Hybrid turbo FEC/ARQ systems and distributed space-time coding for cooperative transmission in the downlink

The performance of downlink coded cooperative transmission in mobile communication systems is evaluated. Cooperative transmission is seen as a "virtual" MIMO system where multiple transmit antennas are provided by a relay station and the base station, and different space-time block coding schemes are considered. Regenerative and non-regenerative systems are considered for the cooperative schemes. The use of rate compatible puncture turbo codes as forward error correction codes allow the system to be tested under the hybrid-type II automatic repeat request protocol. Results in terms of throughput show the benefits of coded cooperation over direct transmission.