Devices and wireless interface control in vehicular communications: an autonomous approach

During recent years, mobile communications have reached every aspect of our modern life. Multimode wireless terminals are about to be introduced in our vehicles, giving them the capability to communicate through different networks. However, it is hardly possible for the car device to control efficiently and adapt dynamically its connectivity according to its environment. The objective of this paper is to present the concept of an innovative technological framework for the autonomous control of multimode terminals in heterogeneous and non-federated wireless environments. The aim is to enable a self-configuring terminal to connect to independent networks, while respecting its applications requirements. The target scheme implies a strong level of abstraction and cross-layer design, taking into account constraints based on heterogeneous wireless systems, autonomous architectures and enabling generic services such as a smart access network selection. This scheme applies to the
mobile terminal only, with mechanisms independent of the network infrastructure. The paper analyses how existing technologies are enhanced and combined with new features to achieve this objective and gives a description of the overall concept. A simulated model is used to assess the validity of the proposed framework, together with applications to real systems, highlighting the key benefits of the concept.