Dynamic handover cost modeling in hybrid VLC/RF networks

Abstract

In this paper, a dynamic handover cost model is proposed to solve the cost evaluation problem in hybrid visible light communication (VLC)/ radio frequency (RF) heterogeneous networks. According to this model, the cost of handover scenarios with different network deployment and user mobility characteristics can be evaluated, providing a unified standard for the performance evaluation of handover schemes. By utilizing the received signal strength (RSS)-based association policy, the probability of user-to-access point (AP) association is derived. By utilizing stochastic geometry and modeling the locations of APs using a Poisson point process (PPP), the impact of user mobility and network parameters on handover performance is quantified and the expressions for the user’s cell dwell time and handover rate are derived. By analyzing the detailed flow of handover and combining it with the handover rate, a comprehensive handover cost expression is derived. Finally, by simulation and analysis, the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed handover cost model are demonstrated. Compared with the original handover cost model, the proposed model has better dynamic adaptability as well as reliability.