Buffer-Aided Virtual Full-Duplex Cooperative Networks Exploiting Source-to-Relay Broadcast Channels

This paper proposes a virtual full-duplex relaying protocol with the aid of multiple half-duplex relay nodes equipped with buffers and multiple antenna elements. The protocol increases the spectral efficiency, in comparison to the conventional half-duplex counterpart. More specifically, multiple relay nodes simultaneously receive a source packet, while a single relay node retransmits a buffered packet to the destination node at the same time slot. In order to eliminate the detrimental effects of inter-relay interference, multiple antenna elements are used at relay nodes. Our performance results show that the proposed virtual full-duplex protocol is capable of achieving a lower delay profile than that of the conventional virtual full-duplex max- max relay selection, while combating limitations imposed by inter-relay interference.