A FAHP Weighting Scheme for System Attributes in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

In a heterogeneous wireless network, different wireless access technologies with different operating parameters coexists in an overlay fashion. These wireless networks are deployed in order to provide different type of services to Mobile Stations (MSs) equipped with multiple interfaces, based on the principle of Always Best Connected (ABC) network. In such a dynamic environment, an MS can seamlessly switch from one wireless Access Network (AN) to another to guarantee continuity and quality of the current session. This is where the need for intelligent and efficient Vertical Handoffs (VHOs) between technologies in a heterogeneous wireless environment becomes apparent. This paper presents the design and the detailed calculations of a novel weighting mechanism for the system attributes in heterogeneous wireless networks with applications to VHO. A Fuzzy based Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is used to calculate the weights, due to its capability to handle inherent uncertainty and vagueness which is present in the subjective preference evaluations of end-users. The mechanism is designed for four different traffic classes and takes into account the Quality of Service (QoS) requirements for each class. Keywords—fuzzy logic; handoffs; MADM; heterogeneous wireless networks; Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process;