  In a device-to-device (D2D) local area network (LAN), mobile users (MUs) must
cooperate to download common real-time content from a wireless cellular
network. However, sustaining such D2D LANs over cellular networks requires the
introduction of mechanisms that will incentivize the MUs to cooperate. In this
paper, the problem of energy-aware D2D LAN formation over cellular networks is
studied. The problem is formulated using a game-theoretic framework in which
each MU seeks to minimize its energy consumption while actively participating
in the D2D LAN. To account for the selfish behavior of the MUs, a punishment
and incentive protocol is proposed in order to ensure cooperation among MUs.
Within this protocol, an estimation algorithm is proposed to simulate the
process of D2D LAN formation and, then, adjust the mechanism parameters to
maintain cooperation. Simulation results show that the proposed framework can
improve energy efficiency up to 36% relative to the traditional multicast
scenario.
