Abstract

In this paper, we propose a new mechanism for selecting the most suitable partner in a cooperative wireless communication system, using a type of game called the Bidding game. Among all the previous researches in cooperative communications employing a similar game concept, none of them considered how relays are selected, but rather how power is allocated among the relays or sources. In this game, in which the conventional theories of economic bidding are applied, the cooperative communication network is modeled as a single-user, multi-relay system in which the source acts as the auctioneer while the relays or partners act as the bidders in the game. The resource being auctioned here is power, and the relay which offers the highest bid in terms of price is selected, allocated power and also given an incentive (for helping) by the source node. This paper shows that there is a linear relationship between the utility achievable by a source node and the selection of a suitable partner for the cooperative process by that node. Simulations are run to verify and validate our proposed scheme.

Key words: Auction, bidding game, cooperative communication, utility