Stackelberg game theoretic pricing algorithm for bandwidth allocation in cooperative access

Cooperative access among user devices by sharing wireless access bandwidth opens a new paradigm in heterogeneous networks.However,how to stimulate cooperative relay nodes forwarding service data for others and allocating corresponding bandwidth to support it are two key issues in the cooperative access.This paper proposes a Stackelberg game based framework which is benefit participants including relay nodes and client nodes.This framework generalizes the pricing based bandwidth allocation algorithm by the Stackelberg game model,which optimizes the profit of the cooperative relay nodes while guaranteeing the bandwidth requirements of client nodes.We transform the profit maximization problem into a convex problem and solve it using the convex optimization method.The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed framework and corresponding algorithms outperform the bidding weight proportional fairness and fixed value bandwidth allocation ones significantly.     

Stackelberg game based interference management for two-tier femtocell networks

Femtocell is viewed as a promising option for mobile operators to improve coverage and provide high-data-rate services in a cost-effective manner. This paper considers the uplink interference management problem in a spectrum-sharing femtocell network. Assuming that the macrocell base station (MBS) is rewarded for sharing the spectrum with femtocells by setting a reasonable interference cap (IC) for femtocell users’ (FUEs’) transmissions. Within IC, the FUEs allocate their transmission powers competitively while not introducing much interference to both the macrocell users (MUEs) and other FUEs. A Stackelberg game is formulated to jointly maximize the utility of MBS and the individual utility of FUEs. Specifically, the maximum tolerable interference at the MBS is used as the resource that the leader (MBS) and the followers (FUEs) compete for. Then, the backward induction method is applied to achieve the Stackelberg equilibrium and a distributed power update rule is developed for FUEs. In addition, the implementation protocol is presented, some issues related to the implementations and some future extensions regarding the MUEs’ uplink protection are discussed. Lastly, numerical results demonstrate the performance of our proposed power allocation in detail, and show the effects of varying the number of FBSs and changing other system parameters on the system’s performance.     

无线数据网络中基于斯塔克尔博格博弈的功率控制

功率控制是无线数据网络中资源管理的关键技术。为使无线数据网络中非合作博弈功率控制算法得到帕累托改进,将斯塔克尔博格博弈引入到无线数据网络功率控制算法中,使所有系统终端都工作在最佳的等信干比下,提出一个基于斯塔克尔博格博弈的分布式功率控制算法,并进行了数值仿真。仿真结果表明,该算法明显提高了系统的性能,使系统终端具有相对较高的效用和较低的发射功率,并使得无线网络资源的使用更加合理和公平,同时算法拥有较好的收敛性。     

A Stackelberg game for resource allocation in multiuser cooperative transmission networks

In this paper, we consider the problem of stimulating cooperation and resource allocation in cooperative transmission networks. We formulate this problem as a sellers' market competition where a relay is willing to share its resource with multiple users. We use a Stackelberg game to jointly consider the benefits of the relay and the users. Firstly, the relay determines the price of relaying according to the user demand. Secondly, the users purchase the optimal amount of resources to maximize their utilities. Although the Nash equilibrium, i.e., the solution of the game, can be obtained in a centralized manner, we develop a distributed algorithm to search the Nash equilibrium, which is more applicable in practical systems. Also, the convergence conditions of the algorithm are analyzed. Simulation results show, by using the distributed algorithm, the relay and the users could determine what price should ask for and how much bandwidth should buy, respectively. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stackelberg game for backhaul resource allocation in the two-tier LTE femtocell networks

As one promising technology for indoor coverage and service offloading from the conventional cellular networks, femtocells have attracted considerable attention in recent years. However, most of previous work are focused on resource allocation during the access period, and the backhaul involved resource allocation is seriously ignored. The authors studied the backhaul resource allocation in the wireless backhaul based two-tier heterogeneous networks （HetNets）, in which cross-tier interference control during access period is jointly considered. Assuming that the macrocell base station （MBS） protects itself from interference by pricing the backhaul spectrum allocated to femtocells, a Stackelberg game is formulated to work on the joint utility maximization of the macrocell and femtocells subject to a maximum interference tolerance at the MBS. The closed-form expressions of the optimal strategies are obtained to characterize the Stackelberg equilibriums for the proposed games, and a backhaul spectrum payment selection algorithm with guaranteed convergence is proposed to implement the backhaul resource allocation for femtocell base stations （FBSs）. Simulations are presented to demonstrate the Stackelberg equilibrium （SE） is obtained by the proposed algorithm and the proposed scheme is effective in backhaul resource allocation and macrocell protection in the spectrum-sharing HetNets.     

A game theoretic framework for bandwidth allocation and pricing inbroadband networks

In this paper, we present a game theoretic framework for bandwidth allocation for elastic services in high-speed networks. The framework is based on the idea of the Nash bargaining solution from cooperative game theory, which not only provides the rate settings of users that are Pareto optimal from the point of view of the whole system, but are also consistent with the fairness axioms of game theory. We first consider the centralized problem and then show that this procedure can be decentralized so that greedy optimization by users yields the system optimal bandwidth allocations. We propose a distributed algorithm for implementing the optimal and fair bandwidth allocation and provide conditions for its convergence. The paper concludes with the pricing of elastic connections based on users' bandwidth requirements and users' budget. We show that the above bargaining framework can be used to characterize a rate allocation and a pricing policy which takes into account users' budget in a fair way and such that the total network revenue is maximized     

When to offload in two-tier smallcell networks: a Stackelberg game approach with pre-offloading-decision

In this paper, we consider the problem of traffic offloading in a two-tier downlink smallcell network with hybrid access. We formulate a Stackelberg game with pre-offloading decision, which includes two steps, to study the problem. The utility of the MBS is designed as a piecewise function, corresponding to the two possible decisions of the MBS. We design a bonus-based incentive mechanism to motivate smallcell base stations (SBSs) serve the MUEs. We prove the existence and uniqueness of the Stackelberg equilibrium. We also consider the incomplete information game, where the SBSs have private information. A Bayesian Stackelberg game with pre-offloading decision is formulated and the existence of Bayesian Stackelberg equilibrium is proved. Our proposed approach achieves much higher utilities than the existing approach does under some circumstances in both cases, which proves the necessity and superiority of our proposed game structure.     

异构无线网络中基于Stackelberg博弈的分布式定价和资源分配算法

针对异构无线网络资源管理问题,结合多主多从Stackelberg博弈模型,提出了一种同时满足网络运营商和用户效用最大的异构无线网络定价和资源分配方案。首先设计了一种基于收益和花费的移动用户效用函数,并证明在运营商的价格确定后,效用函数满足凹函数的条件,保证了移动用户间非合作博弈的纳什均衡点存在。为了获取移动用户的最优带宽策略和运营商的最优价格策略,提出了一种分布式迭代算法。最后通过仿真实验取得了参与者的最优策略和子博弈完美纳什均衡。     

认知无线网络中基于Stackelberg博弈的功率控制新算法

针对认知无线网络中存在的干扰问题和功率消耗过大问题,提出了一种新的基于斯坦克尔伯格(Stackelberg)博弈的功率控制算法。建立了主次用户双层网络模型,将主用户设置为领导者,次用户设置为追随者,并对次用户产生的总干扰进行定量分析。在次用户多次博弈的过程中,动态地调整主用户单位干扰价格,在保证主用户自身正常通信前提下,尽量使得收益最大化,提高主用户的参与积极性。仿真实验表明,该算法在保证主次用户的服务质量（QoS）前提下,有效地减小了次用户的发射功率,而且能获得更高的系统容量。     

多跳IWSN物理层安全的Stackelberg博弈

针对多跳工业无线传感器网络中物理层安全窃听攻击问题,研究了一种反馈Stackelberg博弈功率控制(Feedback Stackelberg Game Power Control,FSPC)方案.基于提高一跳内安全速率,通过付费方式激励目的节点提供协同干扰服务,利用Stackelberg博弈模拟发送节点和目的节点的交...     

Mobile next-generation networks

Mobile next-generation networks (NGNs) are a necessary element in reaching the goal of truly ubiquitous computing. The Universal Mobile Telecommunication System, the third-generation mobile service concept, is a technology step to mobile NGNs. We can view NGNs as a merger of the Internet and intranets with mobile networks and with media and broadcast technologies. The Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) is-from a radio perspective-a third-generation cellular technology, which is defined by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in its IMT-2000 framework (2001). From a conceptual point of view, it represents a technology step to mobile NGNs' facilitating ubiquitous computing. Researchers conceived UMTS to combine Internet protocol (IP) and mobile technologies to offer personal communication and personalized content everywhere. Its goal is to apply Internet protocols for mobile services control and end-to-end applications. By analyzing the trends of key technologies, we can see how they drive the evolution of the Internet and mobile communications toward mobile NGNs. In this article, I describe the IP-based approach of UMTS for the provision of mobile multimedia services. The integration of WLAN into the UMTS architecture could indicate that the field is moving toward separating mobile and fixed Internet.     

Improving caching resource management: A pricing economic approach using Cournot,Bertrand, and Stackelberg game models

Over-The-Top broadcasts a huge number of medias that mobile network operators have to manage efficiently before to deliver it to their subscribers. We propose an economic pricing approach to address caching resource management issues in the 5G wireless networks and to overcome limitations in terms of throughput, latency, and reliability. Moreover, we consider this approach based on an oligopolistic multi-market deducted from Cournot, Stackelberg, and Bertrand models. For simulation purpose, we consider the routing protocol (Ad-hoc On-Demand Distance Vector [AODV]) commonly used for the wireless network. We use the NS-2 package, and we analyze results in terms of End-to-End delay representing latency, throughput, packet delivery ratio, and normalized network load.     

Cooperative localization for next-generation converged networks with closed-form solution

In this article, a novel cooperative wireless localization scheme based on information fusion is proposed. The scheme combines large-scale arrival time and small-scale distance measurements obtained from the next-generation converged networks. The maximum likelihood (ML) estimate of the terminai's position is derived with closed-form solution, and the Cramtr-Rao lower bound (CRLB) of the estimate error is investigated. Both theoretical analysis and simulation results verify that the proposed localization scheme can significantly enhance the location precision. Moreover, the mean square error of position estimate approximates the CRLB when the number of reference stations increases, which indicates that the proposed ML estimator is asymptotically efficient.     

基于Stackelberg博弈的动态频谱接入控制

为了解决多主用户和多次级用户共存网络的频谱资源分配问题,提出了一种基于斯塔科尔伯格（Stackelberg）博弈的动态频谱接入控制算法。该算法通过三阶段Stackelberg博弈模拟主用户频谱竞价,博弈过程中次级用户以最大化传输速率为目的接入主用户频谱,同时设计了一种迭代过程来求解纳什均衡。实验计算与结果分析证明了纳什均衡唯一存在性的充要条件,并说明了迭代过程的收敛性以及主用户最佳效用的影响因素。     

Virtual network resource management for next-generation networks

The multilayer structure of transport networks presents a key challenge in network resource management. In this article we present a virtual network approach to the management of transport network resources. We describe the approach as developed for the management of large-scale ATM networks and discuss the application to the next generation of multilayer transport networks.     

WLAN-GPRS integration for next-generation mobile data networks

The ongoing wireless LAN standardization and R&D activities worldwide, which target bit rates higher than 100 Mb/s, combined with the successful deployment of WLANs in numerous hotspots justify the fact that WLAN technology will play a key role in wireless data transmission. Cellular network operators have recognized this fact, and strive to exploit WLAN technology and integrate this technology into their cellular data networks. For this reason, there is currently a strong need for interworking mechanisms between WLANs and cellular data networks. We focus on these interworking mechanisms, which effectively combine WLANs and cellular data networks into integrated wireless data environments capable of ubiquitous data services and very high data rates in hotspot locations. We discuss the general aspects of integrated WLANs and cellular data networks, and we examine the generic interworking architectures that have been proposed in the technical literature. In addition, we review the current standardization activities in the area of WLAN-cellular data network integration. Moreover, we propose and explain two different interworking architectures, which feature different coupling mechanisms. Finally, we compare the proposed interworking architectures, and discuss their advantages and drawbacks.     

Quality-of-service signaling for next-generation IP-based mobile networks

We present a novel end-to-end QoS architecture that enables seamless services over heterogeneous wireless access networks. We discuss the main architectural approaches and design issues of mobility-aware QoS signaling in IP networks. Then we introduce a QoS signaling architecture that integrates resource management with mobility management. It is based on a domain resource manager concept and nicely supports various handover types in an integrated approach. In particular, we support anticipated handover with pre-reservation of resources over the old network before the mobile node is attached to the new access point.     

An architecture for next-generation radio access networks

With fourth-generation wireless technologies envisioned to provide high bandwidth for content-rich multimedia applications, next-generation mobile communication systems are well poised to lead the technology march. Incumbent with the new technology is the challenge of providing flexible, reconfigurable architectures capable of catering to the dynamics of the network, while providing cost-effective solutions for service providers. In this article we focus on IP-based radio access network architectures for next-generation mobile systems. We provide an insight into wireless mesh-based connectivity for the RAN network elements - using short high-bandwidth links to interconnect the network entities in a multihop mesh network for backhauling traffic to the core. A generic self-similar fractal topology, using optical wireless transmission technology, is described. We study the performance of the architecture and conclude that mesh-based architectures are well suited to provide highly scalable, dynamic radio access networks with carrier-class features at significantly low system costs.