Handoff time estimation model for vehicular communications

A good understanding of the behaviour of the traffic of a mobile network is essential for an efficient planning and management of the mobile network´s scarce bandwidth resources. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic approach, called Handoff Time Estimation MODel (HTEMOD), to estimate the time window when a user will perform handoffs along his/her movement/path to a destination. We derive the probability distribution function of time taken to transit each road segment along the path, using a sample of users that is selected according to navigation zone characteristics, current data on road segments, and current behaviour of users on the road segment. We evaluate our model via simulations, and compare it with the model proposed in [1]. Regardless of the given probability value to obtain a time window, the road segment density and the number of road segments to handoff, HTEMOD provides a better accuracy and good duration of predicted time window when handoff will occur. Whilst the proposed HTEMOD model can be applied to any type of user equipment, its efficiency becomes more appealing in the context of vehicles (i.e., for the support of road to vehicles communications - RVC) or highly mobile nodes travelling in urban areas constrained by predefined roads and whose velocities are also restricted according to speed limits, level of congestion in roads, and traffic control mechanisms (e.g., stop signs and traffic lights).