The ability to extend …

In this paper, we consider a multi-cell multi-user MISO broadcast channel. The system operates according to the opportunistic beamforming framework in a multi-cell environment with variable number of transmit beams (may alternatively be referred as the transmission rank) at each base station. The maximum number of co-scheduled users in a cell is equal to its transmission rank, thus increasing it will have the effect of increasing the multiplexing gain. However, this will simultaneously increase the amount of interference in the network, which will decrease the rate of communication. This paper focuses on optimally setting the transmission rank at each base station such that a set of Quality of Service (QoS) constraints, that will ensure a guaranteed minimum rate per beam at each base station, is not violated. Expressions representing the achievable region of transmission ranks are obtained considering different …

Localization is a significant consideration in a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), as it is essential to correlate sensor information with the geographic location it originates from. The DV-Hop algorithm, being a range-free, distributed algorithm, is an attractive option in this regard, due to its simplicity. In this paper, we present two algorithms to improve the localization accuracy of the DV-Hop algorithm. The Hop Size derived through a distributed fashion by the DV-Hop algorithm is optimized using the knowledge of the position of the anchor nodes. The locations of the unknown nodes are then estimated using the optimum hop size. We examine the performance of the proposed algorithms through simulations in environments with varying node numbers, anchor ratios and radio range. The results show that the proposed algorithms have improved performance in localization accuracy and stability compared to the original …

In this paper, we consider a cellular network operating according to the classical opportunistic beamforming and scheduling scheme. In a multi-cell network, interference is the main bottleneck on the communication rate, compared to noise. In this paper, we focus on deriving the ergodic downlink sum-rate scaling law for the system of interest considering an interference-limited regime (i.e., the high SNR region). More specifically, through deriving the moment generating function of the sum-rate, we show that the ergodic downlink sum-rate scales logarithmically as the number of users grows large. This result is different from the well-known double logarithmic sum-rate growth with increasing number of users due to the interference-limited assumption. Finally, numerical results are also presented to validate our analysis and provide further insights.

The downlink performance of a dual-cell relay enhanced wireless network is investigated. A single relay is shared by the two base stations in the system. The relay is assumed to be placed in a region covered by both base stations. The relay station is operating in the decode-and-forward mode. Closed-form approximations which follow the exact results extremely closely are derived for the outage probability and the ergodic rate of the system.