A Cooperative Routing Framework Based on Randomized Coding in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

A distributed cooperative forwarding framework based on randomized coding is proposed, where cooperative links are formed and packets are forwarded on the fly, without explicit relay selection, actuation or resource allocation. In this framework, a cooperative flooding method and two cooperative forwarding schemes that actuate the cooperative transmissions of the nodes within an optimally formed progress region are described. It is shown that by assuring packets´ progress cooperatively through a region instead of a string of predetermined nodes, progress of the packets towards the final destination is guaranteed even in sparse networks, under severe fading and mobility conditions. The proposed forwarding schemes are shown to provide reductions in the total number of hops, while causing minimal spatial footprint on the network.