Abstract:
Disclosed are systems, methods and structures that provide improved spatial reuse of spectral resources in small-cell wireless networks including WiMAX, LTE, LTE-Advanced, etc. Advantageously, the systems and method disclosed while leveraging beamforming for spatial reuse across small cells also decouple it from per-frame scheduling at a small cell base station thereby allowing for beam selections to be computed with a granularity measured in seconds. In realizing these advantages, systems, methods and structures disclosed integrate beam selection with client association.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This disclosure relates generally to the field of wireless communications systems and in particular to multi-cell beamforming systems and methods for small-cell networks. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    As is known, wireless communications are becoming an increasingly indispensible aspect of contemporary life. Accordingly, systems, methods and techniques that enhance the efficiency of wireless communications systems represent a welcome addition to the art. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0003]    An advance is made in the art according to an aspect of the present disclosure directed to systems and methods for multi-cell beamforming for small cell networks. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, client scheduling is decoupled from client scheduling such that reuse potential of small cell networks are enhanced. 
         [0004]    According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a low complexity, highly accurate signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) estimation module that determines interference dependencies for beamforming between small cells is disclosed. According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an efficient, low complexity joint client association and beam selection method for the small cells is disclosed wherein the method advantageously schedules at the small cells without being coupled to it. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0005]    A more complete understanding of the present disclosure may be realized by reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram depicting a WiMAX frame structure according to the present disclosure; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing adaptive beamforming according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0008]      FIGS. 3(   a )- 3 ( b ) show bar graphs depicting motivation for coordinated beam selection for: (a) a two cell network and (b) a three cell network according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0009]      FIGS. 4(   a )- 4 ( b ) show a schematic diagram of flexible client association wherein (a) shows SNR based association wherein C2 is associated with BS1 and (b) flexible association wherein C2 is associated with BS2 according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a bar graph showing joint association increasing throughput by 40% compared to decoupled (SNR based) association according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0011]      FIGS. 6(   a )- 6 ( c ) are a series of graphs showing the accurate estimation of SINR from individual SNR estimates wherein (a) depicts interference estimation; (b) depicts an estimation with 2 interferers; and (c) depicts CDF of estimation error according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of a illustrative small cell, beamformer and client deployment cording to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 8(   a )- 8 ( c ) show a series of graphs depicting an experimental evaluation of our ProBeam system and method with 4 small cells showing: (a) throughput as a function of the number of clients; (b) throughput as a function of the number of base stations; and (c) system utility according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 9(   a )- 9 ( b ) show a series of graphs depicting effective client management showing (a) scheduled client fraction as a function of the number of clients and (b) network load balancing according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 10(   a )- 10 ( d ) show a series of graphs depicting large scale evaluation of our ProBeam system and method showing (a) throughput ratio as a function of the number of clients; (b) throughput ratio as a function of the number of base stations; (c) system utility as a function of the number of clients; and (d) base station load balancing as a function of the number of clients according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 11(   a )- 11 ( b ) show a series of graphs depicting evaluation of client association component in our ProBeam system and method showing (a) throughput ratio as a function of the number of clients; and (b) utility as a function of the number of clients according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary computing device upon which methods according to an aspect of the present disclosure may be programmed, stored, and executed; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  is a pseudo-code listing of an exemplary CABS method according to an aspect of the present disclosure that associates clients for a given beam configuration. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    The following discussion and attached Appendix-A and Appendix-B merely illustrates the principles of the disclosure. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the disclosure and are included within its spirit and scope. 
         [0020]    Furthermore, all examples and conditional language recited herein are principally intended expressly to be only for pedagogical purposes to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the disclosure and the concepts contributed by the inventor(s) to furthering the art, and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. 
         [0021]    Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently-known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure. 
         [0022]    Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative structures embodying the principles of the invention. 
         [0023]    In addition, it will be appreciated by those skilled in art that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown. 
         [0024]    In the claims hereof any element expressed as a means for performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way of performing that function including, for example, a) a combination of circuit elements which performs that function or b) software in any form, including, therefore, firmware, microcode or the like, combined with appropriate circuitry for executing that software to perform the function. The invention as defined by such claims resides in the fact that the functionalities provided by the various recited means are combined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for. Applicant thus regards any means which can provide those functionalities as equivalent as those shown herein. Finally, and unless otherwise explicitly specified herein, the drawings are not drawn to scale. 
         [0025]    Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative structures embodying the principles of the disclosure. 
         [0026]    According to the present disclosure, we disclose ProBeam—a practical system for improving spatial reuse through beamforming in OFDMA based small cell networks. ProBeam advantageously decouples beamforming from client scheduling such that practical feasibility is realized. Of particular significance, ProBeam jointly addresses client association with beamforming such that reuse benefits from beamforming are realized. ProBeam incorporates a low complexity, highly accurate SINR estimation module with less than 1 dB error (&lt;=5%) to determine interference dependencies between small cells. It also houses an efficient, low complexity joint client association and beam selection method for the small cells that yields close-to-optimal performance. Prototype implementation in a real WiMAX network of four small cells shows 115% capacity gain as compared to other baseline reuse schemes. Of further advantage, the scalability and efficacy of ProBeam is established as applicable to larger implementations through simulations. Finally, ProBeam is applicable to LET and LTE-A with minor modifications and is of course, applicable to newer, alternative beam patterns. 
         [0027]      FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram depicting a WiMAX frame structure according to the present disclosure; 
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing adaptive beamforming according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         [0029]      FIGS. 3(   a )- 3 ( b ) show bar graphs depicting motivation for coordinated beam selection for: (a) a two cell network and (b) a three cell network according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         [0030]      FIGS. 4(   a )- 4 ( b ) show a schematic diagram of flexible client association wherein (a) shows SNR based association wherein C2 is associated with BS1 and (b) flexible association wherein C2 is associated with BS2 according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is a bar graph showing joint association increasing throughput by 40% compared to decoupled (SNR based) association according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         [0032]      FIGS. 6(   a )- 6 ( c ) are a series of graphs showing the accurate estimation of SINR from individual SNR estimates wherein (a) depicts interference estimation; (b) depicts an estimation with 2 interferers; and (c) depicts CDF of estimation error according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         [0033]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of a illustrative small cell, beamformer and client deployment cording to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         [0034]      FIGS. 8(   a )- 8 ( c ) show a series of graphs depicting an experimental evaluation of our ProBeam system and method with  4  small cells showing: (a) throughput as a function of the number of clients; (b) throughput as a function of the number of base stations; and (c) system utility according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         [0035]      FIGS. 9(   a )- 9 ( b ) show a series of graphs depicting effective client management showing (a) scheduled client fraction as a function of the number of clients and (b) network load balancing according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         [0036]      FIGS. 10(   a )- 10 ( d ) show a series of graphs depicting large scale evaluation of our ProBeam system and method showing (a) throughput ratio as a function of the number of clients; (b) throughput ratio as a function of the number of base stations; (c) system utility as a function of the number of clients; and (d) base station load balancing as a function of the number of clients according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         [0037]      FIGS. 11(   a )- 11 ( b ) show a series of graphs depicting evaluation of client association component in our ProBeam system and method showing (a) throughput ratio as a function of the number of clients; and (b) utility as a function of the number of clients according to an aspect of the present disclosure; 
         [0038]      FIG. 12  is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary computing device upon which methods according to an aspect of the present disclosure may be programmed, stored, and executed; and 
         [0039]      FIG. 13  is a pseudo-code listing of an exemplary CABS method according to an aspect of the present disclosure that associates clients for a given beam configuration. 
         [0040]    The foregoing is to be understood as being in every respect illustrative and exemplary, but not restrictive, and the scope of the invention disclosed herein is not to be determined from the Detailed Description including Appendix-A but rather from the claims as interpreted according to the full breadth permitted by the patent laws. It is to be understood that the embodiments shown and described herein are only illustrative of the principles of the present invention and that those skilled in the art may implement various modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, the exemplary computer system in  FIG. 12  is but an example of the system upon/within methods according to the present disclosure may be stored, programmed and/or executed. Those skilled in the art could implement various other feature combinations without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.