A Game-Based Self-Organizing Uplink Tree for VoIP Services in IEEE 802.16j Networks

— In this paper, we propose a game theoretical approach to tackle the problem of the distributed formation of the uplink tree structure among the relay stations (RSs) and their serving base station (BS) in an IEEE 802.16j WiMAX network. Unlike existing literature which focused on the performance assessment of the network in the presence of the RSs, we investigate the topology and dynamics of the tree structure in the uplink of an 802.16j network. We model the problem as a network formation game, with the RSs being the players. In the proposed game, each RS aims to maximize its utility that accounts for the gains from cooperation in terms of bit error rate (BER) and the costs resulting from multi-hop transmission in terms of delay. The proposed utility model is based on the concept of the R-factor which is a parameter suitable for assessing the performance of VoIP services. For forming the tree structure, we propose a distributed myopic best response dynamics in which each RS can auto...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: ICC
• Authors: Walid Saad, Zhu Han, Mérouane Debbah, Are Hjørungnes, Tamer Basar
• Keywords: Communications, ICC 2009, Network Formation Game, Tree Structure, Uplink Tree Structure