Wireless Network Coding with Local Network Views: Coded Layer Scheduling

TL;DR

This paper introduces Coded Layer Scheduling, a novel transmission strategy for multi-layer wireless networks with limited local network views, significantly improving throughput by combining interference avoidance, repetition coding, and network coding.

Contribution

The paper proposes a new scheme that maximizes normalized sum-rate in networks with only 1-local view, advancing understanding of information limits under limited network knowledge.

Findings

Significant throughput gains over traditional interference avoidance.

Maximizes normalized sum-rate in certain network classes.

Characterizes normalized sum-capacity with 1-local view.

Abstract

One of the fundamental challenges in the design of distributed wireless networks is the large dynamic range of network state. Since continuous tracking of global network state at all nodes is practically impossible, nodes can only acquire limited local views of the whole network to design their transmission strategies. In this paper, we study multi-layer wireless networks and assume that each node has only a limited knowledge, namely 1-local view, where each S-D pair has enough information to perform optimally when other pairs do not interfere, along with connectivity information for rest of the network. We investigate the information-theoretic limits of communication with such limited knowledge at the nodes. We develop a novel transmission strategy, namely Coded Layer Scheduling, that solely relies on 1-local view at the nodes and incorporates three different techniques: (1) per layer interference avoidance, (2) repetition coding to allow overhearing of the interference, and (3) network coding to allow interference neutralization. We show that our proposed scheme can provide a significant throughput gain compared with the conventional interference avoidance strategies. Furthermore, we show that our strategy maximizes the achievable normalized sum-rate for some classes of networks, hence, characterizing the normalized sum-capacity of those networks with 1-local view.