AUTOMATIC PARTNER SELECTION IN THE COOPERATIVE MAC PROTOCOL

摘要

The present invention provides a system (600), device (500) and method (400) for automatic partner selection in an existing Cooperative MAC (CMAC) protocol, which uses the Ready-to-Send (RTS), Clear-to-Send (CTS) and Partner-Clear-to-Send (PCTS) handshaking to establish cooperation. The present invention enables a "best" partner/relay (500.R.k) who is also willing to cooperate to relay information to a destination (500.D.J) for the transmitting device (i.e., the source), without the source (500.S.i) making a decision on partner selection. That is, the present invention provides a new mechanism by which the best partner/relay (500.R.k) that is also willing to cooperate will "step in" automatically without the source's involvement in selection of the partner/relay (500.R.k). This mechanism is contention-based and the partner is "selected" using local information only in a fully distributed manner.