Distributed Multichannel Access in High-Frequency Diversity Networks: A Multi-Agent Learning Approach With Correlated Equilibrium

Wen Li,Xueqiang Chen,Meng Wang,Dianxiong Liu,Yang Yang,Yuhua Xu,Yunpeng Cheng

doi:10.1109/access.2019.2926161

Wen Li, Xueqiang Chen + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2019.2926161

Copy DOI

Abstract

This paper investigates the problem of multi-user multichannel access in distributed high-frequency (HF) diversity communication networks using a game-theoretic learning algorithm which is based on correlation equilibrium (CE). We formulate the channel access problem in the HF networks as a non-cooperative game. In the access game, each user equipment (UE) optimizes its access strategy without the information about other UEs, which makes the channel access problem challenging. It is proved that there is at least one CE point that makes all UEs’ access strategy efficient and fair. We propose a distributed learning algorithm based on CE to achieve multi-user access with low cost and fairly in the distributed HF networks. We use coordination signals to help each UE learn the access strategy by themselves. When each UE receives and recognizes the right coordination signals, UEs will learn to transmit data on right channels without further collisions after the learning phase. The simulation results show that the proposed learning algorithm can not only completely avoid interference and get optimal throughput but also guarantee fairness among all UEs.

Highlights

High-frequency (HF) communication (3 − 30MHz) which realizes short distance transmission by ground-wave propagation and long distance transmission by sky-wave propagation with ionospheric reflection plays a significant role in military and emergency
The user equipment (UE) are randomly located in a 500km × 500km square region and all UEs transmit in each time slot, if they can access the channels
We are interested in how many steps does the HF communication network (HFCN) need to converge to the stable state with different UEs M, coordination signals K and switching probability Pd

Summary

Introduction

High-frequency (HF) communication (3 − 30MHz) which realizes short distance transmission by ground-wave propagation and long distance transmission by sky-wave propagation with ionospheric reflection plays a significant role in military and emergency. Since HF channels suffer from multipath effect, deep fading and the jamming of environment or other users, the HF channels are always poor [1]–[3]. It is important for users to optimize their access strategy. Existing work about HF channel access mainly considered intelligent Auto Link Establishment (ALE) [4]–[6] and HF spectrum prediction [7]–[9].

Results

Discussion

Conclusion