Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus are provided for a source to choose a partner/relay from at least one candidate to transmit at least part of a message from the source to destination. The choice depends on the channel conditions of the source and when the source is experiencing poor channel quality to the destination, the source selects the candidate and the modulation modes of the source and partner/relay such that the frame error rate (FER) of the source is lowered. Otherwise, a modulation mode is selected for each of the source and the partner/relay that most improves the gain in throughput of the source. The present invention applies to modes consisting of binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), and 16-state quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM).

Abstract: Cooperative communication is a technique that can be employed to meet the increased throughput needs of next generation WiMAX systems. In a cooperative scenario, multiple stations can jointly emulate the antenna elements of a multi-input multi-output system in a distributed fashion. A framework for a randomized distributed space-time coding (“R-DSTC”) technique in the emerging relay-assisted WiMAX network, and the development of a cooperative medium access control (“MAC”) layer protocol, called CoopMAX, for R-DSTC deployment in an IEEE 802.16 system, is described. The technique described couples the MAC layer with the physical (PHY) layer for performance optimization. The PHY layer yields significant diversity gain, while the MAC layer achieves a substantial end-to-end throughput gain.

Abstract: A distributed and opportunistic medium access control (MAC) layer protocol for randomized distributed space-time coding (R-DSTC), which may be deployed in an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network (WLAN), is described. Unlike other cooperative MAC designs, there is no need to predetermine, before packet transmission, which stations will serve as relays. Instead, the MAC layer protocol opportunistically recruits relay stations on the fly. Network capacity and delay performance is much better than legacy IEEE 802.11g network, and even cooperative forwarding using one relay station. Avoiding the need to collect the station-to-station channel statistics considerably reduces overhead otherwise required for channel measurement and signaling.

Abstract: A system (1300), method, and apparatus (1900) are provided for a source to choose a partner/relay from at least one candidate(1302) (1303) to transmit at least part of a message from the source (1301) to destination (1304). The choice depends on the channel conditions of the source (1301) and when the source is experiencing poor channel quality to the destination, the source selects the candidate and the modulation modes of the source (1301) and partner/relay (1302) (1303) such that the frame error rate (FER) of the source(1301) is lowered. Otherwise, a modulation mode is selected for each of the source (1301) and the partner/relay (1302) (1303) that most improves the gain in throughput of the source (1301). The present invention applies to modes consisting of binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), and 16-state quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM).

Abstract: Multiple cooperative relays operate in a highly mobile environment and form a virtual antenna array. Multiple independent streams of data can be simultaneously, transmitted in parallel to the destination receiver. Thus a higher spatial multiplexing gain can be obtained. Each relay device that receives the information without errors splits it into multiple streams. For example, if the relay devices receive B symbols and the number of streams is K, each stream contains B/K symbols. Each relay device then generates a random linear combination of all the streams and transmits this output simultaneously with the other relay devices.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus are provided for a source to choose a partner/relay from at least one candidate to transmit at least part of a message from the source to destination. The choice depends on the channel conditions of the source and when the source is experiencing poor channel quality to the destination, the source selects the candidate and the modulation modes of the source and partner/relay such that the frame error rate (FER) of the source is lowered. Otherwise, a modulation mode is selected for each of the source and the partner/relay that most improves the gain in throughput of the source. The present invention applies to modes consisting of binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), and 16-state quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM).

Abstract: Data is transmitted from a source wireless device to a destination wireless device by: (a) discovering node-to-node wireless channel conditions in a wireless network; (b) determining at least one of (A) wireless relay devices, (B) modulation schemes, and (C) transmission rates using the discovered node-to-node channel conditions; (c) signaling at least some of the determined information to the determined wireless relay devices; (d) receiving, with each of the wireless relay devices, a transmission of the data from the source wireless device; and (e) transmitting, with each of the wireless relay devices, a randomized, space-time encoded, part of the received data, to the destination device using the signaled at least some of the determined information.

Abstract: Improved distribution of video information in an infrastructure-based wireless network is provided. A wireless channel condition between the video server node and each of the plurality of receiver nodes is determined. Receiver nodes are assigned into one of a first group and a second group using the measured wireless channel conditions, wherein receiver nodes assigned to the first group have, on average, a better measured wireless channel condition than that of receiver nodes assigned to the second group. At least some of the receiver nodes of the first group of nodes are selected to serve as relay nodes. Video information is then transmitted wirelessly from the video server node to the receiver nodes assigned to the first group. Each of the selected relay nodes then transmits at least a part of the video information to the receiver nodes of the second group.

Abstract: Cooperative communication is a technique that can be employed to meet the increased throughput needs of next generation WiMAX systems. In a cooperative scenario, multiple stations can jointly emulate the antenna elements of a multi-input multi-output system in a distributed fashion. A framework for a randomized distributed space-time coding (“R-DSTC”) technique in the emerging relay-assisted WiMAX network, and the development of a cooperative medium access control (“MAC”) layer protocol, called CoopMAX, for R-DSTC deployment in an IEEE 802.16 system, is described. The technique described couples the MAC layer with the physical (PHY) layer for performance optimization. The PHY layer yields significant diversity gain, while the MAC layer achieves a substantial end-to-end throughput gain.

Abstract: A distributed and opportunistic medium access control (MAC) layer protocol for randomized distributed space-time coding (R-DSTC), which may be deployed in an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network (WLAN), is described. Unlike other cooperative MAC designs, there is no need to predetermine, before packet transmission, which stations will serve as relays. Instead, the MAC layer protocol opportunistically recruits relay stations on the fly. Network capacity and delay performance is much better than legacy IEEE 802.11g network, and even cooperative forwarding using one relay station. Avoiding the need to collect the station-to-station channel statistics considerably reduces overhead otherwise required for channel measurement and signaling.

Abstract: A system (1300), method, and apparatus (1900) are provided for a source to choose a partner/relay from at least one candidate (1302) (1303) to transmit at least part of a message from the source (1301) to destination (1304). The choice depends on the channel conditions of channel quality to the destination, the source selects the the source (1301) and when the source is experiencing poor candidate and the modulation modes of the source (1301) and partner/relay (1302) (1303) such that the frame error rate (FER) of the source (1301) is lowered. Otherwise, a modulation mode is selected for each of the source (1301) and the partner/relay (1302) (1303) that most improves the gain in throughput of the source (1301). The present invention applies to modes consisting of binary phase shift keying (BPSK), quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), and 16-state quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM).

Abstract: Data is transmitted from a source wireless device to a destination wireless device by: (a) discovering node-to-node wireless channel conditions in a wireless network; (b) determining at least one of (A) wireless relay devices, (B) modulation schemes, and (C) transmission rates using the discovered node-to-node channel conditions; (c) signaling at least some of the determined information to the determined wireless relay devices; (d) receiving, with each of the wireless relay devices, a transmission of the data from the source wireless device; and (e) transmitting, with each of the wireless relay devices, a randomized, space-time encoded, part of the received data, to the destination device using the signaled at least some of the determined information

Abstract: Multiple cooperative relays operate in a highly mobile environment and form a virtual antenna array. Multiple independent streams of data can be simultaneously transmitted in parallel to the destination receiver. Thus a higher spatial multiplexing gain can be obtained. Such exemplary embodiments might do so by allowing each relay to transmit a linear combination of antenna waveforms according to an independently and randomly generated coefficient vector. This randomized cooperation scheme may be useful in an environment in which a group of relay devices are close to the source device, and can therefore receive information at a high rate. Each relay device that receives the information without errors splits it into multiple streams. For example, if the relay devices receive B symbols and the number of streams is K, each stream contains B/K symbols. Each relay device then generates a random linear combination of all the streams and transmits this output simultaneously with the other relay devices.

Abstract: Improved distribution of video information in an infrastructure-based wireless network is provided. A wireless channel condition between the video server node and each of the plurality of receiver nodes is measured (or accepted, or otherwise determined). Each of the plurality of receiver nodes are assigned into one of a first group and a second group using the measured wireless channel conditions, wherein receiver nodes assigned to the first group have, on average (e.g., on average over time), a better measured wireless channel condition than that of receiver nodes assigned to the second group. At least some (e.g., one or more) of the receiver nodes of the first group of nodes are selected to serve as relay nodes. Video information (e.g., N layers) is then transmitted wirelessly from the video server node for reception by each of the receiver nodes assigned to the first group. Each of the selected relay nodes then transmit at least a part (e.g.