Rf Propagation Environment Awareness for Smart Mobile Ad-hoc Networks

Urban canyon environments represent a significant challenge to wireless communications, a satisfactory solution for which remains to be proven. We present RF Propagation Environment Awareness (RPEA), utilising ‘smart’ ad hoc, or self-forming and self-healing networks that are capable of storing and exploiting local propagation geometry information. An empirical radio propagation environment model, comprising a loss model specific to the local urban topology, is used to optimise network operation. This model is constructed over time from prior experience operating in the area of interest, and can be used to estimate the lifetime of a wireless connection, given current node kinematic behaviour, and location relative to attenuating objects in the environment. This lifetime can in turn be used to evaluate Quality of Service parameters for network routes, and to select optimal routes with the longest lifetime. We propose one technique to learn about the RF propagation environment, and evaluate the utility of RF Propagation Environment Awareness.