Relay-Grouping: A New Paradigm for Enhancing the Performance of Buffer-Aided Relaying Networks

This letter tackles decode-and-forward (DF) buffer-aided (BA) relaying networks. We propose a novel technique for leveraging the performance of such networks through relay-grouping where the relays are partitioned into clusters and the relays in a cluster operate in a coordinated manner. We also propose an optimal relay-grouping strategy that maximizes the diversity order (DO) under a fixed target asymptotic delay. Simulations demonstrate significant DO improvements compared to the state-of-the-art BA relay selection protocols.