Heterogeneous Mobile Networks Research Articles

Resource Allocation Schemes in Integrated Heterogeneous Wireless and Mobile Networks

Wireless and mobile networks have experienced a great success in the past few years. However, any single type of wireless and mobile network cannot meet all types of service requirements. For example, no single type of existing wireless and mobile network can provide both wide coverage and high bandwidth services. In order to provide more comprehensive services, an integrated heterogeneous wireless and mobile network is introduced. It consists of several different types of wireless and mobile networks and can provide more connection options for mobile users than a single type of wireless and mobile network. However, the integrated heterogeneous wireless and mobile network imposes great challenges in many perspectives. One of these challenges is to efficiently allocate resource for supporting multiple traffic (voice, video, data, and etc). Although a lot of resource allocation schemes have been proposed, they mostly focus on supporting multiple traffic in single type of network or supporting a single type of traffic in an integrated heterogeneous wireless and mobile network. Therefore, they may not be suitable for supporting multiple traffic in an integrated heterogeneous wireless and mobile network. In this paper, we propose two preemption -based resource allocation schemes to support multiple traffic in an integrated heterogeneous wireless and mobile network. In both schemes, we allow different types of traffic to have different priorities and higher priority traffic can preempt lower priority traffic. We evaluate the system performances of our proposed schemes by using extensive simulations. The simulation results show that the proposed schemes can significantly improve the system performances.

IP MULTIMEDIA SUBSYSTEM - NetCAPE: Enabling Seamless IMS Service Delivery across Heterogeneous Mobile Networks

An evolving wireless world is constantly providing users with a wider set of access technologies to choose from, each with different capabilities and properties. In this world, IMS as defined by 3GPP provides an enabling, standardized multimedia architecture that is access independent, hence, providing service convergence. This trend is accompanied by an increasing number of multimode terminals so that inter-access- system-service continuity gains relevance. This article presents the architectural framework of NetCAPE (networking context aware policy environment), which addresses the optimization of mobility management in such a heterogeneous environment while interacting with IMS applications to enable seamless service delivery across heterogeneous mobile networks; even as the mobility offered by the underlying network remains transparent to IMS applications. Although the focus is on 3GPP-based mobile networks, the framework also incorporates wired access technologies, hence, taking a further step toward fixed mobile convergence (FMC). First results are presented highlighting the improvements gained by applying NetCAPE concepts.

Traffic analysis of heterogeneous mobile cellular networks using “wrap-up” cell structure

In this paper, we develop a tool for evaluating performance of a heterogeneous mobile network under different traffic conditions. The traffic condition is specified in a cluster of seven heterogeneous base stations, and "wrap-up" cell structure is applied to account for the traffic that crosses the boundary of the cluster. The performance of the network is specified in metrics which can be computed using the algorithm developed. These metrics relate to call rejection, i.e. the blocking of new calls, and the termination of handoff calls, as well as the carried traffic i.e. the expected number of ongoing calls in a station. These metrics are either measured for a single base station in a cluster, or measured for the average over the whole cluster. We apply the algorithm to some hypothetical data and present the numerical results. We also consider approximating a heterogeneous model with a simpler homogeneous model. Through some numerical results, we demonstrate the magnitude of errors that could result in the approximation.

New generation heterogeneous mobile networks [Message from the Editor-in-Chief

New generation heterogeneous mobile networks [Message from the Editor-in-Chief

Call admission control for an adaptive heterogeneous multimedia mobile network

A novel call admission control (CAC) scheme for an adaptive heterogeneous multimedia mobile network with multiple classes of calls is investigated here. Different classes of calls may have different bandwidth requirement, different request call holding time and different cell residence time. At any time, each cell of the network has the capability to provide service to at least a given number of calls for each class of calls. Upon the arrival (or completion or hand off) of a call, a bandwidth degrade (or upgrade) algorithm is applied. An arriving call to a cell, finding insufficient bandwidth available in this cell, may either be disconnected from the network or push another call out of the cell toward a neighboring cell with enough bandwidth. We first prove that the stationary distribution of the number of calls in the network has a product form and then show how to apply this result in deriving explicit expressions of handoff rates for each class of calls, in obtaining the disconnecting probabilities for each class of new and handoff calls, and in finding the grade of service of this mobile network

The Criteria, Procedure, and Classification of Traffic-Sensitive and Non-Traffic-Sensitive Components: A Case of CDMA Mobile System

Since the introduction of competition in the telecommunication market due to the growth of the interconnection between heterogeneous networks, particularly fixed and mobile networks, the interconnection charge based on traffic-sensitive (TS) and non-traffic-sensitive (NTS) costs has become more important. Although there have been many studies of the public switched telephone network (PSTN), previous studies of TS and NTS costs in mobile networks are very few. In this paper, as a pilot study, we propose three criteria and a procedure for the classification of TS and NTS costs based on mobile systems. The three criteria are the following: function type, investment requirement, and main exhaust driver. Moreover, for a CDMA mobile system, strongly TS, strongly NTS, and mixed components are classified by the proposed criteria and procedure. The proposed criteria, procedure, and classification can provide a systematic and useful guideline to decide the scope of mobile facilities and to determine the terminating cost on mobile networks from fixed networks.

Seamless Streaming Media for Heterogeneous Mobile Networks

As the mobile networking technologies evolve, people are able to access the Internet through heterogeneous wireless access networks, such as WLAN, GPRS, 3G and Beyond 3G networks. For the coverage,...

Cooperative Networking Based on Infrastructure Multihop Architecture in Heterogeneous Mobile Networks

In heterogeneous mobile networks, infrastructure multihop techniques enable mobile stations (MSs) with only a single wireless interface to connect with other networks via multiple-interface MSs (MMSs). That is, MMSs can become gateways between two different mobile networks. Cooperation between different mobile networks linked by MMSs can yield many benefits, including coverage expansion, load balancing, and throughput improvement. We studied how to control these cooperative benefits. We developed a network control mechanism. Cooperative Networking, which controls the cooperative benefits in heterogeneous infra-multihop networks. The proposed mechanism assigns a cooperation rule to MSs. By following the rule, every MS chooses a path to a base station, such as direct connection to 3G networks or infra-multihop connection to wireless local area networks (WLANs). Cooperation rules are designed according to the cooperative benefits, which are selected based on the needs of network operators or users. We call a selected cooperative benefit a networking policy. In our proposed cooperative networking mechanism, network operators can adaptively select a networking policy appropriate for network conditions and the needs of users. Computer simulation results validated our proposed mechanism.

Measurement-based TFRC: improving TFRC in heterogeneous mobile networks

As a well-known multimedia stream transport protocol, TFRC provides smooth transfer rate under stable network conditions, and achieves good fairness to TCP. However, it is not flexible in heterogeneous mobile networks because the available bandwidth varies rapidly. This paper proposes a measurement based TFRC (MBTFRC) protocol, which uses passive bandwidth measurements at the receiver to improve the flexibility of TFRC. In addition, a window-based EWMA filter with two weights is used to achieve stability and fairness simultaneously. Simulation results verify the flexibility, stability and fairness of MBTFRC

Real-time traffic support in heterogeneous mobile networks

Multi-hop mobile wireless networks have been proposed for a variety of applications where support for real-time multimedia services will be necessary. Support for these applications requires that the network is able to offer quality of service (QoS) appropriate for the latency and jitter bounds of the real-time application constraints. In this paper, we analyze the primary challenges of realizing QoS in mobile wireless networks with heterogeneous devices and propose a QoS framework for real-time traffic support. We address the problem in three ways: estimate the path quality for real-time flows, mitigate the impact of node heterogeneity on service performance, and reduce the impact of interfering non-real-time traffic. Specifically, our proposed QoS framework first utilizes a call setup protocol at the IP layer to discover paths for real-time flows, as well as to perform admission control by accurate service quality prediction. The underlying routing protocol also enables transparent path selection among heterogeneous nodes to provide stable paths for real-time traffic delivery. We then use a prioritized MAC protocol to provide priority access for flows with real-time constraints to reduce interference from unregulated non-real-time traffic. We foresee the utility of our proposed solution in heterogeneous mobile networks, such as campus or community-wide wireless networks. In these environments, resource-rich or fixed wireless routers may be leveraged to achieve better service quality when heterogeneity of node capability and movement is significant. Through experimental results, we demonstrate the utility and efficiency of our approach.

Mobility support for IP-Based networks

IP-based wireless networks will become the core of next-generation mobile networks. Mobility support plays an important role in all IP-based wireless networks for providing multimedia applications. In this article we address various major issues in mobility support for IP-based networks. Existing technology, including Mobile IP, Mobile IPv6, and other related techniques, are discussed. The issues of mobility support for wireless LANs, wireless WANs, 2-3G cellular networks, and next-generation heterogeneous mobile networks are also addressed in this article.

Support of subscribers’ certificates in a hybrid WLAN-3G environment

Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has recently provided a cellular-WLAN interworking architecture as an add-on to 3GPP system specifications. This architecture can offer IP-based services, compatible with those obtainable by 3G packet switched domain, to a 3G subscriber who is connected via a WLAN. Following this approach, in this paper we propose extensions to current 3GPP specifications, implementing and experimenting with a hybrid WLAN-3G network architecture capable of supporting subscriber’s certificates. We focus on attribute certificates, which are of major importance for user authorization and, due to their temporary nature, entail minimum concern regarding revocation issues. We emphasise on the necessary public key infrastructure incorporation which requires minimum changes in 3G core network elements and signalling and provide a list of the potential threats, which can be identified in a presumable deployment. Apart from the description and requirements of the proposed WLAN-3G architecture, particular emphasis is placed on the experimental evaluation of the performance of two alternative test-bed scenarios, which shows that digital certificates technology is not only feasible to implement in present and future heterogeneous mobile networks, but also can deliver flexible and scalable services to subscribers, without compromising security.

A soft-handoff transport protocol for media flows in heterogeneous mobile networks

In this paper we introduce a protocol for end-to-end handoff management in heterogeneous wireless IP-based networks. The protocol is based on the stream control transmission protocol (SCTP), and employs a soft-handoff mechanism that uses end-to-end semantics for signaling handoffs and for transmitting control messages. The objective of this protocol is first to reduce the home registration delay, and second, to eliminate the tunneling cost that exist in the current IP-based handoff management protocols. While the multihoming feature of SCTP has been suggested as way to realize soft-handoffs, our study is the first one the presents the relative merits of this handoff approach through an analytical methodology. After our theoretical analysis, we evaluate the performance the soft-handoff mobile-SCTP protocol, when media flows with stringent QoS requirements are employed. Our objective is to evaluate whether the soft-handoff mechanism employed by the protocol, can efficiently support media flows in terms of jitter and throughput. We present simulation results that show performance improvements for several vertical handoff scenarios in current and emerging mobile networks.

Special issue: WLAN/3G integration for next‐generation heterogeneous mobile data networks

Wireless Communications and Mobile ComputingVolume 5, Issue 6 p. 599-601 Guest EditorialFree Access Special issue: WLAN/3G integration for next-generation heterogeneous mobile data networks Nikos Passas, Nikos Passas Guest Editor Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, University of Athens, Ilisia, Panepistimiopolis, Athens GR-15784, GreeceSearch for more papers by this authorApostolis K. Salkintzis, Apostolis K. Salkintzis Guest Editor Motorola, 32 Kifissias Avenue Maroussi, Athens GR-15125, GreeceSearch for more papers by this author Nikos Passas, Nikos Passas Guest Editor Department of Informatics and Telecommunications, University of Athens, Ilisia, Panepistimiopolis, Athens GR-15784, GreeceSearch for more papers by this authorApostolis K. Salkintzis, Apostolis K. Salkintzis Guest Editor Motorola, 32 Kifissias Avenue Maroussi, Athens GR-15125, GreeceSearch for more papers by this author First published: 30 August 2005 https://doi.org/10.1002/wcm.329Citations: 1AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume5, Issue6Special Issue: Special Issue: WLAN/3G Integration for Next‐Generation Heterogeneous Mobile Data NetworksSeptember 2005Pages 599-601 RelatedInformation

An adaptive quality‐of‐service network selection mechanism for heterogeneous mobile networks

AbstractThe success of broadband service has attracted more people to surf internet with the demand of high mobility and high bandwidth. The ongoing wireless local area network (WLAN) standardization and development activities allow WLAN to provide high data rate in unlicensed spectrum. It motivates cellular network operators to adopt WLAN as a complement to cellular 3G systems in hot spot areas. Consequently, it is imperative to develop a network selection technique to assure quality‐of‐service (QoS) for the integrated cellular/WLAN system. In this paper, an optimization scheme for mobile users to select a network in an integrated WLAN and universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) system is proposed. In order to provide users a prospect of being always best connected, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and grey relational analysis (GRA) techniques are integrated to make decision. The former defines selection criteria and the latter evaluates network alternatives. The network selection module is built at the link layer, and collects the time‐varying QoS information through cross‐layer message signaling. Simulations conducted in a heterogeneous system with UMTS and WLAN show that the proposed network selection technique can successfully satisfy QoS requirements for a variety of applications through a fair decision on the optimum network for mobile users at any time. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

End-to-end QoS support for IP and multimedia traffic in heterogeneous mobile networks

Quality of service support in future mobile multimedia systems is one of the most significant challenging issues facing researchers in the field of telecommunications. Inclusion of IP and other multimedia traffic in the 3G and beyond mobile networks requires a closer look at this issue ever than before on an end-to-end basis, necessarily with appropriate harmonization consideration among heterogeneous networks of wired and wireless. In this paper, quality of service is revisited taking into consideration the above requirements and numerical examples are provided to illustrate how simple parameters in the network can make the quality of service support in heterogeneous networks very difficult. A review of advanced technologies for providing future wireless Internet will be also provided.

A two-tier heterogeneous mobile Ad Hoc network architecture and its load-balance routing problem

The mobile ad hoc network (MANET) has attracted a lot of interest recently. However, most of the existing works have assumed a stand-alone MANET. In this paper, we propose a two-tier, heterogeneous...

End-to-End Quality-of-Service Coordination for Mobile Multimedia Applications

Transmitting real-time multimedia streams over heterogeneous mobile networks is a challenging task. Variation in network and system conditions can dramatically affect application performance. When providing end-to-end quality-of-service (QoS) multiple system facets should be coordinated: orchestration of local and peer resources, reservation of network resources, adaptation of multimedia streams, etc. This paper presents an end-to-end negotiation protocol (E2ENP) for negotiating and coordinating QoS on an end-to-end basis both at application and network layer. Based on a flexible extensible markup language (XML) model and extending SDPng concepts, the protocol enables the negotiation of system capabilities and allows provider-services to effectively influence the negotiation process. The aim of the E2ENP design is to optimize the efficiency of multimedia call setup and reduce the time for QoS renegotiations, whenever vertical handovers or spontaneous network reconfigurations occur. The basic protocol is presented, together with implementation and measurement results, stemming from several studies on current and future third-generation/fourth-generation scenarios.

End-to-end QoS provisioning in mobile heterogeneous networks

The remarkable advances in information technologies bring a heterogeneous environment for mobile users and service providers. This heterogeneity exists in wireless access technologies, networks, user terminals, applications, service providers, and so on. The ability to provide seamless and adaptive quality of service in such a heterogeneous environment is key to the success of next-generation wireless communications systems. There has been a considerable amount of QoS research recently. However, the main part of this research has been in the context of individual architectural components, and much less progress has been made in addressing the issue of an overall QoS architecture for the mobile Internet. This article first summarizes the state-of-the-art QoS techniques and standardization activities, then examines in detail important challenges in building a ubiquitous QoS framework over the heterogeneous environment, and finally proposes a QoS framework integrating a three-plane network infrastructure and a unified terminal cross-layer adaptation platform to provide seamless support for future applications.

Location-Based Services in Mobile Communication Infrastructures

Summary Location- and context-based services form a new class of services, which supplement existing services in the mobile communication infrastructure. The paper describes shortly an architecture of systems supporting the new class of services; this architecture extends beyond those systems which have initially been introduced by support of centralized data bases (such as web servers) and by federation components providing search and mapping functions which are necessary for the full exploitation of the capabilities of such services. The concept is based on the existence of heterogeneous mobile and radio access networks. The question arises, among others, to what extent such services add to the network load and its performance, in particular the question of scalability. In this paper, an approach is outlined as a basis for future capacity planning and for the support of strategic decision making with respect to infrastructure investments.