Random Network Coding Based Schemes for Perfect Wireless Packet Retransmission Problems in Multiple Channel Networks

Solving WPRTPs (wireless packet retransmission problems) using NC (network coding) is increasingly attracting research efforts. However, no work on NC based schemes for WPRTPs in MCNs (multiple channel networks) has been found. In this paper, RNC (random network coding) based schemes for P-WPRTPs (perfect WPRTPs) in MCNs, denoted as MC-P-WPRTPs (multiple channel perfect WPRTPs), are studied by transforming MC-P-WPRTPs into ILP (integer linear programming) problems. The ILP problems corresponding to MC-P-WPRTPs with four typical configurations are derived. Then the corresponding packet retransmission schedule schemes for MC-P-WPRTPs are proposed based on the solutions to the ILP problems and random network coding. To solve the ILP problems efficiently, an algorithm named as progressively fixing algorithm is proposed which recursively reduce the size of the ILP problem by fixing some of the variables according to some criteria. The criteria are related to the solution to the LP problem obtained by relaxing the integral constraints on the variables in the original ILP problem. Simulation results show that the NC based schemes for MC-P-WPRTPs are effective in saving packet retransmissions. In some situations, NC based schemes can save about 50% packet retransmissions. Z. Gao (B) College of Automation, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China e-mail: [email protected] Z. Gao · K. Nahrstedt Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Z. Gao ·W. Xiang Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI 48141, USA H. Wang College of Computer Science and Technology, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China Y. Li College of Information and Communications Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin, China