A protocol extension to HiperLAN/2 to support single-relay networks

Abstract

The use of ad-hoc-based multi-hop relaying has been advocated as a means to increase the capacity and energy-efficiency of wireless networks. It is one of the goals of the IBMS project to investigate the potential of such ad-hoc relaying, using HiperLAN/2 as a case study. To realize relaying in a HiperLAN/2 network, the HiperLAN/2 protocol needs to be extended. This paper describes a standard-conform extension to HiperLAN/2 that enables terminals to relay data traffic within a single HiperLAN/2 cell. This extension is flexible, imposes little overhead, and work on the time scale of a single HiperLAN/2 MAC frame.