Radio resource management in emerging heterogeneous wireless networks

Techniques, devices, systems, and protocols are disclosed herein that relate to data transfer between communication nodes via multiple heterogeneous paths. In various embodiments, network coding may be used to improve data flow and reliability in a multiple path scenario. Transmission control protocol (TCP) may also be used within different paths to further enhance data transfer reliability. In some embodiments, multiple levels of network coding may be provided within a transmitter in a multiple path scenario, with one level being applied across all paths and another being applied within individual paths.

Multi-path data transfer using network coding

A coding approach for a robust and flexible network communication protocol is described. By using coding, it is possible to eliminate the need to track packet identities, and hence, it is possible to reduce coordination overhead associated with many conventional protocols. The method and system described herein takes advantage of multiple paths, interfaces, mediums, servers, and storage locations available in a network. The proposed protocol allows quick response to congestion by load balancing over different network resources. The method also enables soft vertical hand-overs across heterogeneous networks. In one embodiment, a media file is divided into chunks and transmitted using a transport protocol tailored to meet delay requirements of media streaming applications. Also described are different coding strategies for chunk delivery based upon an urgency level of each chunk.

Coding approach for a robust and flexible communication protocol

In this paper, we address the role of middleware in enabling robust and resilient cyber-physical systems (CPSs) of the future. In particular, we will focus on how adaptation services can be used to improve dependability in instrumented cyber-physical systems based on the principles of “computational reflection.” CPS environments incorporate a variety of sensing and actuation devices in a distributed architecture; such a deployment is used to create a digital representation of the evolving physical world and its processes for use by a broad range of applications. CPS applications, in particular, mission critical tasks, must execute dependably despite disruptions caused by failures and limitations in sensing, communications, and computation. This paper discusses a range of applications, their reliability needs, and potential dependability holes that can cause performance degradation and application failures. In particular, we distinguish between the notion of infrastructure and information dependability and illustrate the need to formally model and reason about a range of CPS applications and their dependability needs. Formal methods based tools can help us design meaningful cross-layer adaptation techniques at different system layers of the CPS environment and thereby achieve end-to-end dependability at both the infrastructure and information levels.

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Resilient dependable cyber-physical systems: a middleware perspective

The proliferation of wireless technologies and their ever increasing popularity and pervasiveness made it possible to have mobile terminals (MTs) equipped with a myriad of network interfaces. It is then becoming essential to offer vertical handoff solutions where users can move among various network types efficiently and seamlessly. A variety of mechanisms supporting vertical handoffs by selecting the best possible network interfaces have been proposed. The evaluation of these mechanisms, however, remains a complicated task and no known proposal is completely adequate to evaluate these mechanisms. In this paper, we propose a novel methodology for evaluating vertical handoff decision mechanisms. This methodology takes into account the current context, different realistic user mobility models, users preferences, applications requirements as well as wireless access technologies specificities and QoS parameters. The proposed methodology provides an adequate framework to investigate vertical handoff mechanisms (VHMs) and evaluate their performances. Then, we demonstrate our methodology on a VHM called Ubique.

A Methodology for Evaluating Vertical Handoff Decision Mechanisms

In the recent years, wireless communication systems have received increased interest in commercial applications. Different kind of wireless public access have become increasingly available in various areas like airports, stations and shopping centers as well as at office or at home. Mobile terminals, such as phones or laptops, are often equipped with several network interfaces and may use simultaneously several access networks. For instance it is nowadays common to have UMTS, WiFi, BlueTooth, and even WiMAX interfaces on a single mobile device. Each of them can be attached to different Internet providers offering seamless connectivity, high-speed multimedia services with different billing models and security levels. In this paper, we focus on an advanced middleware that allows, through a comprehensive profile management, the support of automatic interface configuration and per-flow interface selection. The system takes into account preferences given by the terminals owner, the users and the applications. This middleware makes the terminal to be always "best" connected and provides service continuity in case of vertical handover. As illustration, we show how the proposed middleware allows cost-effective management of a fleet of terminals.

Automatic multi-interface management through profile handling

Mobile wireless technologies have seen an immense growth in the recent years. Different kink of wireless public access have become increasingly available in areas like airports, stations and shopping centers as well as at office or at home. Mobile terminal such as phone or laptop are often equipped with several network interfaces and may use several access networks such as UMTS, WiMAX, WiFi and BlueTooth; each of them can be attached to different Internet providers having different billing models and security levels. To allow mobile users to be always connected to the best available access network and maintain theirs connections when they switch from one network to another, several vertical handoff mechanisms have been recently proposed. Few of them deal properly with the cost in the decision process, which should be done at a per flow basis. Our current work focuses on an advanced middleware that allows, through a comprehensive profile management, the support of automatic interfaces configuration and per-flow interface selection taking into account preferences given by the terminal's owner and applications. As illustrative, we show how the proposed middleware allows cost effective management of a multi-interfaces terminals fleet through an easy to configure set of preferences and resources profiles.

https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02901288/document

Zied Ben Hamouda

Papers

Automatic multi-interface management through profile handling

Middleware for multi-interfaces management through profiles handling