High Altitude Platform-Based Two-Hop Relaying Emergency Communications Schemes

In this paper, we investigate schemes of the high altitude platform (HAP)-based emergency communications network for delivering emergency calls and multicast and broadcast services (MBS) in case of large scale disaster in mountainous area at the early phase. The network we propose is a two-hop relay system based on IEEE 802.16j standard. Depending on the different role that the HAP plays in the relay system, two scenarios of the network, an integrated satellite-HAP-terrestrial system or an integrated HAP-terrestrial system, are illustrated respectively. The architecture of the proposed HAP-based relay networks is described with special emphasis on the physical (PHY) and medium access control (MAC) aspects of the 802.16j standard. Appropriate standard options are chosen and necessary adaptations are recommended considering the special requirement of delivering emergency communication services from the HAP.