Overview of Routing Algorithm in Pocket Switched Networks

Pocket Switched Networks represent one particular intermittent communication network for handheld mobile devices. It is an important branch of delay tolerant network with broad application areas, taken as a necessary technology for human-centered pervasive computing. Compared with traditional networks, pocket switched networks have no stable topology structure. As for the other types of delay tolerant network, the nodes in pocket switched networks follow the mobility module as human society. Thus, the routing problem of pocket switched networks is more complex, and the existing works also focus their attention in this area. Technological advances of social networks are leading to a few routing protocols for pocket switched networks. A survey of current routing solutions is presented. The development of social network for pocket switched networks is introduced as three stages. Then the routing protocols for pocket switched networks are classified based on these three stages. The details of these routing protocols are shown in this paper. At last, the article discusses the trend of social based routing protocols. This work is hopefully beneficial to the researchers from the communities of pocket switched network analysis, social network mining, and pattern matching.