Informed Network Coding for Minimum Decoding Delay

TL;DR

This paper introduces algorithms to minimize decoding delay in network coding for wireless networks, demonstrating that a greedy approach significantly improves immediate decodability and performance.

Contribution

The paper proposes a novel greedy algorithm that enhances decoding delay performance in network coding, outperforming existing protocols.

Findings

Greedy algorithm reduces decoding delay effectively.

Simulation results show improved immediate decodability.

Outperforms existing network coding protocols.

Abstract

Network coding is a highly efficient data dissemination mechanism for wireless networks. Since network coded information can only be recovered after delivering a sufficient number of coded packets, the resulting decoding delay can become problematic for delay-sensitive applications such as real-time media streaming. Motivated by this observation, we consider several algorithms that minimize the decoding delay and analyze their performance by means of simulation. The algorithms differ both in the required information about the state of the neighbors' buffers and in the way this knowledge is used to decide which packets to combine through coding operations. Our results show that a greedy algorithm, whose encodings maximize the number of nodes at which a coded packet is immediately decodable significantly outperforms existing network coding protocols.