Effects of Path Visibility on Urban MIMO Systems

Abstract

Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) wireless communication technology is expected to improve the channel capacity over the limited bandwidth of existing networks. Since urban MIMO systems have complex propagation characteristics, the channel capacity cannot be estimated using a simple method. Hence, we introduce channel capacity characteristics to urban MIMO systems by using a combination of imaging and ray-launching methods as a ray-tracing scheme. A simulation based on these methods with variable parameters can reproducibly estimate various urban propagation characteristics and discriminate the effects of the urban model and antenna configurations. The characteristics of the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), the channel capacity, the spatial correlation, as well as the path visibility are then determined from the results of the simulation. The parameter called path visibility introduced in our previous study is considered again herein. We clarify that only this single parameter can be used to determine the channel capacity characteristics in urban MIMO scenarios. This parameter also provides guidance in determining the appropriate range for the base station (BS) height.