Optimized layered multicast with superposition coding in cellular systems

We consider the problem of optimal power allocation and optimal user selection in a layered multicast transmission over quasi-static Rayleigh fading channels. A scheme based on superposition coding is proposed in which basic multicast streams and enhanced multicast streams are superimposed and transmitted by a base station, while users with worse channel conditions can only decode basic multicast streams, and users with better channel conditions can decode both basic and enhanced multicast streams. In this paper, subject to fixed user selection ratios, the optimal power allocation for each stream that maximizes average throughput is investigated, and the impact of power allocation on average outage probability is discussed. Finally, subject to fixed transmit power and power allocation, the optimal user selection ratio for enhanced multicast streams is also studied. Numerical results show that the optimized layered multicast scheme outperforms the conventional multicast scheme in terms of average throughput. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.