Resource management in third generation mobile communication systems employing smart antennas

Third generation (3G) mobile communication systems are intended to provide enhanced high-speed data, multimedia, and voice services to mobile users. Beamforming techniques have been proposed to increase the spectral efficiency of the wireless channel. In a commercially deployed 3G system, it is likely that these techniques will coexist with resource management. Resource management in a wireless system should take care of channel impairments and non-ideal antenna patterns. Mobile users moving from one beam to another give rise to resource reallocation issues. We propose a resource allocation and management scheme tailored to systems with smart antennas supporting heterogeneous users. The algorithm works by comparing the received power in each beam. Elasticity of user requirements for data services is exploited to provide adaptive QoS to the users, thereby preventing dropping of a call due to user mobility. Simulation results showing the channel and MAI effects on system performance are presented. The throughput advantage obtained using the management scheme is compared to a system without resource management. It is also seen that the throughput of the system increases for a user population exhibiting higher elasticity. In addition, the algorithm can be modified to handle call hand-off as well.