Optimum Interference Management in Underlay Inband D2D-Enhanced Cellular Networks

TL;DR

This paper proposes a mode selection scheme based on received signal strength to manage interference in D2D-enhanced cellular networks, optimizing the area spectral efficiency by balancing cellular and D2D modes.

Contribution

It introduces a practical interference management approach with a threshold-based mode selection considering LoS/NLoS path loss, validated through analytical and simulation methods.

Findings

Optimal mode selection threshold maximizes total ASE.

D2D communication enhances network performance.

Analytical model accurately predicts coverage and ASE.

Abstract

For device-to-device (D2D) communications underlaying a cellular network with uplink resource sharing, both cellular and D2D links cause significant co-channel interference. In this paper, we address the critical issue of interference management in the network considering a practical path loss model incorporating both line-of-sight (LoS) and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) transmissions. To reduce the severe interference caused by active D2D links, we consider a mode selection scheme based on the maximum received signal strength (MRSS) for each user equipment (UE) to control the D2D-to-cellular interference. Specifically, a UE will operate in a cellular mode, only if its received signal strength from the strongest base station (BS) is larger than a threshold beta; otherwise, the UE will operate in a D2D mode. Furthermore, we analyze the performance in terms of the coverage probability and the area spectral efficiency (ASE) for both the cellular network and the D2D one. Analytical results are obtained and the accuracy of the proposed analytical framework is validated through Monte Carol simulations. Through our theoretical and numerical analyses, we quantify the performance gains brought by D2D communications in cellular networks and we find an optimum mode selection threshold beta to maximize the total ASE in the network.