Rotating cluster mechanism for coordinated heterogeneous MIMO cellular networks

To increase the average achievable rates per user for cluster-edge users, a rotating clustering scheme for the downlink of a coordinated multicell multiuser multiple-input multiple-output system is proposed in this paper and analyzed in two network layouts. In the multicell heterogeneous cellular network, base stations of a cluster cooperate to transmit data signals to the users within the cluster; rotating cluster patterns enable all users to be nearer the cluster center in at least one of the patterns. Considering cellular layouts with three or six macrocells per site, different rotating patterns of clusters are proposed and the system performance with the proposed sets of clustering patterns is investigated using a simulated annealing algorithm for user scheduling and successive zero-forcing dirty paper coding as the precoding method. The rotating clustering scheme is less complex than fully dynamic clustering, and it is primarily designed to improve the throughput of cluster-edge users. As an extra secondary benefit, it is also capable of slightly improving the average achievable sum rate of the network overall. The effectiveness of the proposed methods with two different scheduling metrics, namely throughput maximization and proportionally fair scheduling, is of interest in this work. Moreover, the speed of rotation affects the performance of the system; the higher the speed of rotation, the more frequently any specific users will be nearer the cluster center. Our simulations demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed rotational approach and determine the speed of rotation beyond which any additional performance gains become negligible.