Channel temporal correlation-based optimization method for imperfect underwater acoustic channel state information

The rapid time variations and large channel estimation errors in underwater acoustic (UWA) channels mean that transmitters for adaptive resource allocation quickly become outdated and provide inaccurate channel state information (CSI). This results in poor resource allocation efficiency. To address this issue, this paper proposes an optimization approach for imperfect CSI based on a Gauss–Markov model and the per-subcarrier channel temporal correlation (PSCTC) factor. The proposed scheme is applicable to downlink UWA orthogonal frequency division multiple access systems. The proposed PSCTC factors are measured, and their long-term stability is verified using data recorded in real-world sea tests. Simulation and experimental results show that the optimized CSI effectively mitigates the effects of the temporal variability of UWA channels. It demonstrates that the resource allocation scheme using optimized CSI achieves a higher effective throughput and a lower bit error rate than both imperfect CSI and the CSI predicted by the recursive least-squares (RLS) algorithm.