Signal Processing and Communications Group

FlexIble RElay Wireless OFDM-based netwoRKS

Acronym:    FIREWORKS
Code:    IST-FP6-027675-STREP
Funder:    European Commission
Start date:    2006 January 1st
End date:    2008 March 31st
Web site:    http://fireworks.intranet.gr

Partners:    CEA-LETI, Czech Technical University, HELLENIC TELECOMMUNICATION ORG., INTRACOM S.A., Motorola Labs, RWTH Aachen University and University of Surrey
SPCOM Participants:    Adrian Agustin de Dios, Olga Muñoz Medina and Josep Vidal Manzano
SPCOM Responsible:    Josep Vidal Manzano

Summary

FIREWORKS project aims to study, design and validate a novel Mesh Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) system concept based on flexible Relay Stations, suitable for OFDM-based WMANs and WLANs, towards their jointly optimised capacity deployment and operation. Mesh topology has the ability to achieve high coverage even in diverse propagation environments (e.g. NLOS, outdoor-to-indoor, and mobile). Obstacles are bypassed by creating multi-hop routes through low-cost relays. Furthermore, this topology can easily adapt to terrain changes (i.e. in under-development areas) by node relocation or addition. The FIREWORKS project will analyze the capacity improvements of relay enhanced systems compared to conventional single hop P-MP systems for the same area size. Different aspects will be covered such as capacity increase in terms of throughput and range extension of the coverage area, taking also into account techno-economical issues associated with the deployment, operation and maintenance of such systems. Various solutions and algorithms for the PHY layer will be developed jointly utilising advanced single and multi-user processing and innovative Multi-Transmit Multi-Receive (MTMR) techniques, including MIMO, Spatial Diversity Coding, Spatial Multiplexing, Beam-Forming and Cooperative MTMR. These network capacity enhancing techniques are one of the drivers, the other being the multi-hop architecture, for the design of suitable radio resource management schemes and distributed MAC protocols for Mesh; MAC is one of the major challenges for FIREWORKS. With hybrid WMAN/WLAN Mesh deployment scenarios envisaged, FIREWORKS will specify several modules and will provide contributions to appropriate standards bodies. Finally, the FIREWORKS prototype validation activity will provide sufficient insight for the evaluation of the economic viability of the relay based network concept and also explore its environmental impact and its social acceptance.

Journal publications

[1] A. Agustin de Dios and J. Vidal, "Amplify-and-forward cooperation under interference-limited spatial reuse of the relay slot", IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, Vol. 5, May 2008, pp. 1952 - 1962.

[2] S. Valentin, H. S. Lichte, H. Karl, S. Simoens, G. Vivier, J. Vidal and A. Agustin de Dios, "Cooperative wireless networking beyond store-and-forward: Perspectives in PHY and MAC design", Wireless Personal Communications, March 2008.

[3] O. Muñoz Medina, J. Vidal and A. Agustin de Dios, "Linear transceiver design in non regenarative relays with channel state information", IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, Vol. 55, June 2007, pp. 2593 - 2604.

Conference publications

[1] A. Agustin de Dios and J. Vidal, "Resource optimization in decode-and-forward half-duplex multiple relay-assisted channel", IEEE International Workshop on Signal Processing Advances for Wireless Communications, July 2008.

[2] O. Muñoz Medina, J. Vidal, A. Agustin de Dios and E. Calvo Page, "Resource Management for Relay Enhanced WiMAX: OFDM and OFDMA", Workshop Trends in Radio Resource Management, November 2007.

[3] A. Agustin de Dios and J. Vidal, "High Spectral Efficiency of Multiple-relays Assited Amplify-and-Forward Cooperative Transmissions under Spatial Reuse", IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference Fall, September 2007.

[4] A. Agustin de Dios and J. Vidal, "Radio resources optimization for the relay-assisted multiple access gaussian channel", IEEE International Workshop on Signal Processing Advances for Wireless Communications, June 2007.

[5] E. Calvo Page, J. Vidal and J. R. Fonollosa, "Resource Allocation in Multihop Ofdma Broadcast Networks", IEEE International Workshop on Signal Processing Advances for Wireless Communications, June 2007.

[6] S. Valentin, H. S. Lichte, H. Karl, G. Vivier, S. Simoens, J. Vidal, A. Agustin de Dios and I. Aad, "Cooperative Wireless Networking beyond Store-and-Forward: Perspectives for PHY and MAC Design", Wireless World Research Forum Workshop, November 2006.

[7] A. Agustin de Dios and J. Vidal, "TDMA COOPERATION USING SPATIAL REUSE OF THE RELAY SLOT WITH INTERFERING POWER DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION", IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing, May 2006.

Books

[1] S. Valentin, H. S. Lichte, H. Karl, G. Vivier, S. Simoens, J. Vidal and A. Agustin de Dios, "Implementing Cooperative Wireless Networks. Towards Feasibility and deployment. Chapter 8: Cognitive Wireless Networks, Concepts, Methodologies and Visions inspiring the age of enlightment of wireless communications", Springer, September 2007.