Cooperative networks: Overview of state-of-the-art and trends toward green cooperative networks

This paper gives a general overview of a cooperative network (CN), which allows single-antenna mobiles to reach some of the advantages of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) systems. The idea is that single-antenna mobiles in a multi-user scenario can share their antennas so as to create a virtual MIMO system. Several important results in this area have been reached through an important research activity. However, most of them focused on performances of a CN such as rates and outage probability, with little consideration to the energetic aspect of this technology. This paper aims to cover most of what researchers all over the scientific community have achieved regarding this technology, with special regard to energy-aware CN schemes involving other new radio technologies.