Theodore S. Rappaport

Bio: Theodore S. Rappaport is an academic researcher from New York University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Path loss & Multipath propagation. The author has an hindex of 112, co-authored 490 publications receiving 68853 citations. Previous affiliations of Theodore S. Rappaport include University of Waterloo & University of Texas at Austin.

Millimeter Wave Cellular Wireless Networks: Potentials and Challenges

Abstract: Millimeter wave (mmW) frequencies between 30 and 300 GHz are a new frontier for cellular communication that offers the promise of orders of magnitude greater bandwidths combined with further gains via beamforming and spatial multiplexing from multi-element antenna arrays. This paper surveys measurements and capacity studies to assess this technology with a focus on small cell deployments in urban environments. The conclusions are extremely encouraging; measurements in New York City at 28 and 73 GHz demonstrate that, even in an urban canyon environment, significant non-line-of-sight (NLOS) outdoor, street-level coverage is possible up to approximately 200 m from a potential low power micro- or picocell base station. In addition, based on statistical channel models from these measurements, it is shown that mmW systems can offer more than an order of magnitude increase in capacity over current state-of-the-art 4G cellular networks at current cell densities. Cellular systems, however, will need to be significantly redesigned to fully achieve these gains. Specifically, the requirement of highly directional and adaptive transmissions, directional isolation between links and significant possibilities of outage have strong implications on multiple access, channel structure, synchronization and receiver design. To address these challenges, the paper discusses how various technologies including adaptive beamforming, multihop relaying, heterogeneous network architectures and carrier aggregation can be leveraged in the mmW context.

3D mmWave Channel Model Proposal

Abstract: There is growing interest in using millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies for future access communications based on the enormous amount of available spectrum. To characterize the mmWave channel in urban areas, wideband propagation measurements at 73 GHz have recently been made in New York City. Using the measurements, a ray-tracing study has been conducted using databases for the same environments as the measurements, allowing a simple ray-tracer to predict measured statistics such as path loss and angles of arrival in the same physical environment of the measurements. In this paper a preliminary 3GPP-style 3D mmWave channel model is developed with special emphasis on using the ray tracer to determine elevation model parameters. The channel model includes distancedependent elevation modeling which is critical for the expected 2D arrays which will be employed at mmWave. Keywords—channel modeling; 3D channel model; ray tracing; millimeter wave, 73 GHz, channel sounding.

Probabilistic Omnidirectional Path Loss Models for Millimeter-Wave Outdoor Communications

Abstract: This letter presents a probabilistic omnidirectional millimeter-wave path loss model based on real-world 28 GHz and 73 GHz measurements collected in New York City. The probabilistic path loss approach uses a free space line-of-sight propagation model, and for non-line-of-sight conditions uses either a close-in free space reference distance path loss model or a floating-intercept path loss model. The probabilistic model employs a weighting function that specifies the line-of-sight probability for a given transmitter-receiver separation distance. Results show that the probabilistic path loss model offers virtually identical results whether one uses a non-line-of-sight close-in free space reference distance path loss model, with a reference distance of 1 meter, or a floating-intercept path loss model. This letter also shows that site-specific environmental information may be used to yield the probabilistic weighting function for choosing between line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight conditions.

A ray tracing technique to predict path loss and delay spread inside buildings

Abstract: A ray tracing technique for predicting path loss and delay spread in buildings is described. A novel approach is used to determine the ray directions from the source in three dimensions. Line-of-sight, specular, and nonspecular transmissions and reflections are included in the propagation model. This method shows that accurate impulse response, path loss, and delay spread prediction in buildings is possible using site-specific information, although modeling refinements are still needed. With such a propagation prediction tool, personal communications systems (PCSs) could be designed and installed more rapidly and economically than if measurements were required for each building. >

Performance evaluation for cellular CDMA

Abstract: The authors consider the performance of a cellular radio, direct-sequence code-division multiple access, (CDMA) system. The base-to-mobile link is modeled as a flat Rayleigh fading channel, with all signals transmitted from a given base station fading in unison. For the mobile-to-base link, the authors use a similar model, except that the waveforms from all users are assumed to experience independent fading. The effects of imperfect power control are shown. >

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

Cooperative diversity in wireless networks: Efficient protocols and outage behavior

Abstract: We develop and analyze low-complexity cooperative diversity protocols that combat fading induced by multipath propagation in wireless networks. The underlying techniques exploit space diversity available through cooperating terminals' relaying signals for one another. We outline several strategies employed by the cooperating radios, including fixed relaying schemes such as amplify-and-forward and decode-and-forward, selection relaying schemes that adapt based upon channel measurements between the cooperating terminals, and incremental relaying schemes that adapt based upon limited feedback from the destination terminal. We develop performance characterizations in terms of outage events and associated outage probabilities, which measure robustness of the transmissions to fading, focusing on the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime. Except for fixed decode-and-forward, all of our cooperative diversity protocols are efficient in the sense that they achieve full diversity (i.e., second-order diversity in the case of two terminals), and, moreover, are close to optimum (within 1.5 dB) in certain regimes. Thus, using distributed antennas, we can provide the powerful benefits of space diversity without need for physical arrays, though at a loss of spectral efficiency due to half-duplex operation and possibly at the cost of additional receive hardware. Applicable to any wireless setting, including cellular or ad hoc networks-wherever space constraints preclude the use of physical arrays-the performance characterizations reveal that large power or energy savings result from the use of these protocols.

Cognitive radio: brain-empowered wireless communications

Abstract: Cognitive radio is viewed as a novel approach for improving the utilization of a precious natural resource: the radio electromagnetic spectrum. The cognitive radio, built on a software-defined radio, is defined as an intelligent wireless communication system that is aware of its environment and uses the methodology of understanding-by-building to learn from the environment and adapt to statistical variations in the input stimuli, with two primary objectives in mind: /spl middot/ highly reliable communication whenever and wherever needed; /spl middot/ efficient utilization of the radio spectrum. Following the discussion of interference temperature as a new metric for the quantification and management of interference, the paper addresses three fundamental cognitive tasks. 1) Radio-scene analysis. 2) Channel-state estimation and predictive modeling. 3) Transmit-power control and dynamic spectrum management. This work also discusses the emergent behavior of cognitive radio.

An application-specific protocol architecture for wireless microsensor networks

Abstract: Networking together hundreds or thousands of cheap microsensor nodes allows users to accurately monitor a remote environment by intelligently combining the data from the individual nodes. These networks require robust wireless communication protocols that are energy efficient and provide low latency. We develop and analyze low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH), a protocol architecture for microsensor networks that combines the ideas of energy-efficient cluster-based routing and media access together with application-specific data aggregation to achieve good performance in terms of system lifetime, latency, and application-perceived quality. LEACH includes a new, distributed cluster formation technique that enables self-organization of large numbers of nodes, algorithms for adapting clusters and rotating cluster head positions to evenly distribute the energy load among all the nodes, and techniques to enable distributed signal processing to save communication resources. Our results show that LEACH can improve system lifetime by an order of magnitude compared with general-purpose multihop approaches.