Smartlink: Exploiting Channel Clustering Effects for Reliable Millimeter Wave Communications

Irmak Aykin, Berk Akgun, Marwan Krunz

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Millimeter wave (mmW) communications have recently attracted considerable attention as a key element of next-generation (5G) wireless systems. Despite significant efforts in this domain, establishing and maintaining directional mmW links in a dynamic environment are still quite challenging, largely due to the search-time overhead of beam scanning, and the vulnerability of directional links to beam misalignment, blockage, and outages. In this paper, we propose SmartLink, a protocol that exploits the multi-cluster scattering phenomenon at mmW frequencies to establish a multi-directional link between a base station and a user. By exploiting multiple clusters, SmartLink enables fast initial access and link maintenance, along with sustained throughput. A search algorithm called multi-lobe beam search (MLBS) is used to discover multiple channel clusters by probing several directions simultaneously using carefully designed multilobe beam patterns. MLBS reduces the search time from linear to logarithmic with respect to the number of directions. We provide detailed analysis of the false alarm and misdetection probabilities for the designed beam patterns. Following cluster discovery, SmartLink divides antennas into sub-arrays to generate the optimal multi-lobe pattern with respect to cluster powers and blockage probabilities. Finally, extensive trace-driven simulations at 29 GHz frequency using phased-array antennas verify the efficiency of SmartLink.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationINFOCOM 2019 - IEEE Conference on Computer Communications
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages1117-1125
Number of pages9
ISBN (Electronic)9781728105154
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2019
Event2019 IEEE Conference on Computer Communications, INFOCOM 2019 - Paris, France
Duration: Apr 29 2019May 2 2019

Publication series

NameProceedings - IEEE INFOCOM
Volume2019-April
ISSN (Print)0743-166X

Conference

Conference2019 IEEE Conference on Computer Communications, INFOCOM 2019
Country/TerritoryFrance
CityParis
Period4/29/195/2/19

Keywords

  • Millimeter wave
  • analog beam-forming
  • blockage
  • initial access
  • trace-driven simulations

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Computer Science
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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