Multi-users space-time modulation with QAM division for massive uplink communications

In this paper, we consider the design of multi-users space-time modulation (MUSTM) for an uplink MIMO system with one base station equipped with the massive number of antennas and N single-antenna users, where it is assumed that only large scale channel coefficients are available at both the transmitter and the receiver. For such a system, a novel concept called uniquely factorable (UF) MUSTM is introduced. Then, using our recently developed framework on uniquely decomposable constellation group with energy-efficient quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), and properly and timely assigning each sub-constellation to each user at each time slot, we develop a machinery method for systematically designing a family of invertible UF-MUSTM with flexible data rates in order to assure the reliable estimation of the transmitted signal as well as of the channel for the massive MIMO system. In addition, a simple cross-correlation receiver is proposed to efficiently and effectively detect such UF-MUSTM. Its pair-wise error probability (PEP) is derived, showing that our proposed invertible UF-MUSRM enables full receiver diversity. Furthermore, the optimal closed-form power allocation and the optimal user constellation assignment are found to maximize the worst-case coding gain under a peak power constraint on each user and each time slot.