Variable-width channel allocation for access points : a game-theoretic perspective

• Main Authors: Yuan, Wei, Wang, Ping, Liu, Wei, Cheng, Wenqing
• Other Authors: School of Computer Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Computer science and engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/102870; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/16875
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Channel allocation is a crucial concern in variable-width wireless local area networks. This work aims to obtain the stable and fair nonoverlapped variable-width channel allocation for selfish access points (APs). In the scenario of single collision domain, the channel allocation problem reduces to a channel-width allocation problem, which can be formulated as a noncooperative game. The Nash equilibrium (NE) of the game corresponds to a desired channel-width allocation. A distributed algorithm is developed to achieve the NE channel-width allocation that globally maximizes the network utility. A punishment-based cooperation self-enforcement mechanism is further proposed to ensure that the APs obey the proposed scheme. In the scenario of multiple collision domains, the channel allocation problem is formulated as a constrained game. Penalty functions are introduced to relax the constraints and the game is converted into a generalized ordinal potential game. Based on the best response and randomized escape, a distributed iterative algorithm is designed to achieve a desired NE channel allocation. Finally, computer simulations are conducted to validate the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed schemes.