This paper proposes a scheme for reducing pilot interference in cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems through scalable access point (AP) selection and efficient pilot allocation using the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO). Specifically, we introduce a bidirectional large-scale fading-based (B-LSFB) AP selection method that builds high-quality connections benefiting both APs and UEs. Then, we limit the number of UEs that each AP can serve and encourage competition among UEs to improve the scalability of this approach. Additionally, we propose a grey wolf optimization based pilot allocation (GWOPA) scheme to minimize pilot contamination. Specifically, we first define a fitness function to quantify the level of pilot interference between UEs, and then construct dynamic interference relationships between any UE and its serving AP sets using a weighted fitness function to minimize pilot interference. The simulation results shows that the B-LSFB strategy achieves scalability with performance similar to large-scale fading-based (LSFB) AP selection. Furthermore, the grey wolf optimization-based pilot allocation scheme significantly improves per-user net throughput with low complexity compared to four existing schemes.

In this paper, we investigate the Access Point (AP) selection problem in Cell-Free Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system. Firstly, we add a connecting coefficient to the uplink data transmission model. Then, the problem of AP selection is formulated as a discrete combinatorial optimization problem which can be dealt with by the particle swarm algorithm. However, when the number of optimization variables is large, the search efficiency of the traditional particle swarm algorithm will be significantly reduced. Then, we propose an ‘user-centric’ cooperative coevolution scheme which includes the proposed probability-based particle evolution strategy and random-sampling-based particle evaluation mechanism to deal with the search efficiency problem. Simulation results show that proposed algorithm has better performance than other existing algorithms.

In recent times, wireless Local Area Networks (wireless LANs) based on the IEEE 802.11 standard have been spreading rapidly, and connecting to the Internet using wireless LANs has become more common. In addition, public wireless LAN service areas, such as train stations, hotels, and airports, are increasing and tethering technology has enabled smartphones to act as access points (APs). Consequently, there can be multiple APs in the same area. In this situation, users must select one of many APs. Various studies have proposed and evaluated many AP selection methods; however, existing methods do not consider AP mobility. In this paper, we propose an AP selection method based on cooperation among APs and user movement. Moreover, we demonstrate that the proposed method dramatically improves throughput compared to an existing method.

In wireless LANs, wireless clients are associated with one of access points (APs) to obtain network connectivity, and the AP performs network traffic relay between the wired infrastructure and wireless clients. If a client with a low transmission rate is associated with an AP, the throughput performance of all the clients that are associated with the AP is significantly degraded because of the long channel usage time of the low-rate client. Therefore, it is important to select an appropriate AP when a new client joins the wireless LAN to prevent the performance degradation. In this paper, we propose a traffic control that determines the feasible data traffic from an AP to the clients on the basis of the trade-off relationship between the equal-throughput and equal-airtime traffic allocation policies. We then propose a network-wide association algorithm that allows a client to be associated with the AP that can provide the highest throughput improvement. Simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm achieves the better aggregate throughput and throughput fairness performances in IEEE 802.11 WLANs.

We propose an optimal access-point (AP) selection algorithm for maximizing the aggregated throughput of each AP (system throughput) while preserving newly arrived-user throughput in multi rate WLAN system. In our algorithm, newly arrived users cooperate with a wireless local area network (WLAN) system they are trying to use, i.e., they are willing to move toward an appropriate AP before the newly arrived user connects to AP. To select the AP by using our AP selection algorithm, the newly arriving users request two novel parameter values, “the minimum acceptable throughput” with which newly arrived users can be satisfied and “the minimum movable distance” in which a user can move to an appropriate AP. While preserving these conditions, we maximize system throughput. When users cannot obtain a throughput greater than “the minimum acceptable throughput” with our proposed AP selection algorithm, they are rejected. Because, if users use streaming applications, which have strict bandwidth demands, with a very low bit-rate connection, they will not be satisfied. Thus, the newly arrived users having low bit-rate connection may be allowed to be rejected before the newly arrived user connects. In this paper, we show the optimal AP by using theoretical proof. We discuss the effectiveness of our proposed AP selection algorithm by using numerical analysis. We also clarify and analyze the characteristics of system throughput. Moreover, we show that a newly arrived user can select the movable distance and acceptable throughput by using examples from graphs depicting every position of newly arrived users. By using the graphs, we also show the relationship between the two parameters (the movable distance and the acceptable throughput) and the optimal AP, and the relationship between the two parameters and optimal system throughput when the movable distance and acceptable throughput are variable.

In the near future, wireless local area networks (WLANs) will overlap to provide continuous coverage over a wide area. In such ubiquitous WLANs, a mobile node (MN) moving freely between multiple access points (APs) requires not only permanent access to the Internet but also continuous communication quality during handover. In order to satisfy these requirements, an MN needs to (1) select an AP with better performance and (2) execute a handover seamlessly. To satisfy requirement (2), we proposed a seamless handover method in a previous study. Moreover, in order to achieve (1), the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is usually employed to measure wireless link quality in a WLAN system. However, in a real environment, especially if APs are densely situated, it is difficult to always select an AP with better performance based on only the RSSI. This is because the RSSI alone cannot detect the degradation of communication quality due to radio interference. Moreover, it is important that AP selection is completed only on an MN, because we can assume that, in ubiquitous WLANs, various organizations or operators will manage APs. Hence, we cannot modify the APs for AP selection. To overcome these difficulties, in the present paper, we propose and implement a proactive AP selection method considering wireless link condition based on the number of frame retransmissions in addition to the RSSI. In the evaluation, we show that the proposed AP selection method can appropriately select an AP with good wireless link quality, i.e., high RSSI and low radio interference.

Recent rapid development of high-speed wireless access technologies has created mixed WLAN (Wireless LAN) environments where QoS capable APs coexist with legacy APs. To provide QoS guarantee in this mixed WLAN environment, this paper proposes a new AP selection algorithm. The proposed algorithm assigns an STA (Station) to an AP in the overall WLAN service area. Simulation results show improvement in the VoIP performance in terms of an eMOS (estimated Mean Opinion Score) value and the FTP throughput compared to conventional algorithms.

Multiple access points (APs) are much more likely to be available for stations (STAs) due to the popularity of wireless LANs. The serious issue of how an appropriate AP is selected from those that are available in a wireless LAN therefore arises. We discuss the development of a decentralized architecture for selecting APs, and examine its fundamental characteristics. The proposed architecture should be introduced without adversely affecting the performance of the existing common architecture that is currently being deployed. Therefore, the deployability of our architecture is examined in this respect. Furthermore, the dynamic behavior of the proposed architecture is studied in addition to static characteristics to evaluate its robustness against various dynamic changes in situation due to AP breakdowns and bursty arrivals of STAs. Simulations revealed that the proposed architecture can attain excellent performance in all the cases treated here.

Hierarchical Mobile IPv6 (HMIPv6) was designed to reduce the long handover time associated with MIPv6 by employing a hierarchy of Mobile Anchor Points (MAPs). However, the selection of MAP and its load status critically affect the system performance. Thus, in this paper, we introduce two novel dynamic MAP selection schemes for HMIPv6, that relieve overloaded MAPs as well as select a more suitable MAP according to each Mobile Node (MN)'s up-to-date mobility towards reducing inter-domain handover, resulting in saving the overall signaling cost. Further, we develop an analytical model of the average signaling cost for inter-domain handover to investigate the performance of another existing approach with its basis on IETF HMIPv6 as well as our schemes. We also perform simulations to evaluate the performance of our proposed schemes. It is shown via simulation and numerical results that the proposed dynamic MAP selection schemes can significantly reduce the number of inter-domain handovers and the average signaling cost as well as distribute load over multiple MAPs compared to the other existing approaches.

Terrestrial radio links with sparsely distributed multipath delays can be represented by a tapped-delay line with a few significant tap coefficients. This letter presents criteria and performance of identification methods that determine channel taps with significant power. In particular, a tap identification method derived from the maximum-likelihood criterion and its closed form error probabilities are presented. Performance improvement over a previously reported scheme is quantified using the derived error probabilities.

This paper proposes and investigates a tap selectable Viterbi equalizer for mobile radio communications. When the multipath channel is modeled by a tapped delay line only, the taps which may seriously affect the data sequence estimation are selected and used to calculate the trellis metric in the Viterbi algorithm. The proposed equalization algorithm can reduce the number of path metric calculations and the number of path selections in the Viterbi algorithm. Moreover, we propose an extended equalizer which has antenna diversity. This equalizer calculates the path metric using the antenna outputs and results of channel estimators. Computer simulation is used to evaluate the BER performance of the proposed equalizer in a multipath radio channel.