A Channel Knowledge Map-Driven Two-Stage Coordinated User Scheduling in Multi-Cell Massive MIMO Systems

TL;DR

This paper proposes a two-stage user scheduling framework for multi-cell massive MIMO systems that leverages a channel knowledge map to reduce overhead and improve robustness against imperfect channel information.

Contribution

It introduces a CKM-driven scheduling framework with a reliability-guided mechanism to enhance robustness and reduce CSI acquisition overhead in multi-cell massive MIMO systems.

Findings

Reduces CSI acquisition overhead significantly.

Improves inter-cell interference suppression.

Enhances robustness against imperfect SCSI.

Abstract

This paper investigates narrowband coordinated user scheduling in multi-cell massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. We formulate the problem under a spectral-efficiency maximization criterion, revealing inherent challenges in computational complexity and signaling overhead. To address these, we develop a user-scheduling-oriented CKM (US-CKM) and a US-CKM-driven two-stage coordinated scheduling framework. By exploiting the mapping between location information and statistical channel state information (SCSI), the system enables rapid SCSI retrieval and persistent reuse, substantially reducing CSI acquisition overhead. Embedding statistical channel correlation into the CKM further characterizes interuser interference patterns. The framework designs an intra-cell active-user selection scheme for the first stage and an inter-cell coordinated scheduling scheme for the second, both based on US-CKM entries. The first stage identifies users with favorable channel gains and low intra-cell interference, reducing the candidate set with marginal sum-rate loss. The second stage suppresses inter-cell interference (ICI) by exploiting cross-cell channel correlations. To enhance robustness against imperfect SCSI in dynamic scattering environments, we augment the framework with a reliability-guided mechanism. Instead of uniform treatment, we evaluate entry stability using a grid reliability metric quantifying channel measurement variance at sampling locations. Low-reliability grids are identified, and their instantaneous CSI is acquired in real time to integrate with existing SCSI. This process refines channel gain and spatial correlation characteristics, ensuring robust performance under imperfect conditions.