Multi-Hop Cluster based IEEE 802.11p and LTE Hybrid Architecture for VANET Safety Message Dissemination

This paper proposes a hybrid architecture, namely VMaSC-LTE, combining IEEE 802.11p based multi-hop clustering and the fourth generation cellular system, Long Term Evolution (LTE), with the goal of achieving high data packet delivery ratio and low delay while keeping the usage of the cellular architecture at the minimum level. In VMaSC-LTE, vehicles are clustered based on a novel approach named VMaSC: Vehicular Multi-hop algorithm for Stable Clustering. From the clustered topology, elected cluster heads operate as dual-interface nodes with the functionality of IEEE 802.11p and LTE interface to link VANET to LTE network. Using various key metrics of interest including data packet delivery ratio, delay, control overhead and clustering stability, we demonstrate superior performance of the proposed architecture compared to both previously proposed hybrid architectures and alternative routing mechanisms including flooding and cluster based routing via extensive simulations in ns-3 with the vehicle mobility input from the Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO). The proposed architecture also allows achieving higher required reliability of the application quantified by the data packet delivery ratio at the cost of higher LTE usage determined by the number of cluster heads in the network.