Title: Hybrid vehicular communications based on V2V-V2I protocol switching

Authors: Anna Maria Vegni; Thomas D.C. Little

Addresses: Department of Applied Electronics, University of ‘Roma TRE’, Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma, Italy. ' Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, 8 Saint Mary’s Street, Boston 02215, MA, USA

Abstract: In this paper, a hybrid communication paradigm for vehicular networking is presented in which connectivity is provided by both existing network infrastructure (e.g. wireless network access points) through a vehicle-to-infrastructure protocol and traditional vehicle-to-vehicle networking. Pre-existing infrastructure can provide seamless connectivity, especially when vehicles are sparse or travelling in disconnected neighbourhoods, while vehicular communications are available for dense traffic scenarios. In this vision, we depict a novel heterogeneous vehicular network scenario, in which overlapping wireless networks partially cover the vehicular grid. Vehicle-to-X (V2X) is based on a protocol switching decision, which is achieved in a distributed fashion by each vehicle based on a cost function using path alternatives. An analytical model for protocol switching in V2X is described. Moreover, we analyse how messages are forwarded by vehicles communicating via V2X. We characterise the maximum and minimum bounds of information propagation and compare performance with traditional message propagation based on opportunistic networking.

Keywords: vehicular ad hoc networks; VANETs; heterogeneous wireless networks; V2V; vehicle-to-vehicle; V2I; vehicle-to-infrastructure; radio resource utilisation time; hybrid communications; vehicular networks.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVICS.2011.044263

International Journal of Vehicle Information and Communication Systems, 2011 Vol.2 No.3/4, pp.213 - 231

Published online: 14 Dec 2011 *

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