Assignment of communication devices heuristically to green relays in wireless network

An apparatus to assign communication devices to green relays in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

• a communication module configured to communicate with a plurality of green relays,
• a processor coupled to the communication module, wherein the processor is configured to perform or cause to be performed:
• detect a first device pair assigned to a first green relay among the plurality of green relays;
• detect a second device pair assigned to the first green relay;
• determine a first data rate of the first device pair to be higher than a second data rate of the second device pair;
• execute a first search of the plurality of green relays to locate a second green relay to assign the second device pair;
• attempt to assign the second device pair to the second green relay to reduce an average traffic load of the first green relay;
• and
• in response to successful assignment of the second device pair to the second green relay, clear at least one marker associated with at least one of the plurality of green relays used to include the at least one of the plurality of relays in a subsequent search associated with the second device pair.

A wireless communication system, comprising:

• a plurality of green relays;
• a controller to assign communication devices to the plurality of green relays, wherein the controller is configured to perform or cause to be performed:
• determine that a first data rate of a first device pair, assigned to a first green relay, is lower than a second data rate of a second device pair;
• execute a first search of the plurality of green relays to locate a second green relay to assign the first device pair;
• attempt to assign the first device pair to the second green relay to reduce an average traffic load of the first green relay;
• label the first green relay with a marker to reduce a possibility of a selection of the first green relay in a subsequent search associated with the first device pair;
• and
• determine if the second green relay is not labeled with a marker in order to assign the first device pair to the second green relay, wherein the marker designates an inability of the second green relay to accept an assignment of the first device pair.