Joint User Selection and Multimode Scheduling in Multicell MIMO Cellular Networks

This paper considers multicell scheduling for coordinated multiple-input multiple-output cellular networks. In a multicell scenario, intercell interference, which is the major challenge degrading system performance, can be suppressed via multicell coordination. However, when the number of users is larger than that can be served, user/multimode selection is necessary, and can significantly enhance the performance in such interference-limited environment. Nevertheless, user selection in a multicell scenario incurs high computational complexity and overhead signalling. To this end, in this paper, low complexity greedy algorithms are proposed for user selection. The algorithms are based on the concept of angle between subspaces and intersection of null spaces, and work in partially distributed fashion with limited information exchange. By these algorithms, channel feedback can be greatly reduced with reasonable computational complexity. In addition, multimode scheduling schemes are proposed for this multicell set up, where the spatial streams are adaptively selected. The proposed algorithms are analysed and compared with the optimal solution obtained by exhaustive search. Simulation results show that the algorithms achieve most of the throughput achievable by the optimal solution.