Cooperative Connectivity Models for Wireless Relay Networks

This paper considers the ways that cooperating terminals can be connected to each other in wireless relay networks and the constraints imposed by the availability of different system resources. A framework is developed that exposes the relationship between constraints on available system resources and the achievable combinations of communication links between cooperating terminals. Cooperative connectivity models defined by the achievable combinations of links are derived, associated with their minimum cost constraint sets, and mapped to diversity techniques presented in the literature. The constraints considered are the available number of orthogonal relaying channels, the ability of terminals to diversity combine signals on a single common channel, the ability of terminals to diversity combine signals on orthogonal channels, the ability of terminals to transmit signals on multiple orthogonal channels, and the ability of terminals to cancel the effects of interhop interference.