In a multiple-user MIMO system in which numerous users simultaneously communicate in a cell, the channel matrix properties depend on the parameters of the individual users in such a way that they can be modeled as points randomly moving within the cell. Although these properties can be simulated by computer, they need to be expressed analytically to develop MIMO systems with diversity. Given a small area with an equivalent multi-path, we assume that a user u is at a certain “user point” $P^u(lambda _p^u,xi _p^u)$ in a cell, or (radius $lambda _p^u$ from origin, angle $xi _p^u)$ and that the user moves with movement $M^u(f_{max}^u, xi_v^u)$ around that point, or (Doppler frequency $f_{max}^u$, direction $xi_v^u$). The MU-MIMO channel model consists of a multipath environment, user parameters, and antenna configuration. A general formula of the correlation $ ho_{i - j,i' - j'}^{u - u'} (bm)$ between the channel matrix elements of users u and u' and one for given multipath conditions are derived. As a feature of the MU-MIMO channel, the movement factor $F^{u - u'}(gamma^u,xi_n ,xi_v^u)$, which means a fall coefficient of the spatial correlation calculated from only the user points of u and u', is also derived. As the difference in speed or direction between u and u' increases, $F^{u - u'}(gamma^u,xi_n ,xi_v^u)$ becomes smaller. Consequently, even if the path is LOS, $ ho_{i - j,i' - j'}^{u - u'} (bm)$ becomes low enough owing to the movement factor, even though the correlation in the single-user MIMO channel is high. If the parameters of u and u' are the same, the factor equals 1, and the channels correspond to the users' own channels and work like SU-MIMO channel. These analytical findings are verified by computer simulation.

In this paper, hierarchical interference coordination is proposed that suppresses both intra- and inter-cluster interference (ICI) in clustered wireless networks. Assuming transmitters and receivers are equipped with multiple antennas and complete channel state information is shared among all transmitters within the same cluster, interference alignment (IA) is performed that uses nulls to suppress intra-cluster interference. For ICI mitigation, we propose a null-steering precoder designed on the nullspace of a principal eigenvector of the correlated ICI channels, which eliminates a significant amount of ICI power given the exchange of cluster geometry between neighboring clusters. However, as ICI is negligible for the system in which the distance between clusters are large enough, the proposed scheme may not improve the system performance compared with the pure IA scheme that exploits all spatial degrees of freedom (DoF) to increase multiplexing gain without ICI mitigation. For the efficient interference management between intra- and inter-cluster, we analyze the decision criterion that provides an adaptive transmission mode selection between pure IA and proposed ICI reduction in given network environments. Moreover, a low computational complexity based transmission mode switching algorithm is proposed for irregularly distributed networks.

Wireless channel emulators are used for the performance evaluation of wireless systems when actual wireless environment test is infeasible. The main contribution of this paper is the design of a MU-MIMO channel emulator capable of sending channel feedback automatically to the access point from the generated channel coefficients after the programmable time duration. This function is used for MU beamforming features of IEEE 802.11ac. The second contribution is the low complexity design of MIMO channel emulator with a single path implementation for all MIMO channel taps. A single path design allows all elements of the MIMO channel matrix to use only one Gaussian noise generator, Doppler filter, spatial correlation channel and Rician fading emulator to minimize the hardware complexity. In addition, single path implementation allows the addition of the feedback channel output with only a few additional non-sequential elements which would otherwise double in a parallel implementation. To demonstrate the functionality of our MU-MIMO channel emulator, we present actual hardware emulator results of MU-BF receive signal constellation on oscilloscope.

In recent years, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel models for crowded areas, such as indoor offices, shops, and outdoor hotspot environments, have become a topic of significant interest. In such crowded environments, propagation paths are frequently shadowed by moving objects, such as pedestrians or vehicles. These shadowing effects can cause time variations in the delay and angle-of-arrival (AoA) characteristics of a channel. In this paper, we propose a method for modeling the shadowing effects of pedestrians in a cluster-based channel model. The proposed method uses cluster power variations to model the time-varying channel properties. We also propose a novel method for estimating the cluster power variation properties from measured data. In order to validate our proposed method, channel sounding in the 3GHz band is conducted in a cafeteria during lunchtime. The results for the K parameter, delay spreads, and AoA azimuth spreads are compared for the measured data and the channel data generated using the proposed method. The results indicate that the time-varying delay-AoA characteristics can be effectively modeled using our proposed method.

This paper proposes a low-complexity signal detection algorithm for spatially correlated multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels. The proposed algorithm sets a minimum mean-square error (MMSE) detection result to the starting point, and searches for signal candidates in multi-dimensions of the noise enhancement from which the MMSE detection suffers. The multi-dimensional search is needed because the number of dominant directions of the noise enhancement is likely to be more than one over the correlated MIMO channels. To reduce the computational complexity of the multi-dimensional search, the proposed algorithm limits the number of signal candidates to O(NT) where NT is the number of transmit antennas and O( ) is big O notation. Specifically, the signal candidates, which are unquantized, are obtained as the solution of a minimization problem under a constraint that a stream of the candidates should be equal to a constellation point. Finally, the detected signal is selected from hard decisions of both the MMSE detection result and unquantized signal candidates on the basis of the log likelihood function. For reducing the complexity of this process, the proposed algorithm decreases the number of calculations of the log likelihood functions for the quantized signal candidates. Computer simulations under a correlated MIMO channel condition demonstrate that the proposed scheme provides an excellent trade-off between BER performance and complexity, and that it is superior to conventional one-dimensional search algorithms in BER performance while requiring less complexity than the conventional algorithms.

In this letter, the cumulative distribution function (CDF) for the maxima of the OSTBC-MIMO channel capacity in a temporal interval is estimated using the first-order Rice series approximation. As the estimation of the maxima distribution using the Rice series is applicable only to Gaussian random processes, the Gaussian-approximated probability density function (PDF) for the OSTBC-MIMO channel capacity is derived from existing exact PDF (non-Gaussian). The resulting CDF for the maxima capacity is useful to design OSTBC-MIMO systems.

The code division multiplexing (CDM)-based MIMO channel sounder architecture is efficient at measuring fast fading MIMO channels. This paper examines loosely synchronous (LS), CAZAC, Kasami, and Chaotic sequences as probing signals in the CDM architecture. After comparing the performance of the channel measurement among the sequences, it is concluded that the LS sequences are the most appropriate codes for the probing signals. However, because LS sequences have a significant drawback in that the number of transmit antennas is limited to less than 4, we propose using a hybrid architecture combining CDM with TDM for supporting a greater number of transmit antennas. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme can improve the measurement performance when more than 4 transmit antennas are used.

This paper illustrates a large-scale MIMO propagation channel measurement in a real life environment and evaluates throughput performance of various MIMO schemes in that environment. For that purpose, 44 MIMO transceivers and a novel spatial scanner are fabricated for wideband MIMO channel measurements in the 5 GHz band. A total of more than 50,000 spatial samples in an area of 150 m2, which includes a bedroom, a Japanese room, a hallway, and the living and dining areas, are taken in a real residential home environment. Statistical properties of the propagation channel and throughput performance of various MIMO schemes are evaluated by using measured data. Propagation measurement results show large dynamic channel variations occurring in a real environment in which statistical properties of the channel, such as frequency correlation and spatial correlation are not stationary any more, and become functions of the SNR. Furthermore, evaluation of throughput shows that although MIMO schemes outperform the SISO system in most areas, open loop systems perform badly in the far areas with low SNR. Paying for the cost of CSI or partial CSI at Tx, closed loop and hybrid systems have superior performance compared to other schemes, especially in reasonable SNR areas ranging from 10 dB to 30 dB. Spatial correlation, which is common in Japanese wooden residences, is also found to be a dominant factor causing throughput degradation of the open loop MIMO schemes.

This paper reviews our recent antennas and propagation studies for MIMO systems. First we introduce a MIMO propagation channel model in which an interesting nature can be found in eigenvalue statistics from a practical viewpoint. Then we introduce multi-keyhole model which is an efficient tool for designing a MIMO repeater systems, or MIMO radio-relay systems. For realization of compact MIMO antenna systems, effectiveness of using multiple polarizations such as dual polarizations and triple polarizations is demonstrated in multipath-rich propagation environments. With application of MIMO to OFDM systems, we focus our analysis on relation between propagation and digital transmission characteristics under a severe multipath-rich environment where the delay profile exceeds the guard interval. Finally, we discuss transmission characteristics of MIMO-OFDM with maximal ratio combining (MRC) diversity in the environment.

Space-time block coding is an attractive solution for improving quality in wireless links. In general, the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel is correlated by an amount that depends on the propagation environment as well as the polarization of the antenna elements and the spacing between them. In this paper, asymptotic performance and exact symbol error probability (SEP) of orthogonal space-time block code (STBC) are considered in spatially correlated Rayleigh fading MIMO channel. We derive the moment generating function (MGF) of effective signal-to-noise ration (SNR) after combining scheme at the receiver. Using the MGF of effective SNR, we calculate the probability density function (pdf) of the effective SNR and derive exact closed-form SEP expressions of PAM/PSK/QAM with M-ary signaling. We prove that the diversity order is given by the product of the rank of the transmit and receive correlation matrix. Moreover, we quantify the loss in coding gain due to the spatial correlation. Simulation results demonstrate that our analysis provides accuracy.

The effect of antenna correlation on the Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) channel capacity in the real propagation environment is a topic of interest. In this paper, we present the results of a measurement campaign conducted in an indoor Line-Of-Sight (LOS) office environment. Channel responses were taken with varying distance in a static indoor environment. Results showed measurements with high received Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and a high level of correlation among the antenna elements. Further analysis of the results showed that MIMO systems can achieve sufficient channel capacity compared to the Single-Input Single-Output (SISO) system, despite high antenna correlation. Theoretical analysis reveals that when the SNR is sufficiently high, the loss in channel capacity due to high antenna correlation is relatively low. Therefore it is shown that in the indoor LOS environment, MIMO systems can be sufficiently efficient because the MIMO channel is more robust to antenna correlation when the SNR is high.

An automatic-repeat-request (ARQ) scheme for improving the system throughput efficiency is evaluated in coded multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmissions. Supplementary trellis-coded modulation (TCM) code has been proposed for hybrid ARQ schemes. The free distance of the TCM after code combining can be increased by employing different TCM codes for retransmissions. The MIMO scheme offers additional flexibility in preventing successive frame errors by changing the connections between transmitters and transmit antennas upon retransmission. In this paper, an ARQ strategy employing both TCM reassignment and antenna permutation technique is investigated. It is shown through computer simulations that this ARQ scheme achieves high throughput even in severe conditions of low signal-to-noise ratio and high Rician factor over spatially and temporally correlated Nakagami-Rice fading MIMO channels.

The suitability of a complex MIMO channel matrix for spatial multiplexing is verified experimentally in terms of the Demmel condition number. The instantaneous 2 2 MIMO-OFDM channel measurements in several indoor environments indicate the location dependency of the condition number. Wideband frequency characteristics are also analyzed to evaluate the applicability of spatial multiplexing.

In this paper, we present a new closed-form formula for the ergodic capacity of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless channels. Assuming independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) Rayleigh flat-fading between antenna pairs and equal power allocation to each of the transmit antennas, the ergodic capacity of such channels is expressed in closed form as finite sums of the exponential integrals which are the special cases of the complementary incomplete gamma function. Using the asymptotic capacity rate of MIMO channels, which is defined as the asymptotic growth rate of the ergodic capacity, we also give simple approximate expressions for the MIMO capacity. Numerical results show that the approximations are quite accurate for the entire range of average signal-to-noise ratios.

Implementation of Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) channel sounder is considered, taking hardware cost and realtime measurement into account. A remarkable difference between MIMO and conventional Single-Input Multi-Output (SIMO) channel sounding is that the MIMO sounder needs some kind of multiplexing to distinguish transmitting antennas. We compared three types of multiplexing TDM, FDM, and CDM for the sounding purpose, then we chose FDM based technique to achieve cost effectiveness and realtime measurement. In the framework of FDM, we have proposed an algorithm to estimate MIMO channel parameters. Furthermore the proposed algorithm was implemented into the hardware, and the validity of the proposed algorithm was evaluated through measurements in an anechoic chamber.

This paper investigates noise enhancement factors of a zero-forcing detector and a decision feedback detector for synchronous Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) channels. It is first shown that the zero-forcing and decision feedback detectors can be implemented in a vector digital filter form, and the noise enhancement factors with the detectors can easily be calculated by using the vector digital filter form. This paper then applies the zero-forcing and decision feedback detectors to the signal detection of a frequency-overlapped multicarrier signaling (FOMS) system. The normalized noise enhancement factor, which is given as a product of the noise enhancement and bandwidth reduction factors, is shown to be smaller with the decision feedback detector than the zero-forcing detector. Results of computer simulations conducted to evaluate bit error rate (BER) performances with the two detectors are also shown together with the BER performance with a conventional channel-by-channel detector.