Abstract-A vehicular sensing network (VSN) is a type of wireless sensor network that empowers legacy resourceconstrained WSNs by taking advantage of the rich network resources (e.g., the battery life, storage capability, and mobility) of vehicles. In this paper, we posit that the sensed data in VSNs is generally local in nature and propose a simple yet effective scheme, called To-and-Fro (TAF), for localized data dissemination. Unlike conventional wireless networks and sensing systems, the TAF scheme operates in an opportunistic manner and does not need a network infrastructure. More precisely, the scheme always forwards messages to passing vehicles if they are moving in the opposite direction. Using simulations of both synthetic and realistic network scenarios, we demon strate that the propo sed scheme is simple, practical, and effective for localized data dissemination in vehicular sensing networks. Moreover, the scheme is easy to deploy, as long as each vehicle in the network can access CPS information. A vehicular sensing network (YSN) is a type of wireless sensor network (WSN) that empowers legacy resourceconstrained WSNs by exploiting the rich resources (e.g ., the battery life, storage capability, and mobility) of vehicles. In the recent years, a substantial amount of research effort has been invested in this area , and several real-world deployments have been carried out to demonstrate the feasibility and potential of YSNs. The potential applications of YSNs are wide ranging. For instance, it would be advantageous to employ vehicular sensing systems for reporting road surface conditions [8] , monitoring environmental pollution [10] , and providing urban surveillance [13] . YSNs differ from conventional wireless networks and sensing systems in a number ways. First , full-coverage cannot be guaranteed for infrastructure-based networks (e.g., WiMAX, GPRS, and 3G) in YSNs , since the latter may have to subsist in uninhabited areas and challenging environments (e.g., in mountains and desserts). Second, MAN ET-based solutions cannot be applied to YSNs directly, since network contacts (i.e. , communication opportunities) are intermittent and unpredictable due to the diversity of vehicl e mobility; and MANET-based solutions have difficulty maintaining endto-end paths in a network. Third, delay tolerant network (DTN)-based solutions are not suitable either, as the sensed data in YSNs may vary/oscillate frequently, and DTN-based solutions are short on yield time and reliable data transmission. Moreover, in YSNs, the sensed data is mostly local in nature, i.e., vehicular networks are primarily interested in information from an event source that is nearby. For example, we may be interested in information about traffic jams on the route we are taking to a destination, or air pollution readings in the area where we work or live. Ideally, localized data dissemination should 1) only "affect " vehicles in the area where the information is relevant, and 2) ensure that all vehicles connected to the network in the area are aware of the information. Intuitively, localized data dissemination in YSNs can be achieved by implementing geocasting-based approaches, which are designed to deliver messages to all interested peers within a geographical destination region . Although several data forwarding approaches have been proposed [4] To address this research gap, we propose a novel solution, called To-and-Fro (TAF), for localized data dissemination in vehicular sensing networks. The TAF scheme is an opportunistic network-based approach that does not require a fully covered infrastructure-based network, and it is not necessary to maintain an end-to-end path between the source and the destination. Specifically, the TAF scheme follows a very simple rule : it only forwards messages to passing vehicles if they are traveling in the opposite direction. Using a comprehensive set of simulations, we evaluate the TAF scheme in terms of the spatial distribution, message population, dissemination ratio, and load distribution. The results show that the scheme is simple, practical, and very effective in preserving data sensed in the regions close to the event source, thereby fulfilling the goal of localized data dissemination. Moreover, it is easy to deploy, as long as the GPS information (i.e., the geographic position and the movement direction) can be accessed by each vehicle in the network. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. Section II contains a review of related works. In Section III, we describe the proposed approach, called TAF, for localized data dissemination in opportunistic vehicular networks. Section IY presents a comprehensive set of simulation results; the results are also analyzed and explained in detail. We then
In REF authors introduced the To-and-Fro (TaF) scheme, a localized data dissemination solution using opportunistic VSN.
Localized data dissemination in vehicular sensing networks
2009 IEEE Vehicular Networking Conference (VNC)
2009 IEEE Vehicular Networking Conference (VNC)
Computer Science