User-oriented cluster-based solution for multimedia content delivery over VANETs

Vehicular ad-hoc network (VANET)-based multimedia applications are considered to play a very important role in the future of intelligent transportation systems and vehicular infotainment systems. Socio-economic issues are identified among the main challenges in VANET-based multimedia applications. In response to these challenges, this paper proposes a novel user-oriented cluster-based multimedia delivery solution over VANETs that is able to address vehicle passenger preferences and deliver multimedia content of their interest. Such a solution will support various value added services in the vehicles, e.g. touristic video guide, news, entertainment, etc. In this paper the architecture of the proposed solution is presented together with the cluster-based mechanism employed for multimedia transmissions and the cluster head selection algorithm required for delivery infrastructure management. Simulation-based testing demonstrate how this solution increases system stability resulting in a longer life of the elected cluster head compared to the classic Lowest-ID cluster head algorithm, fact that positively influences the quality of the multimedia transmission.