Reconfigurable antennas, preemptive switching and virtual channel management under partial observations

Summary form only given. This work considers the performance of wireless communication systems that utilize reconfigurable or pattern-dynamic antennas. The focus is on finite-state channels with memory and performance is assessed in terms of discounted throughput. In a wireless setting, when a slow fading channel enters a deep fade, the corresponding communication system faces the threat of successive decoding failures at the destination. Under such circumstances, rapidly getting out of deep fades becomes a priority. Recent advances in fast reconfigurable antennas provide new means to alter the statistical profile of fading channels and thereby reduce the probability of prolonged fades. This potential for enhanced performance motivates this study of the behavior of point-to-point communication systems with reconfigurable antennas. This work centers around scenarios where only partial state information is available at the transmitter, naturally leading to partially observable decision processes. Situations where using reconfigurable antennas yield substantial performance gains in terms of throughput and average delay are identified. Although pattern-dynamic antennas have been and continue to be the subject of concerted research efforts in the antennas and propagation community, a detailed analysis of their repercussions on the foundations of signal processing and digital communications is still lacking. Key to the widespread adoption of such technologies is provable gains in terms of capacity, delay-throughput profile and network connectivity. Our work seeks to address the need for better understanding the impact of adaptive antenna systems in the context of delay-sensitive communications under limited observation models.