Christoph F. Mecklenbräuker

Time-variant channel estimation using discrete prolate spheroidal sequences

We propose and analyze a low-complexity channel estimator for a multiuser multicarrier code division multiple access (MC-CDMA) downlink in a time-variant frequency-selective channel. MC-CDMA is based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). The time-variant channel is estimated individually for every flat-fading subcarrier, assuming small intercarrier interference. The temporal variation of every subcarrier over the duration of a data block is upper bounded by the Doppler bandwidth determined by the maximum velocity of the users. Slepian showed that time-limited snapshots of bandlimited sequences span a low-dimensional subspace. This subspace is also spanned by discrete prolate spheroidal (DPS) sequences. We expand the time-variant subcarrier coefficients in terms of orthogonal DPS sequences we call Slepian basis expansion. This enables a time-variant channel description that avoids the frequency leakage effect of the Fourier basis expansion. The square bias of the Slepian basis expansion per subcarrier is three magnitudes smaller than the square bias of the Fourier basis expansion. We show simulation results for a fully loaded MC-CDMA downlink with classic linear minimum mean square error multiuser detection. The users are moving with 19.4 m/s. Using the Slepian basis expansion channel estimator and a pilot ratio of only 2%, we achieve a bit error rate performance as with perfect channel knowledge.

A geometry-based stochastic MIMO model for vehicle-to-vehicle communications

Vehicle-to-vehicle (VTV) wireless communications have many envisioned applications in traffic safety and congestion avoidance, but the development of suitable communications systems and standards requires accurate models for the VTV propagation channel. In this paper, we present a new wideband multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) model for VTV channels based on extensive MIMO channel measurements performed at 5.2 GHz in highway and rural environments in Lund, Sweden. The measured channel characteristics, in particular the nonstationarity of the channel statistics, motivate the use of a geometry-based stochastic channel model (GSCM) instead of the classical tapped-delay line model. We introduce generalizations of the generic GSCM approach and techniques for parameterizing it from measurements and find it suitable to distinguish between diffuse and discrete scattering contributions. The time-variant contribution from discrete scatterers is tracked over time and delay using a high resolution algorithm, and our observations motivate their power being modeled as a combination of a (deterministic) distance decay and a slowly varying stochastic process. The paper gives a full parameterization of the channel model and supplies an implementation recipe for simulations. The model is verified by comparison of MIMO antenna correlations derived from the channel model to those obtained directly from the measurements.

A survey on vehicle-to-vehicle propagation channels

Traffic telematics applications are currently under intense research and development for making transportation safer, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly. Reliable traffic telematics applications and services require vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communications that can provide robust connectivity, typically at data rates between 1 and 10 Mb/s. The development of such VTV communications systems and standards require, in turn, accurate models for the VTV propagation channel. A key characteristic of VTV channels is their temporal variability and inherent non-stationarity, which has major impact on data packet transmission reliability and latency. This article provides an overview of existing VTV channel measurement campaigns in a variety of important environments, and the channel characteristics (such as delay spreads and Doppler spreads) therein. We also describe the most commonly used channel modeling approaches for VTV channels: statistical as well as geometry-based channel models have been developed based on measurements and intuitive insights. Extensive references are provided.

Vehicular Channel Characterization and Its Implications for Wireless System Design and Performance

To make transportation safer, more efficient, and less harmful to the environment, traffic telematics services are currently being intensely investigated and developed. Such services require dependable wireless vehicle-to-infrastructure and vehicle-to-vehicle communications providing robust connectivity at moderate data rates. The development of such dependable vehicular communication systems and standards requires accurate models of the propagation channel in all relevant environments and scenarios. Key characteristics of vehicular channels are shadowing by other vehicles, high Doppler shifts, and inherent nonstationarity. All have major impact on the data packet transmission reliability and latency. This paper provides an overview of the existing vehicular channel measurements in a variety of important environments, and the observed channel characteristics (such as delay spreads and Doppler spreads) therein. We briefly discuss the available vehicular channel models and their respective merits and deficiencies. Finally, we discuss the implications for wireless system design with a strong focus on IEEE 802.11p. On the road towards a dependable vehicular network, room for improvements in coverage, reliability, scalability, and delay are highlighted, calling for evolutionary improvements in the IEEE 802.11p standard. Multiple antennas at the onboard units and roadside units are recommended to exploit spatial diversity for increased diversity and reliability. Evolutionary improvements in the physical (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) layers are required to yield dependable systems. Extensive references are provided.

Ocean acoustic inversion with estimation of a posteriori probability distributions

Inversion methods are applied in ocean acoustics to infer parameters which characterize the environment. The objective of this paper is to provide such estimates, and means of evaluating the inherent uncertainty of the parameter estimates. In a Bayesian approach, the result of inversion is the a posteriori probability density for the estimated parameters, from which all information such as mean, higher moments, and marginal distributions can be extracted. These are multidimensional integrals of the a posteriori probability density, which are complicated to evaluate for many parameters. Various sampling options are examined and it is suggested that “importance sampling” based on a directed Monte Carlo method, such as genetic algorithms, is the preferred method. The formulation of likelihood functions and maximum-likelihood objective functions for multifrequency data on a vertical array is discussed. A priori information about the parameters may be used in the formulation. Shallow-water acoustic data obtain...

Matrix fitting approach to direction of arrival estimation with imperfect spatial coherence of wavefronts

The performance of high-resolution direction of arrival (DOA) estimation methods significantly degrades in several practical situations where the wavefronts have imperfect spatial coherence. The original solution to this problem was proposed by Paulraj and Kailath (1988), but their technique requires a priori knowledge of the matrix characterizing the loss of wavefront coherence along the array aperture. A novel solution to this problem is proposed, which does not require a priori knowledge of the spatial coherence matrix.

Car-to-car radio channel measurements at 5 GHz: Pathloss, power-delay profile, and delay-Doppler spectrum

We carried out a car-to-infrastructure (C2I) and car-to-car (C2C) 4x4 multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radio channel measurement campaign at 5.2 GHz in Lund, Sweden. This paper presents first results on pathloss, power-delay profiles, and delay-Doppler spectra in a C2C highway scenario, where both cars were traveling in opposite directions. A pathloss coefficient of 1.8 yields the best fit with our measurement results in the mean square sense. The measured Doppler shift of the line of sight path matches exactly with theoretical calculations. Selected paths are investigated in the delay and Doppler domain. The avererage delay spread is 250 ns; Doppler shifts of more than 1000 Hz are observed.

On Wireless Links for Vehicle-to-Infrastructure Communications

Future intelligent transportation systems (ITS) will necessitate wireless vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications. This wireless link can be implemented by several technologies, such as digital broadcasting, cellular communication, or dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) systems. Analyses of the coverage and capacity requirements are presented when each of the three systems is used to implement the V2I link. We show that digital broadcasting systems are inherently capacity limited and do not appropriately scale. Furthermore, we show that the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) can implement the V2I link using either a dedicated channel (DCH) or a multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS), as well as a hybrid approach. In every case, such V2I systems scale well and are capacity limited. We also show that wireless access in vehicular environment (WAVE) systems scale well, provide ample capacity, and are coverage limited. Finally, a direct quantitative comparison of the presented systems is given to show their scaling behavior with the number of users and the geographical coverage.

Non-WSSUS vehicular channel characterization in highway and urban scenarios at 5.2GHz using the local scattering function

The fading process in high speed vehicular traffic telematic applications at 5 GHz is expected to fulfill the wide-sense stationarity uncorrelated scattering (WSSUS) assumption for very short time-intervals only. In order to test this assumption we apply the concept of a local time- and frequency-variant scattering function, which we estimate from measurements of vehicle-to-vehicle wave propagation channels by means of a multi-window spectrogram. The obtained temporal sequence of local scattering functions (LSF) is used to calculate a collinearity measure. We define the stationarity time as the support of the region where the collinearity exceeds a certain threshold. The stationarity time is the maximum time duration over which the WSSUS assumption is valid. Measurements from an highway with vehicles driving in opposite directions show stationarity times as small as 23 ms whereas vehicles driving in the same direction show stationarity times of 1479 ms.

Iterative joint time-variant channel estimation and multi-user detection for MC-CDMA

Joint time-variant channel estimation and multi-user detection are key building-blocks for wireless broadband communication for mobile users at vehicular speed. We propose an iterative receiver for a multi-carrier (MC) code division multiple access (CDMA) system in the uplink. Multi-user detection is implemented through iterative parallel interference cancellation and conditional linear minimum mean square error (MMSE) filtering. MC-CDMA is based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), thus time-variant channel estimation can be performed for every subcarrier individually. The variation of a subcarrier over the duration of a data block is upper bounded by the maximum Doppler bandwidth which is determined by the maximum velocity of the users. We exploit results from the theory of time-concentrated and bandlimited sequences and apply a Slepian basis expansion for time-variant subcarrier estimation. This approach enables time-variant channel estimation without complete knowledge of the second-order statistics of the fading process. The square bias of the Slepian basis expansion is one order of magnitude smaller compared to the Fourier basis expansion. The square bias of the basis expansion is the determining factor for the performance of the iterative joint channel estimation and data detection. We present an iterative linear MMSE estimation algorithm for the basis expansion coefficients in a multi-user system. The consistent performance of the iterative receiver using the Slepian basis expansion is validated by simulations for a wide range of velocities