A PCS based architecture for tactical mobile communications

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a novel resource management technique, namely virtual cell layout (VCL), for rapidly deployable wireless networks that can be operated in hostile environments. In VCL, the area of communications is tessellated with regularly shaped fixed size virtual cells. The radio resources such as frequency carriers and scrambling codes are assigned to the fixed cells of this layout. The real cells, which do not have to be identical in size to the virtual cells, are mobile over VCL. Mobile base stations that make up the real cells use the radio resources assigned to the virtual cell in which they are located. The terminals of the system access to the network, as they are the terminals of an ordinary cellular network. When the terminals are not in the coverage of any mobile base station, VCL helps them to be organized into clusters. The performance evaluation of the proposed system shows that the VCL based architecture satisfies the rapid deployment requirement and gives an acceptable grade of service.