Intelligent User-Centric Networks: Learning-Based Downlink CoMP Region Breathing

In the presence of irregular transmission/reception point (TRP) topologies and non-uniform user distribution, the user-to-node association optimization is a rather challenging process in real user-centric networks, especially for the joint transmission aided coordinated multipoint (CoMP) technique. The grade of challenge further escalates, when taking the dynamic user scheduling process into account in order to enhance the system capacity attained. To tackle the above-mentioned problem, we holistically optimize the system by conceiving joint user scheduling and user-to-node association. Then, for the sake of striking a significantly better balance between the network capacity and coverage quality, we propose a generalized reinforcement learning assisted framework intrinsically amalgamated both with neural-fitted Q-iteration as well as with ensemble learning and transfer learning techniques. Consequently, a powerful policy can be found for dynamically adjusting the set of TRPs participating in the joint transmission, thus allowing the CoMP-region to breathe, depending on both the temporal and geographical distribution of the tele-traffic load across the network. To facilitate the prompt learning of the global policy supporting flexible scalability, the overall network optimization process is decoupled into multiple local optimization phases associated with a number of TRP clusters relying on iterative information exchange among them. Our simulation results show that the proposed scheme is capable of producing a policy achieving a network-edge throughput gain of up to 140%$ and a network capacity gain of up to 190% under the challenging scenario of having a non-uniform geographical UE distribution and bursty traffic.