On exploiting concurrent transmissions through discernible interference cancellation

This paper represents the design, feasibility evaluation, and performance validation of ICMR, a novel cross layer protocol that can maximize concurrent transmissions and avoid data frame interference in wireless networks, achieving a higher throughput comparing with the 802.11 standard and other state-of-the-art protocols. Observations on the 802.11 standard reveal that nodes around both the transmitter and receiver of the ongoing link waste concurrent transmission opportunities, degrading the network throughput dramatically. A state-of-the-art protocol IRMA is proposed to improve the network throughput through exploiting concurrent transmissions at the transmitter side. In this paper, a new ICMR protocol focuses on the receiver side to further improve the network throughput, through exploiting discernible interference cancellation, a physical layer mechanism that can successfully detect data frames when collided by control frames. We analyze the concurrent transmission opportunities of one link from the transmitter's transmission opportunities and the receiver's reception opportunities, then formulate the opportunities and give theoretical analysis to indicate that ICMR will have a higher opportunity over other protocols. Feasibility of the discernible interference cancellation mechanism is demonstrated through experiment results based on USRP2, and the throughput improvement of ICMR comparing with the other protocols is confirmed through simulations based on ns-2.