Optimizing sum rates in IoT networks: A novel IRS-NOMA cooperative system

Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS) offer a promising solution for enhancing sum rates in wireless networks by dynamically adjusting signal reflections to optimize propagation paths. When combined with Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA), which enables multiple users to share the same frequency band, significant improvements in spectral efficiency can be achieved. However, as the number of users increases in IRS-NOMA systems, ensuring consistently high data rates for all users becomes challenging due to coverage limitations and inefficient power allocation in static network configurations, leading to performance degradation in multi-user scenarios. To address these limitations, we propose a novel IRS-NOMA cooperative system designed to optimize sum rates through an intelligent power allocation algorithm, nearby users, and IRS to assist the base station in delivering signals and expanding network coverage. The proposed system operates in two phases: during the first phase, the base station transmits signals directly to users and indirectly through the IRS. In the second phase, nearby users assist in relaying signals to enhance coverage and reliability. The proposed system adopts a cascaded channel model to accurately capture the interactions between the base station, IRS, and users. By leveraging our optimization algorithm, the proposed system ensures efficient resource allocation, achieving superior spectral efficiency and fairness among users compared to traditional models. Numerical results validate the effectiveness of the proposed system, demonstrating its potential for next-generation IoT networks.