The demand for wireless communication is ceaselessly increasing in terms of the number of subscribers and services. Future generations of cellular networks are expected to allow not only humans but also machines to be immersively connected. However, the radio frequency spectrum is already fully allocated. Therefore, developing techniques to increase spectrum efficiency has become necessary. This dissertation analyzes two spectrum sharing techniques that enable efficient utilization of the available radio resources in cellular networks. The first technique, called full-duplex (FD) communication, uses the same spectrum to transmit and receive simultaneously. Using stochastic geometry tools, we derive a closed-form expression of an upper-bound for the maximum achievable uplink ergodic rate in FD cellular networks. We show that the uplink transmission is vulnerable to the new interference introduced by FD communications (interference from the downlink transmission in other cells), especially when the disparity in transmission power between the uplink and downlink is considerable. We further show that adjusting the uplink transmission power according to the interference power level and the channel gain can improve the uplink performance in full-duplex cellular networks. Moreover, we propose an interference management technique that allows a flexible overlap between the spectra occupied by the downlink and uplink transmissions. The flexible overlap is optimized along with the user-to-base station association, the power allocation and the channel allocation in order to maximize a network-wide utility function. The second spectrum sharing technique, called non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), allows a transmitter to communicate with multiple receivers through the same frequency-time resource unit. We analyze the implementation of such a scheme in the downlink of cellular networks, more precisely, in the downlink of fog radio access networks (FogRANs). FogRAN is a network architecture that takes full advantage of the edge devices capability to process and store data. We propose managing the interference for NOMA-based FogRAN to improve the network performance by jointly optimizing user scheduling, the power allocated to each resource block and the division of power between the multiplexed users. The simulation results show that significant performance gains can be achieved through proper resource allocation with both studied spectrum sharing techniques.

Hardware impairments (HWIs) impose a huge challenge on modern wireless commu- nication systems owing to the characteristics like compactness, least complexity, cost ef- fectiveness and high energy efficiency. Numerous techniques are implemented to minimize the detrimental effects of these HWIs ,however, the residual HWIs may still appear as an additive distortion, multiplicative interference, or an aggregate of both. Numerous studies have commenced efforts to model one or the other forms of hardware impairments in the ra- dio frequency (RF) transceivers. Many presented the widely linear model for in-phase and quadrature imbalance (IQI) but failed to recognize the impropriety induced in the system because of the self-interfering signals. Therefore, we have presented not only a rigorous ag- gregate impairment model along with its complete impropriety statistical characterization but also the appropriate performance analysis to quantify their degradation effects. Lat- est advances have endorsed the superiority of incorporating more generalized impropriety phenomenon as opposed to conventional propriety. In this backdrop, we propose the improper Gaussian signaling (IGS) to mitigate the drastic impact of HWIs and improve the system performance in terms of achievable rate and outage probability. Recent contributions have advocated the employment of IGS over traditional proper Gaussian signaling (PGS) in various interference limited scenarios even in the absence of any improper noise/interference. It is pertaining to the additional degree of freedom (DoF) offered by IGS, which can be optimized to reap maximum benefits. This reduced-entropy signaling is the preferred choice to pose minimal interference to a legitimate network yielding another mechanism to tackle undesired interference. Evidently, the incorporation of both inherent and induced impropriety characteristics is critical for effective utilization. Most of the recent research revolves around the theoretical analysis and advantages of improper signaling with minimal focus on its practical realization. We bridge this gap by adopting and optimizing asymmetric signaling (AS) which is the finite discrete implemen- tation of the improper signaling. We propose the design of both structural and stochastic shaping to realize AS. Structural shaping involves geometric shaping (GS) of the symbol constellation using some rotation and translation matrices. Whereas, stochastic shaping as- signs non-uniform prior probabilities to the symbols. Furthermore, hybrid shaping (HS) is also proposed to reap the gains of both geometric and probabilistic shaping. AS is proven superior to the conventional M-ary symmetric signaling in all of its forms. To this end, probabilistic shaping (PS) demonstrates the best trade-off between the performance en- hancement and added complexity. This research motivates further investigation for the utilization of impropriety concepts in the upcoming generations of wireless communications. It opens new paradigms in inter- ference management and another dimension in the signal space. Besides communications, the impropriety characterization has also revealed numerous applications in the fields of medicine, acoustics, geology, oceanography, economics, bioinformatics, forensics, image processing, computer vision, and power grids.

The avalanche in mobile data consumption represents a big challenge for mobile operators. The efficient use of radio resources, e.g. technology, infrastructure and spectrum, is needed to meet the new capacity requirement in the mobile networks. This thesis aims at quantifying the real-life spectrum opportunities for deploying a massive low-power indoor secondary system. Our studies have mainly focused in two frequency bands: the digital TV and the aeronautical band. Indoor secondary access to these bands presents different technical challenges: Limited adjacent channel rejection capabilities and no information about the location of the primary receivers are key challenges in the digital TV band. Instead for the aeronautical band, the control of the aggregate interference over a large area due to the high sensitivity levels and the extremely low permissible outage probability at the primary system are the key issues for secondary access. We have proposed a research methodology for determining the availability of spectrum opportunities in both frequency bands: digital TV and aeronautical band. Our methodology mainly emphasizes on establishing the realistic limits of tolerable interference at the primary, devising practical sharing schemes and determining the operational conditions and constraints for the secondary system. Based on our numerical results and measurement campaigns, we conclude that there is significant amount of spectrum opportunities for the deployment of massive low-power indoor secondary access in the digital TV and aeronautical band. The availability of spectrum opportunities highly depends on the sharing mechanisms, the primary protection criteria and the secondary system parameters. Future work should consider how the secondary users share the available spectrum in order to optimize the performance of secondary system in realistic scenarios. Another interesting investigation is the business viability assessment of secondary access in both frequency bands. / <p>QC 20121002</p>

Denna rapport utreder skärmning som en metod för att minska störningsupptaget hos en blodperfusionsmätare, och därmed öka dess pålitlighet vid medicinsk användning. Ett nytt kretskort för den analoga elektroniken skapades för att underlätta skärmningen, och samtidigt analyserades kretsens karakteristik och anpassades efter behov. Beräkningar och simuleringar utfördes för att undersöka kretskortets teoretiska störningspåverkan, och jämförelser mellan ett skärmat och ett oskärmat kort visar att skärmning gör att kretskortet tar upp markant mindre störningar. Praktiska tester planerades men utfördes inte eftersom COVID-19-epidemin orsakade tidsbrist. / This report examines shielding as a method to reduce interference absorption in a blood perfusion monitor, and consequently increase its reliability in clinical use. A new circuit board for the analog electronics was created to facilitate shielding, and simultaneously the circuit’s charac­teristics were analyzed and adjusted where necessary. Calculations and simulations were made to examine the circuit board’s theoretical interference impact, and com­parisons between a shielded and an unshielded board shows that shielding causes the circuit board to absorb noticeably less interference. Practical tests were prepared but not per­formed because the COVID-19 epidemic caused lack of time.

<p> Wireless LAN mesh networks (WMNs) are a cost effective way of deploying wireless LAN (WLAN) coverage over extended areas. As WMNs become more populated, scalability issues may arise due to the co-channel interference which is inherent in publicly available RF (radio frequency) channels. This co-channel interference can severely degrade network capacity and link reliability and may eventually make it impossible to operate with the frequency channels for which the network was originally designed. In this thesis, this problem is addressed by selectively installing supplementary free-space optical (FSO) links when RF link performance has deteriorated. The frequency assignment problem is solved using a heuristic technique based on a genetic algorithm. In order to determine the quality of the results, the proposed algorithm is compared with a lower bound solution obtained using an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) formulation.</p> <p> Another advantage of FSO links is that they may reduce node power consumption compared with conventional RF links. This may be an important consideration in cases where power consumption at the nodes is important, such as in solar powered mesh networks. Power consumption estimates of RF and FSO links are obtained and compared for different data rates. This data is then used along with historical solar insolation data to estimate the solar panel and battery sizes required to guarantee a given node outage probability. The results show that no extra provisioning is required for replacing the deployed wireless nodes with new FSO links.</p> / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Managing interference is the main technical challenge in wireless networks. Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) methods are key components to overcome the interference bottleneck and deliver higher data rates. The most efficient MIMO techniques require channel state information (CSI). In practice, this information is inaccurate due to errors in CSI acquisition, as well as mobility and delay. CSI inaccuracy reduces the performance gains provided by MIMO. When compounded with uncoordinated intercell interference, the degradation in MIMO performance is accentuated. This dissertation investigates the impact of CSI inaccuracy on the performance of increasingly complex interference limited networks, starting with a single interferer scenario, continuing to a heterogeneous network with a femtocell overlay, and finishing with a clustered multicell coordination model for randomly deployed transmitting nodes. First, this dissertation analyzes limited feedback beamforming and precoded spatial multiplexing over temporally correlated channels. Assuming uncoordinated interference from one dominant interferer, using Markov chain convergence theory, the gain in the average successful throughput at the mobile user is shown to decrease exponentially with the feedback delay. The decay rate is amplified when the user is interference limited. Interference cancellation methods at the receiver are shown to mitigate the effect of interference. This work motivates the need for practical MIMO designs to overcome the adverse effects of interference. Second, limited feedback beamforming is analyzed on the downlink of a more realistic heterogeneous cellular network. Future generation cellular networks are expected to be heterogeneous, consisting of a mixture of macro base stations and low power nodes, to support the increasing user traffic capacity and reliability demand. Interference in heterogeneous environments cannot be coordinated using traditional interference mitigation techniques due to the on demand and random deployment of low power nodes such as femtocells. Using tools from stochastic geometry, the outage and average achievable rate of limited feedback MIMO is computed with same-tier and cross-tier interference, and feedback delay. A hybrid fixed and random network deployment model is used to analyze the performance in a fixed cell of interest. The maximum density of transmitting femtocells is derived as a function of the feedback rate and delay. The detrimental effect of same-tier interference is quantified, as the mobile user moves from the cell-center to the cell-edge. The third part of this dissertation considers limited coordination between randomly deployed transmitters. Building on the established degrading effect of uncoordinated interference on practical MIMO methods, and the analytical tractability of random deployment models, interference coordination is analyzed. Using multiple antennas at the transmitter for interference nulling in ad hoc networks is first shown to achieve MIMO gains using single antenna receivers. Clustered coordination is then investigated for cellular systems with randomly deployed base stations. As full coordination in the network is not feasible, a random clustering model is proposed where base stations located in the same cluster coordinate. The average achievable rate can be optimized as a function of the number of antennas to maximize the coordination gains. For multicell limited feedback, adaptive partitioning of feedback bits as a function of the signal and interference strength is proposed to minimize the loss in rate due to finite rate feedback. / text

In this thesis we deal with the application of Network Coding to guarantee the Quality of Service (QoS) for wireless multi-hop networks. Since the medium is shared, wireless networks suffer from the negative interference impact on the bandwidth. It is thus interesting to propose a Network Coding based approach that takes into account this interference during the routing process. In this context, we first propose an algorithm minimizing the interference impact for unicast flows while respecting their required bandwidth. Then, we combine it with Network Coding to increase the number of admitted flows and with Topology Control to still improve the interference management. We show by simulation the benefit of combining the three fields: Network Coding, interference consideration and Topology Control. We also deal with delay management for multicast flows and use the Generation-Based Network Coding (GBNC) that combines the packets per blocks. Most of the works on GBNC consider a fixed generation size. Because of the network state variations, the delay of decoding and recovering a block of packets can vary accordingly degrading the QoS. To solve this problem, we propose a network-and content-aware method that adjusts the generation size dynamically to respect a certain decoding delay. We also enhance it to overcome the issue of acknowledgement loss. We then propose to apply our approach in a Home Area Network for Live TV and video streaming. Our solution provides QoS and Quality of Experience for the end user with no additional equipment. Finally, we focus on a more theoretical work in which we present a new Butterfly-based network for multi-source multi-destination flows. We characterize the source node buffer size using the queuing theory and show that it matches the simulation results.

Abstract The aim of this thesis is to devise novel cooperative paradigms that allow small base stations (SBSs) to perform joint optimizations in the field of interference and spectral resource management, in an automated, self-organizing way. Fostering cooperation requires a careful negotiation process and incurs additional operational costs that can ultimately limit the scalability of such an approach. Hence, we design cooperative models around the self-organizing functions of small cell networks, through which each SBS dynamically adapts its own cooperative strategy to the current network status. In the first part of the thesis, we study the co-tier interference in the downlink of an underlay small cell tier. Showing that mutual interference is a limiting factor, we propose a cooperative scheme based on the concept of interference alignment. Thereby, the SBSs autonomously devise their cooperative strategy, select partner small base stations and suppress the mutual interference via alignment. In the second part, we extend the above problem by considering additional constraints posed by non-cooperative macro cell users sharing the spectrum with the SBSs. Due to the dimension of such a problem, we show that interference alignment solutions do not often exist, hence, we propose a distributed solution based on the concept of interference draining for solving the interfering signals in the space-frequency domain. Finally, we focus on inter-tier cooperation and propose an adaptive hybrid access policy based on spectrum leasing, which jointly enhances the SBSs' transmission capacity and the macro cell users' QoS . In the studied scenarios, we highlight how SBSs' individual performance is network-dependent, due to the shared nature of the spectrum and the network infrastructure. For addressing such issues, we use novel concepts from coalitional games in partition form in which the strategic decisions are optimized by accounting for external effects, such as interference or dynamic spectrum allocation. Based on the properties of optimality of coalitional games in partition form, the proposed cooperative solutions show two key features. First, by leveraging on decentralized strategic decisions, complex interference management techniques, such as interference alignment or draining, can be implemented in practical, scalable way. Second, although notable cooperative solutions exists for certain problem dimensions, the proposed algorithms are shown to be effective for a wide range of network sizes, by achieving significant data rate enhancement and low overhead. / Tiivistelmä Työssä käsitellään merkittäviä häiriön ja radioresurssien hallintaongelmia ja ehdotetaan käytännöllisiä yhteistoiminnallisuusmalleja, jotka tuottavat merkittäviä suorituskykyparannuksia, ja samaan aikaan ottavat huomioon yhteistyön kustannukset ja strategisten päätösten vaikutuksen piensolujen keskinäiseen suorituskykyyn. Työn ensimmäisessa osassa tutkitaan makro- ja piensoluverkon välistä häiriötä laskevalla siirtosuunnalla. Koska keskinäishäiriö osoittautuu merkittäväksi rajoittavaksi tekijäksi, ehdotetaan yhteistyömenetelmää, joka perustuu ns. häiriön laskostamiseen. Tällaisessa menetelmässä pientukiasemat päättävät itsenäisesti yhteistyöstrategiansa ja valitsevat ne tukiasemat, joiden kanssa tehdään yhteistyötä ja vaimennetaan keskinäishäiriötä laskostamalla. Työn toisessa osassa edellämainittua ongelmaa laajennataan ottamalla huomioon rajoitteet, jotka aiheutuvat samoja taajuusresursseja jakavista, mutta piensolutukiasemien kanssa yhteistyötä tekemättömistä makrosoluista. Ongelman laajuudesta havaitaan, että yleensä häiriön laskostusratkaisua ei löydy tällaisessa ongelmassa. Niinpä ehdotetaan hajautettua häiriön kohdennukseen perustuvaa ratkaisua, jossa häiriösignaalit lomitellaan tila-taajuustasossa. Työn viimeisessä osassa keskitytään eri tyyppisten tukiasemasolujen kesken käytävään yhteistyöhön ja ehdotetaan mukautuvaa taajuusspektrin vuokraamiseen perustuvaa hybridi-käyttöoikeusmenetelmää, joka parantaa piensolujen kapasiteettia ja makrosolukäyttäjien palvelun laatua. Kaikissa tutkituissa menetelmissä korostetaan kuinka yksittäisen pientukiaseman suorituskyky on verkosta riippuvainen johtuen jaetusta taajuuskaistasta ja verkkoinfrastuktuurista. Näissä skenaarioissa käytetään uusia ositukseen perustuvia ns. liittoumapelikonsepteja. Tämän tyyppisissä peleissä strategiset päätökset on optimoitu ottamalla huomioon ulkoiset tekijät kuten häiriö ja dynaaminen taajuuden allokointi. Ositukseen perustuvien liitoumapelien optimaalisuus- ja stabiilisuusominaisuuksien pohjalta ehdotetaan hajautettuja algoritmeja tutkittuihin ongelmiin. Ehdotetut yhteistoiminnalliset ratkaisut osoittavat kaksi avaintekijää. Ensinnäkin käyttämällä hajautettuja strategisia päätöksiä kompleksiset häiriönhallintatekniikat, kuten häiriön lomittelu ja kohdennus, voidaan toteuttaa käytännöllisesti siten, että hyöty-kustannussuhde on tasapainossa. Toiseksi, vaikka merkittäviä yhteistyöratkaisuja on olemassa tietyn dimensioisiin ongelmiin, ehdotetut algoritmit ovat osoittautuneet tehokkaiksi hyvin erikokoisissa verkoissa. Samalla on saavutettu merkittäviä datanopeusparannuksia ja hyvä skaalautuvuus.

Abstract This thesis aims to evaluate networking aspects of autonomous packets access systems when dynamically and adaptively performing resource and network management. In this context, Quality of Service (QoS)-aware solutions for resource sharing and control (e.g., channel access, load control, interference management and routing techniques among others) in large-scale wireless networks are envisaged. We propose and investigate distributed coordination mechanisms for controlling the co-channel interference generated in multi-tier coexistence scenarios consisting of macrocells underlaid with short-range small cells. The rationale behind employing such mechanism is to opportunistically reuse resources without compromising ongoing transmissions on the overlaid macrocells, while still guaranteeing QoS in both tiers. To mitigate the resulting co-channel interference, the underlaid tiers of small cells use distributed mechanism that relies on minimal signaling exchange, e.g., the Time Division Duplexing (TDD)-underlay approach which is based on regular busy tones. Herein, stochastic geometry is used to model network deployments, while higherorder statistics through the cumulants concept is utilized to characterize the probability distribution of the aggregate interference at the tagged receiver. To conduct our studies, we consider a shadowed fading channel model incorporating log-normal shadowing and Nakagami-m fading. In addition, various network algorithms, such as power control and frequency (re)allocation, are included in the analytical framework. To evaluate the performance of the proposed solutions, we also derive closed-form expressions for the outage probability and average spectral efficiency with respect to the receiver of interest under various channel conditions and network configurations. Results show that the analytical framework matches well with numerical results obtained from Monte Carlo simulations, and that the coordination mechanisms substantially improve the performance of overlaid macrocell networks, while also benefiting small cells. In contrast to the uncoordinated Frequency Division Duplexing mode, the coordinated TDD-underlay solution shows a reduction in the outage probability, while the average spectral efficiency increases at high loads. Although more elaborated interference control techniques such as, downlink bitmap and distributed antennas systems become needed, when the density of uncoordinated small cells in the underlaid tier gets high. / Tiivistelmä Tämä väitöskirja pyrkii arvioimaan autonomisia pakettikytkentäisiä järjestelmiä verkon näkökulmasta, kun resurssien ja verkon hallinta tapahtuu dynaamisesti ja adaptiivisesti. Tässä yhteydessä suunnitellaan QoS-tietoisia ratkaisuja resurssien jakamiseen ja hallintaan (esim. kanavan allokointi, kuorman hallinta, häiriön käsittely ja reititystekniikat) suuren skaalan langattomiin verkkoihin. Ehdotamme ja tutkimme hajautettuja koordinointimekanismeja monikanavien häiriöiden hallintaan monitasoisissa skenaarioissa, jotka koostuvat lyhyen kantaman soluista makrosoluissa. Peruste näille mekanismeille on resurssien opportunistinen uudelleenkäyttö tinkimättä käynnissä olevista lähetyksistä suuremmissa makrosoluissa, samalla kun QoS taataan molemman tason lähetyksissä. Pienentääkseen aiheutuvaa monikanavahäiriöitä, alemman tason pienet solut käyttävät hajautettua mekanismia, kuten esimerkiksi säännöllisiin varattu-ääniin perustuvaa Time Division Duplexing (TDD) - mekanismia, vähällä signaalien vaihdon määrällä. Stokastista geometriaa käytetään mallintamaan verkkoja, kun taas korkeamman tason tilastollista laskentaa kumulanttimenetelmän käsitteen kautta käytetään kuvaamaan kokonaishäiriön todennäköisyysjakaumaa merkityssä vastaanottimessa. Käsittelemme varjostuvaa ja häipyvää kanavamallia sisältäen log-normaalin varjostumisen ja Nakagamim häipymisen. Lisäksi sisällytämme analyyttiseen työhön monenlaisia verkkoalgoritmeja tehohallintaan ja taajuuden (uudelleen)allokointiin. Ehdotettujen ratkaisujen tehokkuuden arvioimiseksi johdamme myös suljetut muodot katkosten todennäköisyyksille ja keskimääräiselle spektrin käytön tehokkuudelle halutun vastaanottimen suhteen monissa kanavatiloissa ja verkon kokoonpanoissa. Tulokset osoittavat, että analyyttisen työn tulokset vastaavat hyvin Monte Carlo - simulaatioilla saatujen numeeristen tulosten kanssa ja että koordinointimekanismit parantavat makrosoluverkkojen tehokkuutta merkittävästi, samalla kun myös pienet solut hyötyvät. Toisin kuin koordinoimaton Frequency Division Duplexing -toimintatila, koordinoitu TDD-toimintatila pienentää katkosten todennäköisyyttä samalla kun keskimääräinen spektrin käytön tehokkuus kasvaa suurella kuormalla. Toisaalta kehittyneemät häiriönhallintatekniikat, kuten alalinkki bittikartta sekä hajautetut antennijärjestelmät, tulevat tarpeelliseksi, kun pienten koordinoimattomattomien solujen tiheys kasvaa alemmalla tasolla.

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