Nested Precoding in MU-MIMO Channels: The Superposition Transmission of Space-Time Coding and Spatial-Division Multiplexing

Nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) can improve the spectrum efficiency through reusing the power-level space by different users. Although NOMA in single-input single-output channels has been thoroughly explored, it is still underexploited in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels. Precoding design in multiuser MIMO channels with nonorthogonal transmission is a multidimensional nesting problem, it is hard to compare two matrix channels if only their power levels are considered. In this paper, we first propose a method to compare the covariance matrices of two channel matrices, and then derive a channel condition under which the linear precoding scheme can achieve the sum capacity. Considering arbitrary realizations of multiuser channels, we provide a nested precoding algorithm that can work well in highly correlated multiuser channels. Based on this idea, a specialized superposition transmission scheme between signaling and data information is proposed, where plenty of resources beneath the signaling signal are utilized to transmit data information for dedicated users, and a large amount of extra rates are achieved. In addition, space-time coding is used for signaling information and spatial-division multiplexing is used for multiuser data information. Under the constraint that signaling information should be correctly decoded at any position in the cell, we seek to maximize the sum rate of the underneath multiuser data streams. To this end, the optimal and a low-complexity simplified precoding algorithms are developed. Finally, simulation results verify the throughput improvement and the correct decoding probability of the signaling information.