Iterative Decoding With Imperfect Channel Estimation For Wireless Systems

Empowered by linear precoding and decoding, a spatially multiplexed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system becomes a convenient framework to offer high data rate, diversity and interference management. While most of the current precoding/decoding designs have assumed perfect channel state information (CSI) at the receiver, and sometimes even at the transmitter, in this thesis we design the precoder and decoder with imperfect CSI at both the transmit and the receive sides, and investigate the joint impact of channel estimation errors and channel correlation on system structure and performance. The mean-square error (MSE) related performance metrics are used as the design criteria. We begin with the minimum total MSE precoding/decoding design for a single-user MIMO system assuming imperfect CSI at both ends. Here the CSI includes the channel estimate and channel correlation information. The structures of the optimum precoder and decoder are determined. Compared to the perfect CSI case, linear filters are added to the transceiver structure to improve system robustness against imperfect CSI. The effects of channel estimation error and channel correlation are quantified by simulations. With imperfect CSI at both ends, the exact capacity expression for a single-user MIMO channel is difficult to obtain. Instead, a tight capacity lower-bound is used for system design. The optimum structure of the transmit covariance matrix for the lower-bound has not been found in the existing literature. By transforming the transmitter design into a joint precoding/decoding design problem, we derive the expression of the optimum transmit covariance matrix. The close relationship between the maximum mutual information design and the minimum total MSE design is also discovered assuming imperfect CSI. For robust multiuser MIMO communications, minimum average sum MSE transceiver (precoder-decoder pairs) design problems are formulated for both the uplink and the downlink, assuming imperfect channel estimation and channel correlation at the base station (BS). We propose improved iterative algorithms based on the associated Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions. Under the assumption of imperfect CSI, an uplink--downlink duality in average sum MSE is proved. As an alternative for the uplink optimization, a sequential semidefinite programming (SDP) method is proposed. Simulation results are provided to corroborate the analysis.

This research investigates techniques for iterative channel estimation to maximize channel capacity and communication security. The contributions of this dissertation are as follows: i) An accurate, low-complexity approach to pilot-assisted fast-fading channel estimation for single-carrier modulation with a turbo equalizer and a decoder is proposed. The channel is estimated using a Kalman filter (KF) followed by a zero-phase filter (ZPF) as a smoother. The combination of the ZPF with the KF of the channel estimator makes it possible to reduce the estimation error to near the Wiener bound. ii) A new semi-blind channel estimation technique is introduced for multiple-input-multiple-output channels. Once the channel is estimated using a few pilots, a low-order KF is employed to progressively predict the channel gains for the upcoming blocks. iii) The capacity of radio channels is investigated when iterative channel estimation, data detection, and decoding are employed. By taking the uncertainty in decoded data bits into account, the channel Linear Minimum Mean Square Error (LMMSE) estimator of an iterative receiver with a given pilot ratio is obtained. The derived error value is then used to derive a bound on capacity. It is shown that in slow fading channels, iterative processing provides only a marginal advantage over non-iterative approach to channel estimation. Knowing the capacity gain from iterative processing versus purely pilot-based channel estimation helps a designer to compare the performance of an iterative receiver against a non-iterative one and select the best balance between performance and cost.iv) A Radio channel is characterized by random parameters which can be used to generate shared secret keys by the communicating parties when the channel is estimated. This research studies upper bounds on the rate of the secret keys extractable from iteratively estimated channels. Various realistic scenarios are considered where the transmission is half-duplex and/or the channel is sampled under the Nyquist rate.The effect of channel sampling interval, fading rate and noise on the key rate is demonstrated. The results of this research can be beneficial for the design and analysis of reliable and secure mobile wireless systems.

Abstract: In this dissertation, we focus on three issues of the trellis based iterative decoding: First, the complexity issue of Turbo code is considered. We propose a constrained iterative decoder to reduce the decoding complexity. An additional interleaver is introduced at the encoder. At the decoder, we first use Cyclic Redundance Code (CRC) to detect which bits are already correctly decoded during early iterations. With knowledge of the positions of these correct bits, the constrained decoding algorithm is designed to reduce the number of the state transitions in the component code trellis and help the decoding of other bits in later iterations. In this way, the constrained iterative decoder achieves significant complexity reduction and still satisfying performance. Second, the iterative decoding algorithm is redesigned for Turbo code implemented Distributed Source Coding (DSC). When used in DSC, the Turbo decoder encounters a combined Binary Symmetric Channel (BSC) and Addictive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) distortion. The existing iterative decoding algorithm based on AWGN distortion assumption causes performance degradation. By redefining the channel reliability values, the modified iterative decoding algorithm matches the BSC-AWGN scenario well and improves the performance. Third, we propose a reliable source transmission coding and decoding scheme. A serially concatenated source and space time modulated coding structure is used. Variable Length Code (VLC) with error resilient capability is adopted at the application layer. Space Time Trellis Code (STTC) is used to provide high bandwidth efficiency at the physical layer. An iterative joint source space time decoder is designed including the symbol level space time Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) decoder, the bit level VLC MAP decoder and the Viterbi VLC decoder. Critical issues such as STTC MAP algorithm with nonseparable systematic information, VLC MAP algorithm in absence of channel output, VLC Viterbi algorithm based on the bit level trellis and extrinsic information conversion and exchange between bit domain and symbol domain are addressed. The decoding performance of different frame sizes and different component VLCs and STTCs, the rate allocation between the source code and the space time code and the performance in presence of channel estimation errors are discussed in this dissertation.

In the last decades the restless evolution of information and communication technologies (ICT) brought to a deep transformation of our habits. The growth of the Internet and the advances in hardware and software implementations modified our way to communicate and to share information. In this book, an overview of the major issues faced today by researchers in the field of radio communications is given through 35 high quality chapters written by specialists working in universities and research centers all over the world. Various aspects will be deeply discussed: channel modeling, beamforming, multiple antennas, cooperative networks, opportunistic scheduling, advanced admission control, handover management, systems performance assessment, routing issues in mobility conditions, localization, web security. Advanced techniques for the radio resource management will be discussed both in single and multiple radio technologies; either in infrastructure, mesh or ad hoc networks.

Fully revised and updated version of the successful "AdvancedWireless Communications" Wireless communications continue to attract the attention ofboth research community and industry. Since the first edition waspublished significant research and industry activities have broughtthe fourth generation (4G) of wireless communications systemscloser to implementation and standardization. "Advanced Wireless Communications" continues to provide acomparative study of enabling technologies for 4G. This secondedition has been revised and updated and now includes additionalinformation on the components of common air interface, includingthe area of space time coding , multicarrier modulation especiallyOFDM, MIMO, cognitive radio and cooperative transmission. Ideal for students and engineers in research and development inthe field of wireless communications, the second edition ofAdvanced Wireless Communications also gives an understanding tocurrent approaches for engineers in telecomm operators, governmentand regulatory institutions. New features include: Brand new chapter covering linear precoding in MIMO channelsbased on convex optimization theory. Material based on game theory modelling encompassing problemsof adjacent cell interference, flexible spectra sharing andcooperation between the nodes in ad hoc networks. Presents and discusses the latest schemes for interferencesuppression in ultra wide band (UWB) cognitive systems. Discusses the cooperative transmission and more details onpositioning.