An Efficient Protocol for Realizing Cooperative Diversity in Wireless Networks

We develop two variants of an energy-efficient cooperative diversity protocol that combats fading induced by multipath propagation in wireless networks. The underlying techniques build upon the classical relay channel and related work and exploit space diversity available at distributed antennas through coordinated transmission and processing by cooperating radios. While applicable to any wireless setting, these protocols are particularly attractive in ad-hoc or peer-to-peer wireless networks, in which radios are typically constrained to employ a single antenna. Substantial energy-savings resulting from these protocols can lead to reduced battery drain, longer network lifetime, and improved network performance in terms of, e.g., capacity.