The probability of Line-of-Sight (LOS) propagation is crucial for channel modelling and small cell network evaluation. In this letter, by taking the layout of building structures into account, an analytical LOS probability model is proposed for typical indoor scenarios, which have rectangular rooms and corridors. The proposed model is validated through Monte Carlo simulations. Numerical results show that the proposed model estimates the network performance accurately and efficiently.

In heterogeneous networks (HetNets), to reduce the interference to users in Cell Range Expansion (CRE) areas of small cells, Reduced Power Subframes (RPSs) are used by macro base stations (BSs) to serve their center region users. CRE users can receive full power subframes (FPSs) from small-cell BSs in the same time slots as RPSs. However, it is difficult to maintain strict subframe alignment (SA) between neighbouring cells. Subframe misalignment (SM) between RPSs and FPSs transmitted by neighbouring macro BSs and small-cell BSs may degrade the coverage performance for macrocell center and small-cell CRE users. With existing time synchronization techniques used in HetNets, the SM offsets are actually upper-bounded. In this letter, we propose a novel SM model for a two-tier HetNet adopting RPSs with SM offsets restricted within a subframe duration, and analyse the coverage probability under the effects of RPSs and SM based on stochastic geometry. The results show that the strict SA requirement can be relaxed by up to 20% of subframe duration with below 5% coverage loss.

Three-dimensional (3D) multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) is one of the enabling technologies for next-generation mobile communication. As the elevation angle in the 3D MIMO channel model might vary against the height of the base station (BS) antenna, it should be considered within channel modeling. In this paper, the impact of antenna height on the channel characteristics of the 3D MIMO channel is investigated by using the intelligent ray launching algorithm (IRLA). Three typical street scenarios, i.e., the straight street, the forked road, and the crossroad, are selected as benchmarks. The joint and marginal probability density functions (PDFs) of both the elevation angle of departure (EAoD) and the elevation angle of arrival (EAoA) are obtained through simulations. Moreover, the elevation angle spread (AS) and the elevation delay spread (DS) under various antenna heights are jointly discussed. Simulation results show that the characteristics of the PDFs of EAoD will vary under different street scenarios. It is observed that in order to obtain the maximum or minimum value of the AS and the DS, the BS antenna should be deployed at half of the building height.

Three dimension (3D) Multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) scheme, which exploits another dimension of the spatial resource, is one of the enabling technologies for the next generation mobile communication. As the elevation angle in 3D-MIMO channel model might varies against the height of the base station transmit antenna, it has to be taken into account carefully. In this paper, the impact of antenna height on the channel characteristics of 3D MIMO channel is investigated by using the intelligent ray launching algorithm (IRLA). Three typical street scenarios, i.e., the straight street, the fork road and the cross road, are selected as benchmarks. On the basis of simulations, joint and marginal probability density functions (PDFs) of both the elevation angle of departure (EAoD) and the elevation angle of arrival (EAoA) are obtained. The elevation angle spread (AS) and the delay spread (DS) under various antenna heights are also discussed. Simulation results indicate that the PDFs of EAoD and EAoA vary characteristics under different street scenarios. Moreover, the minimum value of the DS can be achieved when the antenna height is half of the building height.