A multiple cooperative nodes selection method for reliable wireless multi-hop data transmission

We have reported that the use of cooperative nodes is effective for enhancing the reliability of data transmission between a source (S) and a destination (D) in a wireless multi-hop network by means of transmit diversity effect [1]. In the previous work, we have proposed two methods on cooperative node selection for each forwarding node over the route between S and D established by the Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) algorithm, but their application has been limited within the selection of just a single cooperative node for each forwarding node. Extension from single cooperative node selection to multiple cooperative nodes selection is not straightforward and requires a deep consideration, because when dealing with multiple cooperative nodes, we need to select and order adequate multiple cooperative nodes, and the selection and the ordering are related to each other. In this paper, we propose a multiple cooperative nodes selection method based on the criterion composed of the “quality” and “angle” metrics, which can select and order adequate cooperative nodes uniquely according to the criterion. Computer simulation results show that the proposed method can effectively reduce the packet error rate without any knowledge on the locations of nodes; as the number of cooperative nodes increases, the packet error rate is gradually improved, but the packet delay inevitably increases.