Cooperative Diversity Techniques for Multiuser Wireless Systems

Due to the scarcity of the radio spectrum, it is important to utilize resources efficiently to maximize the throughput of a wireless network. In this project, the researchers will pursue this goal by investigating cooperative diversity techniques. The basic idea is to let some users act as relay nodes to forward data for some other users. This method has a large potential performance gain, especially when the direct link between a user and his or her intended receiver is weak, which is common in real situations, since the line-of-sight path is usually blocked by buildings or other obstacles. The researchers will propose new resource allocation methods to exploit this new form of diversity. Rigorous theoretical study will be carried out and computer simulation will be used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The outcome of the project will be a better way to utilize radio resources, which will have both theoretical and application value. A low-cost practical protocol will also be developed. This is very relevant to current societal needs, which require ubiquitous communication for both personal and business purposes.