基于任一随机选择转接节点的协作分集方法及其中断概率分析

 转接节点的选择是协作通信中的一个比较重要的问题.在许多实际情况中并不是所有节点都参与转接,本文研究了在所有潜在的转接节点中任选一个节点作为转接节点的协作分集方法,推导了这种协作分集方法中断概率的上界和下界.理论计算和仿真结果表明该协作分集的 中断概率的上界基本不随潜在的转接节点的数目的增加而变化,而下界却随潜在的转接节点的数目的增加而显著降低.     

无线网络中基于优先级竞争的协作媒质接入控制协议研究

提出了一种适于无线网络的基于优先级竞争的协作媒质接入控制(PBC-CMAC)协议。该协议首先由源节点根据本地中继信息表选择2个最佳候选中继节点,以反映缩短传输时间程度的中继效率值区分优先级,并在CRTS分组中宣布。被选择的候选节点通过侦听源节点与目的节点交换的控制分组,可得到即时的相关速率信息,并结合自身优先级无冲突竞争成为最终的中继节点。该协议可以从所有可能的中继节点中快速、无冲突地选择出适于当前信道质量状态的最佳中继节点进行协作传输,提高了中继节点选择的成功率和协作效率,改善了网络接入性能。仿真结果表明,与IEEE 802.11 RTS/CTS和CoopMAC协议相比,PBC-CMAC协议有效提高了无线网络的多址性能。     

Satisfactory content delivery scheme for QoS provisioning in delay tolerant networks

We deal in this article with the content forwarding problem in delay tolerant networks (DTNs). We first formulate the content delivery interaction as a noncooperative satisfaction game. On one hand, the source node seeks to ensure a delivery probability above some given threshold. On the other hand, the relay nodes seek to maximize their own payoffs. The source node offers a reward (virtual coins) to the relay, which caches and forwards the file to the final destination. Each relay has to solve the dilemma of accepting/rejecting to cache the source's file. Cooperation incurs energy cost due to caching, carrying, and forwarding the source's file. Yet when a relay accepts to cooperate, it may receive some reward if it succeeds to be the first relay to forward the content to the destination. Otherwise, the relay may receive some penalty in the form of a constant regret; the latter parameter is introduced to make incentive for cooperation. Next, we introduce the concept of satisfaction equilibrium (SE) as a solution concept to the induced game. Now, the source node is solely interested in reaching a file delivery probability greater than some given threshold, while the relays behave rationally to maximize their respective payoffs. Full characterizations of the SEs for both pure and mixed strategies are derived. Furthermore, we propose two learning algorithms allowing the players (source/relays) to reach the SE strategies. Finally, extensive numerical investigations and some learning simulations are carried out to illustrate the behavior of the interacting nodes and to give some insightful thoughts on how to fine‐tune the network setting.     

Joint detection and estimation for cooperative communications in cluster‐based networks

A joint data detection and channel estimation scheme is proposed for cooperative communications in cluster‐based networks. In the proposed approach, each relay detects the source information using its joint detection and estimation rules and then compresses this information and forwards it to the destination node. The source information received from all the relays in the network is combined at the destination node in accordance with a fusion decision rule in order to determine the corresponding symbol vector. The joint detection and estimation rule at the relays and the fusion rule at the destination node are both processed using an expectation maximization algorithm. In order to reliably avoid poor local maxima, we utilized one pilot symbol per signal block to obtain a better initial starting point for the expectation maximization algorithm. The simulation results show that the feedback mechanism accelerates the convergence of the local channel estimates toward the Cramer–Rao lower bound. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bandwidth allocation and distributed relay selection for multiple‐user and multiple‐relay cooperative systems using Stackelberg game

Cooperative communication is an ongoing research area which lies on the basic idea of transmission of information from the transmitter to the receiver with the assistance of a virtual array of relay nodes in between, which will eventually provide the spatial diversity. This paper deals with the resource allocation (bandwidth in this case) among multiple users (source‐ destination pairs) in a cooperative communication environment along with the relay selection when there are multiple relay nodes to assist the transmitting nodes to pass on their data signal to respective receivers. A multi‐user, multi‐relay system model is considered here on which Amplify‐and‐Forward relaying scheme is applied. The bandwidth allocation and relay selection are done based on the Stackelberg game according to which transmitting nodes are treated as purchasers and relaying nodes are treated as vendors. By this planned approach, the transmitting nodes can discover the relays at comparatively better positions and can purchase the optimal bandwidth from those helping relays. By this approach, the relays which are competing with each other can increase their own utilities by demanding the optimal prices and the multiple users which are competing with each other can maximize their own utilities by demanding the optimal bandwidths. Distributed relay selection scheme is applied here which does not require precise information of channel state information as opposed to Centralized scheme and it gives comparable results, too.     

一种基于混合智能算法的协作中继选择新方法

针对多用户多中继场景下协作通信系统的中继选择问题,提出了一种基于混合智能算法的协作中继选择新方法。不同于现有的为每个源节点分配一个中继节点的中继选择方法,新方法建立了为每个源节点分配一个或多个中继节点的优化模型,以最大化多用户多中继协作系统的最小接收信噪比为优化目标,采用结合了模拟退火与遗传算法的混合智能算法来搜寻中继选择问题的最优解。仿真结果表明,所提方法可显著提高目的端的接收信噪比,且算法具有较强的全局搜索和快速寻优能力。     

An incentive energy-efficient routing for data gathering in wireless cooperative networks

Because of energy-constraint, it is an attractive problem to select energy-efficient paths from source nodes to sink for data gathering in wireless ad hoc networks. Cooperative communication is a promising mechanism to reduce transmit energy in such kind of case. One of the fundamental assumptions for cooperative communication is that each node should be unselfish, responsible, and willing to forwarding data he has received. However, in energy-constrained environment, because of limited energy, each node hates participating in data transmission without any incentive and tries to avoid forwarding data (this behavior is selfish). In this paper, a utility function is proposed to stimulate nodes to behave unselfishly. We prove that it is a Nash Equilibrium when nodes work in an unselfish manner. Also, we show that the selection of forwarding nodes and relay nodes for data transmission is a NP-hard problem even when nodes behave unselfishly. A heuristic algorithm (Algorithm for Node Selection Problem, ANSP) is provided to solve this selection problem. We also prove the convergence of this algorithm. The analysis shows that this algorithm can reach the approximate performance ratio of 2?(1+α), where α is the maximal ratio of two power consumptions on two adjacent links in the network. The numerical results show that in a 100 node network, if nodes behave unselfishly, they will obtain a better utility, and more energy will be saved. The average saved energy when each node takes a selfish behavior, is 52.5% less than the average when nodes behave in an unselfish manner.     

基于部分中继选择的能量收集双跳网络信息年龄优化

针对传统中继协作网络传感器节点能量受限导致信息传输延迟较高的问题,将短包通信（SPC）和能量收集技术相结合,构建了一种双跳中继无线传感器网络模型。网络中源节点和中继均需从专用能量基站收集射频信号能量以保证信息的持续传输,中继采用半双工解码转发协议将源节点发送的状态更新信息以短包形式传递到目的节点,利用中继选择策略与最大比合并技术提出了基于时效性的最早部分中继选择方案。考虑该网络信息的新鲜度,首先,分析了SPC传输性能,推导了中继和目的节点处的平均包错误率。其次,利用顺序统计量描述了源节点到中继端数据包的重传次数,基于更新过程理论推导了网络的平均信息年龄（AoI）表达式,并采用梯度下降方法优化了影响网络平均AoI的部分参数。最后,仿真分析结果表明,优化中继数量和数据包长度可以有效提高网络信息新鲜度,同时,通过对比优化部分参数得到的最优值与贪婪方法得到的最小化平均AoI理论值,可以验证部分中继协作方案在双跳状态更新网络中的可行性。      

Cooperative quadrature physical layer network coding in wireless relay networks

This paper proposes a cooperative quadrature physical layer network coding (CQPNC) scheme for a dual‐hop cooperative relay network, which consists of two source nodes, one relay node and one destination node. All nodes in the network have one antenna, and the two source nodes transmit their signals modulated with quadrature carriers. In this paper, a cooperative quadrature physical layer network coded decode‐and‐forward (DF) relay protocol (CQPNC‐DF) is proposed to transmit the composite information from the two source nodes via the relay node to the destination node simultaneously to reduce the number of time slots required for a transmission. The proposed CQPNC‐DF relay protocol is compared with time‐division multiple‐access amplify‐and‐forward (TDMA‐AF), TDMA‐DF, cooperative network coded DF (CNC‐DF) and cooperative analog network coded AF (CANC‐AF) relay protocols to demonstrate its effectiveness in terms of bit error rate (BER) and system throughput under different propagation conditions. The simulation results reveal that the proposed CQPNC‐DF relay protocol can significantly improve the network performance. Compared with two TDMA schemes and CNC‐DF, the proposal can provide up to 100% and 50% throughput gains, respectively. Moreover, no matter what the scene, the proposed scheme always has the lowest BER in the low SNR region. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contract design for relay incentive mechanism under dual asymmetric information in cooperative networks

Cooperative relay network can effectively improve the wireless spectrum efficiency and extend the wireless network coverage. However, due to the selfish characteristics of wireless nodes, spontaneous cooperation among nodes is challenged. Moreover, wireless nodes may acquire the different network information with the various nodes’ location and mobility, channels’ conditions and other factors, which results in information asymmetry between the source and relay nodes. In this paper, the incentive issue between the relay nodes’ cooperative service and the source’s relay selection is investigated under the asymmetric information scenarios. By modeling cooperative communication as a labour market, a contract-theoretic model for relay incentive is proposed to achieve the twin objectives of ability-discrimination and effort-incentive. Considering the feature of asymmetric information, the static and dynamic information of the relay nodes are systematically discussed. To effectively incentivize the potential relay nodes to participate in cooperative communication, the optimization problems are formulated to maximize the source’s utility under the multiple information scenarios. A sequential optimization algorithm is proposed to obtain the optimal wage-bonus strategy with the low computational complexity under the dual asymmetric information scenario. Simulation results show that the optimal contract design scheme is effective in improving the performance of cooperative communication.