Towards Green Networking in Self-Organizing Heterogeneous Wireless Mesh Networks based on the Localization and the Mobility of Terminals (ALM4GREEN)

Description

The future of wireless communications presents a scenario with many users sharing files or pictures or downlowding videos. Social networks and real time play a very relevant role in this scenario. Smartphones, tablets and laptop computers are common devices among people walking or travelling by car or public transportation in cities or suburbs. The heterogeneity of the communication interfaces that is present in such devices (GSM, HSPA+, LTE, 802.11, Bluetooth) opens new challenges related to the mobility and variety of interfaces. Heterogeneous wireless networks are characterized by the coexistence of multiple technologies and the mobility of the nodes which leads to frequent changes in the topology and possible connectivity issues. Hence, it is necessary the design and implementation of adaptive algorithms that allow the self-organization of the network in order to optimize the network performance.

The main objective of this proposal is to offer a solution for the self-organized wireless connection of these devices with heterogeneous interfaces. In this scenario, we consider the presence of fix nodes as part of a network infrastructure with Internet connection, and also mobile nodes that can exchange data with the fix nodes or with other mobile nodes through ad-hoc connections. This topology, identified as Heterogeneous Wireless Mesh Network (HWMN), presents a number of issues open for research with the aims of ensuring the network connectivity and providing robust connections in a network with frequent changes. The adaptive algorithms for these networks must optimize the management of the users’ mobility and cooperate with the algorithms that control the connectivity of ad-hoc nodes in such a way that changes have a minimal impact on the overall connectivity. A support for this cooperation is available through the knowledge of the position of the nodes. It is also obvious that the routing protocol designed for such networks must easily and quickly adapt to changes without the need to exchange large amounts of data. The knowledge of the nodes’ position is also necessary in order to reach these goals.

Energy-saving is today a key topic since, in the case of wireless networks, it represents a synergy of three objectives. First there is the reduction of energy consumption and its impact on the environment. Second, less energy consumption leads to longer battery life, hence lighter devices for the same battery duration or longer duration for the same weight, with obvious consequences on the usability. Third, longer battery life also involves more devices connected at the same time, hence better connectivity. This project proposes applications of self-organizing networks to Green Networking. To this end, the self-organization algorithms that will be proposed will try to optimize the energy consumption among other metrics of the network performance. The accessibility to handicapped people is also considered in the proposal and the longer battery economy of energy consumption will also contribute to this aim.

Period

Start date: 01/01/2014 
End date: 31/12/2017
Status: Completed

Funding

Funded by the ERDF and the Spanish Government

Budget

Project: 61.226,00 €
Spanish Government contribution: 61.226,00 €

Participants

Enrica Valeria Zola (GRXCA), Francisco Barceló Arroyo (GRXCA), Daniel Guasch Murillo (BAMPLA), Francisco Javier Ozon Gorriz (GRXCA), Israel Martin Escalona (GRXCA), Jose Manuel Yufera Gomez (GRXCA), Sergio Machado Sanchez (GRXCA), Rafael Morillas Varon (GRXCA).

Further information

Further information can be found here.