Device and Network Coordination for Opportunistic Utilization of Radio Resources in 3D Networks

Device and network coordination is critical for efficient radio resource (RR) utilization while meeting Quality of Service (QoS) requirements in heavily congested future heterogeneous wireless networks featured with 3-Dimensional (3D) small cells (SCs). Device and network coordination assisted opportunistic and coordinated use of RRs in distinct bands could dramatically improve the spectrum utilization in these networks. In this study, overall communication performance enhancement through better utilization of opportunistically available spatially distributed RRs in a 3D SC is addressed considering two co-located networks operated in licensed band (LB) and unlicensed band (UB) while jointly accounting for several related factors like 3D spatial positions and QoS requirements of the devices. To confront this problem, a device and network coordination assisted solution is developed using Q-learning and Slotted-ALOHA principles. Then, to maintain performance standards, device and network coordination aided scheduling, power control and access prioritization schemes are discussed. Subsequently, regret based learning assisted algorithm is presented for the UB to optimally utilize RRs. In these solutions, both device-network and network-network interactions are considered. In results, approximately 75% better overall coordination efficiency over conventional methods is shown at the initial iterations for the scenarios with the highest device density demonstrating attractive performance.