High-Resolution Channel Sounding and Parameter Estimation in Multi-Site Cellular Networks

Understanding of electromagnetic propagation properties in real environments is necessary for efficient design and deployment of cellular systems. In this paper, we show a method to estimate high-resolution channel parameters with a massive antenna array in real network deployments. An antenna array mounted on a vehicle is used to receive downlink long-term evolution (LTE) reference signals from neighboring base stations (BS) with mutual interference. Delay and angular information of multipath components is estimated with a novel inter-cell interference cancellation algorithm and an extension of the RIMAX algorithm. The estimated high-resolution channel parameters are consistent with the movement pattern of the vehicle and the geometry of the environment and allow for refined channel modeling and precise cellular positioning.